Looking for pilot relight kit for Dometic propane fridge

[stefman]

I have a Dometic RM2193 3-way fridge in my 77 Trillium. It's probably about 15 years old, but I am not sure. It works fantastic. I have run it on shore power, 12V and propane and it's a nice cold fridge(sometimes more like a freezer). The only problem I have with it is it absolutely will not stay lit on propane when towing down the road. Sometimes it will stay lit for 2 or 3 hours and other times it will go out 20 minutes down the road. I have read every scrap of information I could find about keeping this thing lit, and tried them all, but it just won't happen. This included cleaning the chimney of rust, installing a wind guard, tried furnace filter material on the door, etc. etc. etc. and etc. Nothing helped.

I decided my best solution was what others had done and added a pilot relight kit. The Atwood 93212 is what others used and were immensely happy. I can no longer find this unit anywhere at any price.

https://www.amazon.ca/Atwood-93212-P.../dp/B002UC2X1U

If anyone has one new or used they'd like to sell I'll take it. If you can find one online, please let me know. If you know of the equivalent replacement part, please let me know. I currently have my TV wired to charge my battery so that I can leave the fridge on 12V as I travel. It works that way but I'd rather have it on propane. Yes, I know there are places that you shouldn't do it, and it could be unsafe blah, blah, blah. I know when to shut it off (refueling, long tunnels, on ships, certain States, etc) and I plan to do all that as I don't want to melt down my Trillium. I've seen all those discussions and I don't need a million replies about whether or not it's the smart way to travel, It's just the way I would like to travel.

Thanks in advance

Stefan

[Michael Pupeza]

Stefan;
Contact Dinosaur Electronics RV Parts:
http://www.dinosaurelectronics.com/index.htm> and see if they can help you.
I've used their replacement Micro P-711 board on my RM2607 fridge and it works fine. It has a re-ignite function on it, unlike the original Dometic Boards. I also have an Atwood Pilot Light Re-Igniter on my Water heater, but, as you said, they are rarer than hen's teeth and no longer made. I lucked out on eBay a few years ago for it.
Good Luck!
Mike .....>

[Joe Romas]

My Dometic RM2453 that did not have a re-igniter but it was an easy install and the module was inexpensive. Part #2931132019
Here it is for $29. You can search on the dometic part number and find it elsewhere.
Dometic Refrigerator Reignitor - $29.90

A member of the Casita Forum found that the rotary selection knob when put in "GAS" mode has 2 unused contacts, 4 & 4A meant to turn the igniter on close and turn the igniter/re-igniter on.
The module has 4 wires, PLUS and MINUS 12 volt leads, one marked "L" that is the + lead for a indicator light that comes on when it's firing and the 4th is for the probe that is the same probe as the piezo probe you already have and that's all there is to it.

I have my refrigerator out and there's even a spot to mount the module where the wire terminals are. You can hook it up like Dometic did on the model of your unit that has the Re-igniter or simply hook it up using toggle switch where ever you want.

As I said my refrigerator is currently apart. I'm wiring mine like original but also adding a switch to turn it off when not needed. Notice there is already a spot to put + & - terminals for the re-igniter.

Joe

[stefman]

Thanks for the replies. After I read Joe's reply I did some more research and came to the same conclusion as you did Michael. I need a Dometic Reignitor and just need to wire the 12v+ through a switch I can easily access, hook up the ground and then plug in the electrode. Someone even suggested that the electrode from the piezo electric starter will work so I will try that first before ordering that. Unfortunately, living in Canada, the Reignitor costs me $65 CAN to my door and the electrode would be another $60 CAN. I'll try just the Reignitor and see how it works or if it works.

Thanks again for the help. I think I'm on the right track now. I'll let you know if the piezo electric lead and electrode work or if it's back to Fleabay.

