Dometic RM663, RM763 Installation And Operating Instructions Manual

REFRIGERATOR
EQUIPPED WITH

FOR LP-GAS AND ELECTRIC OPERATION
AUTOMATIC ENERGY SELECTOR

J

FOR YOUR SAFETY
If you smell gas:

1. Open windows.

2. Don’t touch electrical switches.

3. Extinguish any open flame.

4. Immediately call your gas supplier.

Do not store or use gasoline or other
flammable vapors and liquids in the
vicinity of this or any other appliance.

AUTOMATIC ENERGY SELECTOR

RM763 RM1303

Page

Installation

4-6

Instructions for use 7-8

Gas equipment

8

Electric equipment

8

Maintenance

8

Fault tracing

9

Door panel

12

quality leisure line products

USA

Elkhart, IN 46515
2320 Industrial Parkway

[phone]
City of Industry, CA 91746

14441 Bonelli St.
[phone]

Corporate

Office

P.O. BOX 490,

Elkhart,

IN 46515

Portland, OR 97223
7895 S.W. Hunziker Rd.
[phone]

Arlington, TX 76011
2920 Avenue “E” East
[phone]

Stone Mountain, GA 30083

1625-A Rock Mountain Blvd.

[phone]

Hagerstown, MD 21740
East Oak Ridge Drive
Rt. 9, Box 17 A

[phone]

CANADA
Euroclean Canada Inc.
Dometic

Recreation Division
866 Langs Drive
Cambridge Ontario

N3H 2N7

[phone]

DSC #304

0

10

Fig.

1

0

1

Fig. 2

r

L

Fig. 3

Clear blue

colour

of flame

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Gas equipment parts

3. Burner Jet

5. Thermo-electric solenoid valve

flame failure device.

6. Pressure test gage connection

7. Capillary tube for thermostat

8. Shut-off valve

9. Gas tube

10.

Firing tip

11.

Hexagon nut

3

INSTALLATION

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

The refrigerators outlined hereon have been design certified
under ANS Z21.19b -

1982. Refrigerators by the American Gas

Association for installation in a mobile

home or recreational vehi­cle and are approved by the Canadian Gas Association.
The certifications are, however, contingent on the installation
being made in accordance with the following instructions as
applicable.

The

lnstallation

must In the USA conform with:

1.

National

Fuel Gas Code

Z223.

H

980

2. Mobile Homes

ANSI/NFPA

No. 501 B-1977

3. Recreational Vehicles ANSI/NFPA No. 501 C-1977
The unit must be electrically grounded in accordance with the

National Electric Code

ANSI/NFPA

No.

70-1981

when installed if

an external alternating current electrical source is utilized.

4. Any applicable local code

In Canada

1. Standard CGA

10.0-CSA

2240.4, gas equipped mobile hous-

ing and recreational vehicles

2. Standard CSA

Z240.6.1

electrical requirements for mobile

housing

3. Standard CSA Z240.6.2/C22.2 No 148 electrical require-

ments for recreational vehicles.

Thls appliance is designed for storage of foods and storage
of frozen foods and making ice.
Note. Do not install the appliance directly on carpeting.

Car­peting must be protected by a metal or wood panel beneath
the

appliance

which extends at least full width and depth of

the appliance.

Ventilation

The installation shall be made in such a manner as to separate
the combustion system from the living space of the mobile home
or recreational vehicle. Openings for air supply or for venting of
combustion products shall have a minimum dimension of not
less than

1/4

Inch.

Proper installation requires one lower fresh air intake and one

upper exhaust vent. The ventilation kits shown in this instruction
booklet have been certified for use with the refrigerator models
listen in the tables. Certified vent system kits, see separate
Ilst. The ventilation kits must be installed and used without

modi-

fication.

An opening towards the outside at floor level in the

refrigerator compartment must be provided for ventilation of

heavier-than-air fuel gases. The lower vent of the recommended

kits is provided with proper size openings. The flow of combus­tion and ventilating air must not be obstructed.

For ready serviceability of the burner and control manifold parts

of the refrigerator the lower

side

vent is

fitted

with a

liftout panel

which provides an adequate access opening.

