refridgerator light

[ponch]

Has anyone had to replace the light switch in a single door fridge???

It looks to me like you would have to drill out the expansion rivets, in order to drop the unit down, so that you can slide the switch bar up out of the way to get to the internal switch.

That being the case what a DUMB way to install something that will defiantly have to have maintenance sometime!

[rdunk]

No help here! Have replaced bulb, which is pretty simple, but not the switch YET.

Actually, I really think that when a part like this goes bad, one should just replace the Dometic refrigerator ----------------- with a Norcold, or maybe even with a residential type fridge!( lol lol lol )

Ponch, you are probably the first person ever, to have his fridge light switch go bad. (lol).

By the way, can you tell us how you know it is the switch that is bad - because sometimes, the light won't burn, because the bulb is burned out! (lol lol)

Ponch, I do hope someone here can actually give you a helpful response, since I know I am not any help!!

[ponch]

:D :D :D

Three bulbs later it became rather clear that it wasn't the bulb.

Actually I had to manually push the switch in and then let it snap
back in order to get it to come on. That went on for about 2-3 weeks and then poof!!! LOL

[Gillesm]

Mine also kept burning, the connection were wrong,i changed them and no more problems,my switch just slide on and off.

[Stripit]

You don't need to drill anything out, just use a paper clip and push the rivet center up and pull the rest of the rivet down and out. Real simple and you just reuse the centers when you reinstall the switch. Sometimes the switch contacts get funky and need to be cleaned. 2 minute job.

[ponch]

Nope unfortunately all it did was bend the paper clip.

Dometic told me they had to be drilled out.

Sure wish it had of worked durn'it

[larry_electricguy]

Not sure what our problem is but sometimes when I open the fridge, the light doesn't come on and I push the switch and it comes on, sometimes when I don't push the switch, it will click and come on in a few seconds!!! Seems like maybe the spring is getting tired! Weird...I guess we may be having switch problems before long...will be watching to see what you wind up doing to fix your problem...incase Electric_Guy will need to work on ours!!! Keep us posted when you get the problem solved Ponch!

[Stripit]

Ok, maybe a paper clip isn't strong enough, try a small punch, they do just push up and out. They are plastic and having to drill them out is not needed. I've pulled mine out at least twice and reused the rivets each time.

[ponch]

[ponch]

YEA Stacie was right!

Easy job

Larry
That's exactly what mine was doing.
I had to use a punch, on the rivets, and tapped it with a hammer then just
pushed the center up and then pulled the whole unit down. Replaced the switch. wahla let there be light! LOL
and pushed the rivets back up. 3 minute job.

Thanks Stacie!!!

[Stripit]

I said a two minute job, and you took 3, you must have stopped for a beer??? Glad it worked out.

[ponch]

Didn't think of it. lol

[BigBoy2U]

On my used unit the previous owner had broken the rivets. So I had to order the rivets, a light cover, and reflector. When I called Dometic the parts without rivets was over $50.00 and the rivets .....$5.00 EACH... There was no way I was spending $90 plus a minimum shipping charge of $20.00 to fix this. I find that $110.00 for a bunch of plastic crap that breaks within 3 years is absurd. The lens melted and so did the reflector and the bulb I pulled out was the original factory bulb.

Someone should put Dometic out of business, there is no reason for these rip off prices not to mention if you just need the plastic rivets you minimum charge for 4 is $40.00....yes thats right $40.00 for $1.00 of not less of plastic.

Now that it is "fixed" I get the sticky switch problem where the light will either stay on or not come on when the door opens. And the fact that the unit uses the bulb in the winter to heat the inside to make it keep cool is absurd.

I almost agree to rip it out and put in a regular fridge with no need for propane back-up. At least it would be more efficent not to mention 2x the space.

[Stripit]

At the very first rally in we attended with Fun & Sun, a Dometic rep was there and she explained how to maintain the fridge and gave out if anyone needed them the light kits. She explained that the switch could ice up, or lose contact and if anyone had that as a issue, she gave out the switches. Thats how I knew how to replace mine. The kit contained everything needed.

[BigBoy2U]

It's always nice to know when they know they have a problem and screw you on parts costs. I would have made a couple trips around and gotten as many lights as I could then sold them on eBay...lol... I have Dometic they provide half the crap that goes wrong in an RV. At least I keep getting them to send me free toilet parts for the POS Concerto toilet. I swear if I have to fix that thing one more time its going in the garbage. Go back to a SeaLand Traveler (ya I know who makes it...ugh!)

[bstark]

I think Dometic is taking a sales hit on their last fiasco over their leaking boiler tubing in the fridges as we have been to two dealers and noticed all the fridges in the new products they were selling were Norcolds.

[RodeWorthy]

Norcold has the same problem. Handle it the same way too.