[Ziggy]

I just installed the Dometic (2931132019) Re-Igniter on my RM2193 yesterday. Apparently the Atwood is no longer available. So far it's working great. I was surprised that it works with the existing electrode. Below is a link to instructions for installing it on a different fridge. I slightly modified the directions for the RM2193. In addition I did the following and here is what I learned.

I removed the piezo from the control panel and mounted the switch there. You need a couple of washers that fit the switch but large enough to overlap the hole in the panel.

I removed the brown 12V refrigerator wire from the terminal block and moved it to the vacant non powered space below. You won't ever need to run the fridge on 12V anyway.

I hooked up the 12V for switch to the just vacated top terminal block. If you put a .110" female slip-on terminal in the end of the wire going into the terminal block and kind of squish it up a bit to fit it makes for a good connection.

You need to cut off the round connector to the piezo and replace it with a .110" female slip-on terminal. As mentioned in the thread they are not a perfect fit and need to be tweaked a bit to get them on.

I grounded the module to the mounting screw that attaches the control panel.

I mounted the module with industrial Velcro. https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-...ustrial+Velcro No holes drilled.

One thing I noticed is that apparently the spacing of the electrode is critical. There is about a 1/16" of play where the electrode goes into the burner. If you push the electrode forward into the burner it continues to spark even with a flame going. If you pull back a bit it stops. I used a zip tie on the lower heat exchange pipe to keep a slight amount of tension on the electrode wire.

Forget the lamp. I got one but didn't install it as it's not needed. You can hear it spark just fine.

I used 14awg wire. This stuff is pricey, but it is so much easier to work with in a tight space. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I was able to get everything I needed on Amazon. So far it's like magic! I hope this works because I am soooo tired of the fridge blowing out even after trying every conceivable type of baffle. We're leaving on a month long trip so I guess I'll find out : )

Here is the link to the thread. See post # 10. Good luck!
https://www.casitaforum.com/invboard...comment-106973

[Joe Romas]

The correct spacing of the probe is 3/16" and is very critical.
There's a Dometic picture somewhere showing it's proximity to where the flame is.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by Joe Romas

The correct spacing of the probe is 3/16" and is very critical.
There's a Dometic picture somewhere showing it's proximity to where the flame is.

On the RM2193 by design the electrode is fixed in place. I'm going to look today to see if there is a better workaround. It's a different setup than most Dometics. The electrode is only about 1/8" long after it comes out of the ceramic and is fixed in place with a metal bracket.

[stefman]

So here is my experience with finally getting the re-igniter to work on my Dometic 2193.

On my 2193 the flame area looks like this.(see picture below)

As you can see the entire flame area is surrounded by a metal 'pot'. This makes it nearly impossible to locate the electrode anywhere where it won't constantly 'fire'. Also, the electrode has 2 square sides which makes it very difficult to move around in the retaining bracket. I happened to come across a used electrode which had smooth, round sides. it looked more like the one in the second picture. I took it to the bench grinder and ground the metal mounting bracket off. (it came off easy). Now I could more easily manipulate the gap of the front of the electrode relative to any metallic object. I just used a screwdriver to slightly pry open the clamp part of the mounting bracket and used needle nosed pliers to move the electrode in and out. I cut off the metal extrusion of the electrode and ground the stub flush with the insulator. This made it look more like the original but it was easier to slide in and out for adjustment as the insulator was not square.

I spent at least 2 hours total, on 3 separate attempts, to find the perfect spacing of that electrode so that it would stop sparking once the flame was lit. It would spark to the 'bowl' part of the burner or to the thermo couple or the base of the burner no matter what I did. I was ready to give up and just let it 'spark' away even when the burner was lit even though it would most likely shorten the life of the re-igniter module. Remember, I only needed this to work while driving, not while camping. This is where serendipity came into play. I left the burner on a few times while considering my options of how to make this work. I began to notice that as the burner and 'pot' area heated up, the sparking of the igniter began to slow down. I played with my placement of the electrode a little more and located it just so that slightly less than 1/32 of an inch of the insulator was in the flame. I would then ignite the burner and wait. Every time I lit the burner it would be about 30 seconds and then the re-igniter would stop sparking. I would 'blow out' the flame and immediately get re-ignition followed by a few seconds of additional sparking (not the 30 seconds I would get when the assembly is cold). I have tried and tested this now, in my driveway, for about 4 days. When I would leave the fridge on for several hours I would walk past and listen for sparking - none. I would check the heat level of the insulator and mount for problems - none. I would use the leaf blower to make the flame go out and would always get a restart followed by a few sparks and then silence from the igniter.