GAS CONNECTION

Hook-up to the gas supply line is accomplished at the manual
gas valve, which

IS

furnished with a

3/8”

SAE (UNF

5/8”-

18) male
flare connection. All completed connections should be checked
for leaks with soapy water.
The gas supply system must incorporate a pressure regulator to
maintain a supply pressure of not more than 11 Inches water

gage.

In case detailed

instructions

on the installation and connection to

the gas supply are required. contact your dealer or distributor.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION

120VOLTSAC
The

refrigerator is equipped with a three prong (grounded) plug
for protection against shock hazards and should be plugged
directly into a properly grounded three prong receptacle. Do not
cut or remove the grounding prong from this plug. The cord
should be routed to avoid coming in contact with the burner
cover, flue

cover

or other hot components.

12V DC
THREE WAY CONNECTION

The

connection is to be made to a terminal block 15, see fig 5.
The refrigerator must be connected to the battery circuit with two
wires of adequate capacity to avoid voltage drop. The wire gage
should be chosen with consideration to the wire length in accord­ance with table below. The 12 V circuit must be fused. Maximum
circuit fuse size: 30 Amps for RM763 and 40 Amps for RM1303.
Do

not use the body or chassis of the vehicle as a substitute for
either of the two conductors. No other electrical equipment or
lighting should be connected lo the refrigerator circuit. The
refrigerator will draw from 20 to 23 Amps at 12 Volt depending on
model.

Suggested maximum two conductor wire length in feet

AWG

RM763

RM1303

10 13

6

22

19

6 34

31

4 55 50

12 V power operation

When power operation from the alternator is desired a low cur­rent, positive, 12V DC signal shall be given into the control sys­tem. A connection

has to be made

between the ignition system
of the engine and the block marked IGN LOCK on the back of the
fridge,

see fig 5. Examples of circul diagrams are shown in fig 6

and 7.

If the connection to the ignition system is not made the
refrigerator will not operate on 12 V power, i.e. gas will be used

whenever 120 V is not available.

12VDC
TWO WAY CONNECTION

When the refrigerator is not to be operated on 12 V power

do not

connect to ignition lock (delete the

16-ga

wire in the exemples).

Use minimum

14-ga

wire between the battery and the

refrigerator for the control voltage (connection points 12 V + and

-

in fig. 5, part 15. Leave IGN LOCK key open). In this case the
maximum fuse size shall be 4 Amps instead of the fuse sizes
mentioned above.

Caution

It is necessary

with

a battery in the 12 Volt circuit. The operation
of the 12 Volt control system can be disturbed if it is powered by a
converter only.

4

SPECIAL HINTS

The

refrigerator must be installed in a substantial enclosure and
must be level. A spirit level is supplied with each refrigerator and
by placing it in the freezer compartment one can level the
refrigerator both ways front to back and side to side. When instal­ling the refrigerator in the enclosure care should be taken to
ensure a complete sealing between the front frame of the
refrigerator and the top, sides and bottom of the enclosure. For
this purpose a length of sealing strip is applied to rear surfaces of
the front frame.
Any space between counter or storage area and the top of the
refrigerator greater than 1

1/2"

should be blocked. The heat pro­duced at the rear of the refrigerator will otherwise become trap­ped in this space making the top of the refrigerator hot and
reducing the efficiency of the refrigerator.

TO CHANGE THE DOOR OPENING FROM
LEFT TO

RIGHT OR VICE VERSA

Open the

door and unscrew the two screws holding the top front
cover. The screws are accessible from beneath. Remove the top
hinge pin and lift out the door.
The lower pin for the refrigerator door should be shifted to the
opposite side.
The door can then be remounted. Before the top front cover is
refitted check that the door closes easily and that the gasket
seals well on all sides.

