Troubleshooting EverChill 324-000119 12-Volt Refrigerator WD-282FWDC Not Cooling

Question:

Brand new, worked one day. Plugged in at home, battery reads full. Lights on in refrigerator, freezer fan appears to be working. Cooling number flashes, I will press and hold setinch and it appears to re-boot and cooling number is steady, but after a few hours I come back and its still a warm refrigerator/freezer.

asked by: Kelly N

Expert Reply:

Since the lights and fan in your Everchill WD-282FWDC Refrigerator # 324-000119 work but the compressor does not appear to be performing its cooling duties I suspect you may have a power issue. The compressor will not operate unless it sees at least 10.5 volts input power. It requires 11-amps of current for normal operation.

To determine if power is the issue you can check your batteries' actual voltage and current using a multi-meter like # PT89ZR. Also check that the wiring used to connect the refrigerator is a heavy enough gauge for the length of wire used. I linked an image from the instructions that shows the wire size needed. I also linked the troubleshooting guide.

You can also try disconnecting power from the unit for a few hours to allow it to reset. Sometimes if there is an error in their control systems powering down the refrigerator will allow the error to clear and restore normal operation.

expert reply by: Adam R

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Nick C.

8/7/2020

Did Kelly N figure out the problem because we are having the same issue?

Chris R.

8/18/2020

I'm not sure if we heard back from Kelly. Have you tried troubleshooting the unit as described above?

Kelly K.

8/22/2020

I have same issue I am on electrical. Freezer is working good but fridge is running at 50 . It was froze so I turned off for a day let it totally dry out and it started working for a few days but now same problem. Any ideas

Dan P.

8/28/2020

Same problem for us too. New in July 2020. Fridge worked on house power for a week. Then 24 hours on battery. Loaded up and went camping for the weekend. No cooling whatsoever. Fan ran, reset and then blinking "3" light an hour later.

See All (62) Replies to Nick C. ∨

Andrea T.

9/5/2020

Similar problem here. Bought camper brand new In Feb 2020. Outside fridge has already had to be replaced 3 months in. Now the Ever Chill indoor fridge will not cool. Freezer works great and fridge worked great for 6 months. Now on our last three camping trips it’s been a toss up on whether it’s going to cool or not. Currently on long Labor Day vacation and it is choosing not cool this time. The blue temp light just flashes all the time. Any suggestions?

Jon G.

9/8/2020

If it's still under warranty I'd definitely look into that. Something else I've been seeing people talk about as I look into this more is power consumption and making sure your batteries are still good as well as anything else like fuses. Are you plugging in to shore power and it's still messing up, or are you boondocking?

Sean

11/29/2020

@AndreaT same issue here. Brand spanking new. Worked for 7 days in my driveway.... Turned it off. 2 weeks later turn it on and hardly a breath of cool air. Temp setting light blinks.... Both on shore and battery power

Tom

12/13/2020

@AndreaT. I have had 2 in last 4 months. These are 12 volt units ANF the company doesn't know how to repair. I'm a rv tech so I trouble shot the unit itself. It has a control board behind the refrigerator that's actually a converter. The compressor requires 12 volts it can operate on 10 volts but not consistent. There are 3 wires that go to the back of the refrigerator on positive one negative and one ground. If the thermostat light is blinking you are only pulling 6 volts which means compressor isn't cooling because it isn't on. The reason is you are looking ground thru your rv. Quick fix is to pull your refrigerator out and place a piggy back from your ground terminal. Drill a hole in the back corner until you hit metal and drill screw to frame and connect that piggy back ground at that point. Problem will be solved.

See All (7) Replies to Andrea T. ∨

Pete R.

6/11/2024

My refrigerator at first start up will run and get cold freeze but when it cycles, it will not come back on unless you pull the can you please tell me what part I need?