I know this is a long winded story but I am hoping it will help someone down the road with their re-igniter an a Dometic fridge or appliance where there is a lot of grounding points nearby for the electrode to keep sparking.

[Joe Romas]

"Long stories" have lots of good information
I used the Dometic re-igniter module with the existing original electrode from the piezo push button igniter as is and it works fine.

I have the Suburban re-igniter on my water heater and they work the same with one difference I noticed. that is when you blow out the flame the pulse rate on the Suburban unit is faster.

Joe

[The Minimalist]

I have got to ask. You said you did "everything". Did that included cleaning the burner and the jet.

I had a problem with my 2193 going out on the road, and tried all sorts of fixes. The one that worked was cleaning the burner and, more importantly, the jet.

The real problem appears to be the flame going out. If that is corrected, the relight feature may or may not be required.

By the way, my RM2193 doesn't have the relight feature.

Good luck.

[stefman]

Originally Posted by The Minimalist

I have got to ask. You said you did "everything". Did that included cleaning the burner and the jet.

I had a problem with my 2193 going out on the road, and tried all sorts of fixes. The one that worked was cleaning the burner and, more importantly, the jet.

The real problem appears to be the flame going out. If that is corrected, the relight feature may or may not be required.

By the way, my RM2193 doesn't have the relight feature.

Good luck.

I actually ended up doing that twice. I cleaned it out the first time, very early on, and then when the fridge went out again I disconnected every propane fitting on the trailer that I could and blew out all the lines with compressed air. It was amazing how much gunk came out. I checked the burner area long after that (and now again while I had it out) and have not seen any more of the fine little sand like debris near the burner like I originally had. Thanks for the heads up though.

I was told by 2 different 'trailer mechanics' at 2 different repair shops that they have chased down this exact problem several times in the past. They both seemed to agree that every once in a while (maybe 1 in 100) they would come across a fridge that absolutely would not stay lit while driving. It was not any particular model or make it was just bad luck of the draw. They both recommended that I get a re-lighter after I told them everything I had tried to keep this fridge lit. I would like to fix the actual problem but I am stumped as to what could be the cause. I've tried a new propane regulator, set to proper pressure. I tried running with slightly higher pressure but it didn't help. Tried different tanks just in case there was something strange inside of mine. Tried the wind blocks and furnace filters on the access doors. I have tried all different combinations of all the above 'solutions'. The absolute only thing I have never tried is a new burner and a new jet. The flame looks perfect on mine and it does not look like the jet was ever 'tampered' with or altered by someone cleaning it.

Thanks
Stef

[The Minimalist]

Originally Posted by stefman

I actually ended up doing that twice. I cleaned it out the first time, very early on, and then when the fridge went out again I disconnected every propane fitting on the trailer that I could and blew out all the lines with compressed air. It was amazing how much gunk came out. I checked the burner area long after that (and now again while I had it out) and have not seen any more of the fine little sand like debris near the burner like I originally had. Thanks for the heads up though.