TO REMOVE AND REPLACE
THE REFRIGERATOR

Before working on the refrigerator make sure that

120

V A.C. and
optional 12 V D.C. leads are disconnected.
Unscrew the hexagon nut 11 and the bracket which holds gas
shut-off valve 8, see fig. 1 pos. 8. Let the gas valve remain on the
gas line.
Loosen the screws fixing the refrigerator to the enclosure and
remove the refrigerator. See fig. 9.
When replacing the refrigerator make sure that the sealing strips
are

properly

positioned. After reassembly the gas connection

Fig.

8

should be checked for leaks.

Fig. 9

WIRING DIAGRAMS

I

I

VEH. BATTERY

Motor Home

Tow Vehicle

Travel Trailer

CERTIFIED INSTALLATION

Certified installations require one roof vent and one lower side
vent.
Certified vent system kits, see separate list.
For further information contact your dealer or distributor.

METHODS OF INSTALLATION

The

methods of installation are shown in figure 10.
It is essential that all maximum or minimum dimensions are
strictly maintained as the performance of the refrigerator is
dependent on an adequate flow of air over the rear of the
refrigerator.

VENTlLATlON

HEIGHTS

Installation with roof

vent and tower side vent

Refrigerator

Minimum

ventilation

heights in inches

RM763

56

RM1303

62

CLEARANCES

Minimum clearances

in inches to combustible materials are

G: Top

0
K: Side 0
L: Bottom 0
M: Rear 1

Clearance M between the

rearmost

part of the refrigerator and
the wall behind the refrigerator.
Clearance N on top of the condenser is related to the minimum
ventilation height.

See Fig

11,12

and examples below

Fig.

11

Refrigerator

Overall Installation

Recess Distance between

model

dimesions

dimensions

dimensions

top of condenser to
top of refrigerator

Height

Width

Depth Height

Width

Depth

Height

Widteh

Depth

A

B C H

W

D

H

W

D

E

RM763

52 23 2411/16 51

-3/16 21 9/16 22-3/4 51-3/8 21-13/16 23-3/4 1/8

RM1303

57-15/166 24-15/16 24-

11/166571/4 23 7/16 22-3/4 57-1/2 23-13/16 23-3/4 1/8

Condenser

This method of installation and these

clearancess

will give you adequate space for servicing and for proper operation.

EXAMPLES

N=Minimum ventilation height 56 minus installation

height

The clearance N for the RM763

model is derived at in the

follow-

ing way

51

3/16 plus

distance between condenser top and refrigerator top

1/8 plus

distance between roof surface and roof vent cap 5

1/4

N=56-51

3/16+1/8+5 1/4=10 -3/16

Installation with roof vent and lower side vent

Fig. 12

6

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

HOW TO START THE REFRIGERATOR

Leveling

In the boiler ammonia vapor is distilled from an ammonia-water
mixture and carried to the finned condenser, where it liquifies.
The liquid flows to the evaporator, where it creates cold by,
evaporating into a circulating flow of hydrogen gas. If the
evaporator coil is not level the liquid readily accumulates, form­ing pockets which can impair the gas circulation or even block it,
in which case, of course, the cooling will stop.
When the recreational vehicle is stationary it must be leveled to
be comfortable to live in. If the refrigerator is properly installed, i e
the freezer shelf parallel to the floor, the refrigerator will then also
perform well.
A bubble level should be placed on the freezer shelf. When the
vehicle is moving, the continuous rolling and pitching movement
will not affect the refrigerator as long as the movement passes
either side of level, but when the RV is temporarily parked this
sensitivity of the refrigerator should be remembered.

So, once

more, before you start the refrigerator make sure It Is level.

Operation

Before starting the refrigerator check the gas valves in the piping.
Do not forget the valve on the back of the refrigerator.

1.

To start the refrigerator turn knob A to position On. Lamp E

shall now be green.

2. Turn the thenostat B to a suitable setting, try 4.

3. The fridge is shut off by turning knob A to position Off.

Information on the operation of
the refrigerator

This refrigerator is equipped with an automatic energy selector
system. The control system selects the most suitable available
energy source. The selection will be made with highest priority to
120 V. Second priority to 12 V from the alternator. lowest priority
has gas operation. No manual operation is necessary for change
of energy. If the fridge does not succeed in lighting the gas the
lamp E will change from continuous green into red flashing light.
Further information is given below under the head line

red flash-

ing light.

If the battery voltage drops, the control system will start
continuous gas operation. The lamp will not be lit. The thermo­stat will not be in operation. When the voltage increases, normal
operation will start up again.

There is no by-pass flame on these
refrigerators

The control system shuts off the gas when the refrigerator has
correct temperatures. The gas flame will be lit by the control
system when the temperature increases above the preset one.

Delay

for gas start up

In order to avoid a gas-flame at gasoline stations the refrigerator
is programmed to delay gas start up for about

30

min after 12 V
operation. Please observe that this delay occurs even after only
1 minute of 12 V operation from your engine in order to cover
events when you have to wait in line for a gasoline pump. If you
want a quick gas start up after 12 V operation you can switch off
the refrigerator for a few seconds and then switch back to on.
Note: This operation is only avaible when the refrigerator is

connected for three-way use, see p. 4 12 V operation.

Red flashing light

If the lamp E begins to flash with red light the refrigerator control
system has tried to lit the gas flame but it did not succeed in doing
so. We recommend following operations:

1. Turn knob A to position off and back to on again. The lamp
shall now be green and the control system does a new start

attempt. If the refrigerator has not been in operation for a while
or you have just refilled gas this operation may have to be
repeated several times. Each start attempt will last for up to
three minutes. If the starting is not succesful the lamp will turn
red again.

2. If operation

1.

is not succesful, check your gas supply.

3. If you have gas-make sure that all valves in the gas pipe are
opened.

4. If none of these operations are successful to contact a service
center.

Note. The first start is always a problem. To empty the gas pipe
from the gas vessel up to the refrigerator may take several
minutes - i e 3-4 operations as to point 1.

above.
Electric operation and selection of electric operation is not
blocked during red flashing light. Gas operation can only start
after ON - OFF - ON OPERATION

The red flashing light indicates faulty operation. If you will operate
the refrigerator on any electrical source connect and supply the
avaible voltage and make an ON-OFF-ON operation. Please
remain in the OFF position as long as the red light flashes.

HOW TO USE THE REFRIGERATOR

Food Storage Compartment

The food storage compartment is completely closed and unven­tilated, which is necessary to maintain the required low tempera­ture for food storage. Consequently foods having a strong

odor
or liable to absorb odors should be covered. Vegetables, salads
etc should be covered to retain their crispness. The coldest posi­tions in the refrigerator are underneath the cooling evaporator

and at the bottom of the refrigerator, and the least cold positions
are on the upper door shelves. This should be considered when
different types of food are placed in the refrigerator.

Defrosting

Empty the refrigerator leaving the drip tray under the finned
evaporator and the cabinet and freezer

doors

open. If desired,
defrosting may be speeded up by filling the ice tray with hot water
and placing it in the freezer.
When all frost is melted, empty the drip tray and dry the interior of
the refrigerator with a clean cloth.

Replace the drip tray and ice tray, replace all food stuffs and set
the thermostat to MAX for a few hours. Then reset the thermostat
knob to its normal position.

Frozen Food Storage Compartment

The ice trays should be placed in direct contact with the freezer

shelf for fastest ice making. Quick frozen soft fruits and ice cream

should be placed in the coldest part of the compartment which is

at the bottom of the aluminum liner or, in models with a shelf, on

this or just below it. Frozen vegetables, on the other hand, may

be stored in any part of the compartment.

The compartment is not designed for the deep or quick freezing

of foodstuffs. Meat or fish foods, whether raw or prepared, and

provided they are

precooled

in the refrigerator, can however,
also be stored in the frozen food storage compartment. They can
then be stored about three times as long as in the fresh food
storage compartment. To prevent drying out, keep food in

covered

dishes, in plastic, bags or wrapped in aluminum foil.

Ice Making

Ice cubes can be made in the ice trays which should be filled with
water to within

1/4”

(5 mm) from the top. To release the ice cubes
seize the tray with both hands and twist the tray. Cubes not
required should preferably be replaced in the tray. Refill the tray
with water and replace the tray on the freezer shelf.