I was told by 2 different 'trailer mechanics' at 2 different repair shops that they have chased down this exact problem several times in the past. They both seemed to agree that every once in a while (maybe 1 in 100) they would come across a fridge that absolutely would not stay lit while driving. It was not any particular model or make it was just bad luck of the draw. They both recommended that I get a re-lighter after I told them everything I had tried to keep this fridge lit. I would like to fix the actual problem but I am stumped as to what could be the cause. I've tried a new propane regulator, set to proper pressure. I tried running with slightly higher pressure but it didn't help. Tried different tanks just in case there was something strange inside of mine. Tried the wind blocks and furnace filters on the access doors. I have tried all different combinations of all the above 'solutions'. The absolute only thing I have never tried is a new burner and a new jet. The flame looks perfect on mine and it does not look like the jet was ever 'tampered' with or altered by someone cleaning it.

Thanks
Stef

My jet looked clean when I removed it, but everything worked much better after I removed the jet, soaked in in solvent and then gently blew it out with some canned air. The jet orifice is very small and anything, even stuff you may not see, can reduce it's area significantly. If you haven't cleaned the jet, I would definitely recommend it.


Alcohol is the recommended solvent.


Do not try to clean the orifice by putting anything through it, like a wire from a wire brush. They are very delicate and made from aluminum and you will ruin it.

[Joe Romas]

Originally Posted by The Minimalist

They are very delicate and made from aluminum and you will ruin it.

The jet on my Dometic ref is brass with the actual small jet area being some type of red jewel.

Still don't want to stick anything in it. I've found evidence of an oil like sustenance where the lines connect to the tanks, easy to flush out of the jets and can cause a problem.

[The Minimalist]

Originally Posted by Joe Romas

The jet on my Dometic ref is brass with the actual small jet area being some type of red jewel.

Still don't want to stick anything in it. I've found evidence of an oil like sustenance where the lines connect to the tanks, easy to flush out of the jets and can cause a problem.

That may very well be, Joe. In this instance the OP has an RM2193, as do I. Which one has the brass jeweled jet?

The jet for the RM2193 is a KZ-45, Part Number 2922033044. Photographs of this part match my aluminum jet.

[Joe Romas]

Originally Posted by The Minimalist

That may very well be, Joe. In this instance the OP has an RM2193, as do I. Which one has the brass jeweled jet?

The jet for the RM2193 is a KZ-45, Part Number 2922033044. Photographs of this part match my aluminum jet.

The RM2453 non automatic used in older 17' Casita's.

[stefman]

Originally Posted by The Minimalist

The jet for the RM2193 is a KZ-45, Part Number 2922033044. Photographs of this part match my aluminum jet.

My jet is the aluminum one as well. When I cleaned the area of debris I did spray the orifice hole with a fair bit of carb spray as I would when I rebuilt carbs. I thought this should be enough but I am willing to try to soak it overnight in an alcohol solution. If I get some time this old dog will try that as I am always willing to learn new tricks. As I mentioned earlier, my fridge works great on propane (and 12V and 120V) as it is. On an average day, when it's about 27C (about 80F)here, and that side of the trailer is in the sun, the inside temperature of my fridge dead empty will get down to -2C (about 29F) on high so I felt the jet had to be working good. I can't even imagine how cold the fridge will get if it starts to work even better. I'll let you know.

Thanks

I forgot to mention that I have a 12V 10" computer cooling fan pulling(pushing) the hot air out of the top door.

[The Minimalist]

Well, we just got back from a trip to the Smokies, 14 days out, and I felt the reefer was not working as well on propane as it should. The highest temp we had in Elkmont was 80 deg F.

Anyway, it's been a couple of years since I've had it out of the trailer, so I pulled it today and did a complete cleaning of all the apparatus. I now have it operating on AC to get it cooled down and then switch to propane. The fridge is in the open on our carport where it got up to 91 today. After 3 1/2 hours on AC the temp is down to 46 and still dropping. I have the small fridge fan circulating the interior air.

My plan is to leave it operating in the open and record the best delta temp on AC and propane. This will give me a baseline to judge whether I need to make any further mods to the ventilation.

When I first bought the trailer, I had added sheet metal to direct the rising heat out of the upper vent and also added a deflector to ensure that the rising air passed through the vanes on the upper system instead of around them. I also had added a divider the keep the stack heat on the stack side.