Ice making is accelerated if the thermostat knob is turned to
setting “MAX”. It is a good idea to do this a few hours before an
anticipated need for ice but be sure to turn the knob back to
normal setting when the ice is formed or the foodstuffs in the
cabinet may become frozen hard.

To Shut Off the Refrigerator

To shut off the refrigerator turn the knob A to off position. If the

cabinet is not in operation over a period of weeks, it should be

emptied and cleaned and the door left ajar. The ice trays should
also be dried and kept outside the cabinet.

Cleaning

To clean the interior lining of the refrigerator use lukewarm weak
soda solution. The evaporator, ice trays and shelves must, how­ever, be cleaned with warm water only. Never use strong chemi­cals or abrasives to clean these parts or the protective surface
will be damaged. It is important always to keep

the

refrigerator

clean.

CAUTION

Do not store explosive substances in the refrigerator, such as
cigarette lighter gas, petrol, ether or the like.

GAS EQUIPMENT

Flue Top and Baffle

The flue baffle is suspended from the top and must be in position
in the central tube of the cooling unit.

The Burner and the Burner Jet

(Fig. 2)

The slots of the burner must be centrally located under the boiler
tube.
See “Periodic maintenance”.

The Flame Failure Safety Device

(Fig. 3)

The feeler of the

thermo

couple shall reach in over two slots of

the burner. To replace the thermo couple proceed as follows:

1. Unscrew plug 23 and holder 22 and pull thermo-couple
straight out.

2. Remove holder 24.

3. Pull out holder sideways from burner housing.

4. Bend the new thermocouple to the same shape as the old
one.

5. Reassemble in reverse order. Check that feeler has been
correctly refitted in relation to burner. See Fig. 4.

6. Mount holder. The plug must be properly tightened to the
valve housing to ensure good contact between the thermo­couple and the magnetic coil within the housing.

The Thermostat

(knob B)

The refrigerator is equipped with a thermostat which is regulated
by turning the knob to different settings in order to obtain the
desired controlled cabinet temperature.
With the dial l-7 various controlled temperatures can be
obtained, the higher the number, the lower the temperature.
As soon as the required cold temperature inside the cabinet is
reached, the thermostat cuts the burner.
At MAX The burner is running continuously at

full

gas rate. Low­est cabinet and freezer temperatures are obtained at
this setting.

ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT

Cartridge heater

The refrigerator is equipped also for electric operation. These
models are equipped for both 120 Volts A C and

12

Volts DC
operation.
The heat necessary for the operation of an absorption type cool-

ing unit is supplied by an electric cartridge heater mounted in a
pocket of the boiler system.
To replace the heater first of course check that the wall plug is
disconnected. Also make sure that the 12 V leads are discon-

nected. Then proceed as follows, see fig. 5:

1.

Push the metal hose upwards

2. Disconnect the heater connector

3. With a pair of pliers unfold the lug holding the lid of the boiler

casing and open the lid

4. Remove some insulation wool so that the heater is accessible.

5. Turn and lift the heater out of its pocket

6. Fit the new heater into the pocket

7. Connect the leads and pull on the hose around the leads

8. Reset the insulation and close the lid of the boiler casing.

PERIODIC MAINTENANCE

NOTE. Before working on the refrigerator make sure that 120 V
A.C. and 12

VD.C.

leads are disconnected.

The Burner and the Burner Jet

(Fig. 2)

The

colour

of the flame shall be clear blue over the slots of the
burner (Fig. 4).
Once or twice a year depending on use, it is necessary to clean
and adjust the burner assembly. Proceed as follows:

1. Loosen screw and remove cover plate for burner housing.

2. Disconnect lighter cable from the electrode.

3. Loosen burner fixing screw and withdraw burner.

4. Clean burner tube with a brush. Blow with compressed air.

5. Screw off jet and clean with alcohol. Blow with compressed

air. Never use a needle or similar.

6. Reassemble.

The Electrode

For a proper ignition function it is necessary to keep the electrode
insulation dry and free from dirt. The gap between burner tube
and electrode shall be max.

3/16"

(5 mm) and min.

1/8"

(3 mm).

WARNING

If the refrigerator is used intermittently it should be checked at
least once a year.
It is important to keep the appliance area clear and free from

combustible materials, gasoline and other flammable vapors

and liquides. Check the venting system. The flow of combustion

and ventilating air must not be obstructed.
Check the flue baffle that it is clean and reasonably free from
soot. Heavy soot formation indicates improper functioning of the
burner. Clean baffle and flue. Further, clean cooling unit and floor

under refrigerator.
The entire gas installation should be checked for leaks at inter­vals. Test all pipe connections with soapy water, not with an open
flame.
Check the energy selector system by connecting/disconnecting
main voltage, start/stop the engine etc.
Compare and check that the system behaves as it is described
on p. 7 above. If in doubt please contact a service center.

NOTE.

Any service of the gas controls, with

exception

for the
above mentloned replacement, maintenance and cleaning
operations must be performed by an authorized service
center only.

8

FAULT TRACING

The refrigerator does not freeze
satisfactorily
Causes and remedies

a)
b)

c)
d)

e)
f)

:;

i)

j)

Jet orifice clogged. Unscrew jet and blow dear or wash in
alcohol. Do not use

wire

or pin to clean orifice.

Check

the leveling of the refrigerator.
Air circulation around cooling unit is restricted. Be sure that
refrigerator is property ventilated.

The evaporator is

heavily coated with frost. Defrost.

Flue

baffle

not inserted into

the central tube of the cooling
unit.
The

thermostat is

incorrectly

used.

See

paragraph on ther­mostat.
Burner

head

clogged.

Clean.

Burner

damaged. Replace. See fig. 2.

Bumer may

be dislocated.

Relocate.

Wrong gas pressure at the

burner.

Have pressure checked at

bumer and

at gas bottle.

Pressure

at

burner

must not

fall

below

11

“W.G.

ODOR FROM FUMES
Causes and remedies

a.

The

flame touches side of the boiler due to dislocation of the
burner. Relocate. Burner dislocation may also cause smoke
and discoloring of walls and ceiling.

b. Burner damaged. Replace.
c.

The flue tube is dirty. Clean flue as follows: Cover burner and
jet. Remove flue top and baffle. Clean flue with special flue
brush. Clean baffle before putting back in place.

All the above instructions are to be followed closely. The
refrigerator is

quality-guaranteed.

However, we are not respon-

sible

for any failures caused by improper adjustments and

unfavorable installation

conditions.

Contact service point or dis­tributor service dept. for assistance.
Replacement Parts Suppliers: See cover.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MOUNTING .THE DOOR PANEL

The

refrigerator is

normally delivered without door panel(s).

Before starting the

mounting

work check that the panel

dimen­sions are in compliance wiyh those given in the table and read the
instructions through. When mounting the panel, proceed as
follows.

A.
B.

C.

D.
E.

F.

Remove the top decoration strip (2) with its two screws

(1).

Insert one of the vertical edges of

the

panel into the groove
of the door frame (3).
Bend the panel gently so that the free side of the panel can
be slipped into the

corresponding

groove of the door

frame

(4).
Push the panel downwards so that the lower horizontal

edge of the panel is fitted into the bottom groove (5).
Between the upper edge of the panel and the door frame

there is now a gap whii should be covered by the decora­tion strip.
Put the strip across the door so that the gap is covered and
push it upwards (6).

The tabs on the inside of the strip

should

fit in behind the
flange of the door frame. Secure the decoration strip by
means of the two screws (1).

Panel dimensions

Thickness max.

5/32"

HEIGHT

WIDTH

TYPE

MAX. MIN.

MAX. MIN.

RM763

296 293

569

566

11 21/32' 11 17/32" 22 13/32" 29 9/32"

iz

RM763

809

806

566

31 27/32" 31 23/32" 22 13/32" 22 9/32"

itit

RM1303

369

366 618

615

14 17/32"

14 13/32"

24 11/32"

24 7/32"

s

RM1303

888

885

618

615

lower

35" 34 27/32" 24 11/32" 24 7/32"

2