Today I made another mod to the stack. Mounted as it was, the upper part of the tee stack was directing heat toward that divider and the vanes. I have now re-positioned the tee to direct the hot air to the vent. I won't be able to judge the effectiveness until I reinstall the fridge.

Stefman: I don't know if your reefer will work much better on propane after a good jet cleaning but, per my post, it may give you enough extra flame to keep it from blowing out.

I'll keep you all posted on my progress.

[Ziggy]

stefman I'm on week two traveling with the reignighter using the original 2193 electrode. (No modification necessary other than cutting off the old piezo connector and adding a .110" female slip-on terminal connector at the reignighter end). Although the reignighter was working perfectly I still had a couple of blowouts on my first day. It was 110 degrees outside and maybe that had something to do with it. When I stopped to check the reignighter was sparking away but no flame. : ( The thermocouple dosen't shut off the gas for about 25 seconds so I was still having draft problems. So, next step was to add a baffle.

Ace Hardware carries a perfectly sized 4"x10" pre-cut aluminum sheet and 3 1/2" Velcro strips that are also conveniently the perfect size for the job. I attached the aluminum sheet with Velcro to the inside of the lower vent on the right hand side across from the burner. The aluminum sheet can be easily removed when not traveling. I'm running the fridge on high while traveling to keep the fuel/air mixture up there. SUCCESS!!! Not a single problem in 14 days. Getting rid of the Piezo lighter was worth it alone. No more guessing if the flame is lit when firing it up. If it's not sparking it's running! It feels great not to be cursing at the damn refrigerator 3 times a day!!

[stefman]

Originally Posted by Ziggy

stefman I'm on week two traveling with the reignighter using the original 2193 electrode. (No modification necessary other than cutting off the old piezo connector and adding a .110" female slip-on terminal connector at the reignighter end). Although the reignighter was working perfectly I still had a couple of blowouts on my first day. It was 110 degrees outside and maybe that had something to do with it. When I stopped to check the reignighter was sparking away but no flame. : ( The thermocouple dosen't shut off the gas for about 25 seconds so I was still having draft problems. So, next step was to add a baffle.

Ace Hardware carries a perfectly sized 4"x10" pre-cut aluminum sheet and 3 1/2" Velcro strips that are also conveniently the perfect size for the job. I attached the aluminum sheet with Velcro to the inside of the lower vent on the right hand side across from the burner. The aluminum sheet can be easily removed when not traveling. I'm running the fridge on high while traveling to keep the fuel/air mixture up there. SUCCESS!!! Not a single problem in 14 days. Getting rid of the Piezo lighter was worth it alone. No more guessing if the flame is lit when firing it up. If it's not sparking it's running! It feels great not to be cursing at the damn refrigerator 3 times a day!!

Hmm. Interesting. I won't be going on any camping trips until the end of the month but I will try mine the way I have it. I won't add any baffles or deflectors to the setup. I am curious though, does your electrode stop sparking the instant your flame is lit? I could never get it to do that with the original electrode that was used for the piezo igniter or with the new electode. As described several posts ago, mine takes up to a minute of flame burning before the electrode stops sparking.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by stefman

Hmm. Interesting. I won't be going on any camping trips until the end of the month but I will try mine the way I have it. I won't add any baffles or deflectors to the setup. I am curious though, does your electrode stop sparking the instant your flame is lit? I could never get it to do that with the original electrode that was used for the piezo igniter or with the new electode. As described several posts ago, mine takes up to a minute of flame burning before the electrode stops sparking.

Yes, the spark stops instantly when the flame starts. Sometimes one or two extra sparks. When I first set mine up I had the same problem. I noticed that if I pulled back slightly away from the flame on the electrode wire it stopped. Loosening the bracket that holds the ceramic part of the electrode and moving it as far back as possible solved the problem. There is only like a 1/64 of an inch of play to work with but that did the trick.