A little run down on why I did this mod.
My fridge is the Dometic that the temp cant be adjusted, no slide or knob to change the temp inside the fridge. Moving the Thermistor up or down didnt do anything for the temp. The lowest my fridge would go is 40 degrees. Thats too warm for me to feel comfortable with.
So I searched the net and found that Dinosaur boards has a box with a potentiometer in it with two plug ends coming off it into the thermistor on the power control board and then plug the thermistor into it. You plug it in and are able to adjust the temp by tricking the Thermistor into believing the fridge is warmer than it is. You turn the knob one way for warmer the other for colder. The only thing is with the Dinosaur part,it has to sit in the outside area where the back of your fridge is accessed from, not a good spot to be able to adjust the temp of the fridge, its also expensixe at around $40.00It isa simple thing to make yourself with parts from Radio Shack. So thats what I did. Here is a link to the potentiometer
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2062287and this one is for the knob
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=3014503
You getthe 100K linear potentiometer from Radio shack, and a knob to fit it, price for all this is about $5.00 pus tax. You need some wire too, I used solid core wire it has less resistance, and it is stiffer than regular stranded wire,and it was sitting around my shop.
You need about 6-8 ft of it, with two wires total, to run I used Red and Black. Shrink tubing also is helpful or electrical tape.
First thing is remove your eyebrow board above the fridge, it comes off easily, just kind of twist it up and away from the fridge. Under it is a bunch of wires that go down to the back of the fridge. Mine had 2 holes one was plugged with expandable foam the other was open, use this hole. This hole runs to the back of the fridge and should have 2 wires running into it. There is plenty of room for more wire. (this is why I use solid core wire about 22 gauge, it is stiff enough to go through the hole, also twist the 6 ft of solid core together with a helper and a slow speed drill)
Now take a wire coat hanger and straighten it and bend a little hook in one end, make a very small hook, your going to put the hanger into the hole and push because there is some kind of putty or silicone on the backside of the fridge to keep critters out. You want to break a hole large enough to put your wire through, you wont be able to see it but you can work it through once you use the coat hanger to push a hole in the silicone to get your wires to the back of the fridge. Push the wires through and after it stops go outside to the back of the fridge and use a mirror and flashlight so you can see the wires at the top of the fridge.
I used a thin piece of wood, about 1/4" thick with a nail drove into the end of it and bent overto grab the wires and pull them down. This took the most time as the nail will grab the wire but will slip alot, but keep at it and you will get the wire to come down. A helper will make this easier if they can feed the wire through the hole from the inside while you pull from outside.
Once the wire is pulled down cut the thermistor wires and twist one of them back together and then twist in one of the two wires you just pulled down, then do the same for the other thermistor wire. Tape or shrink tube them. I soldered my wires it is a better connection but twisting them and taping them will be fine too.
Now go back inside and drill a 5/16" hole on your eyebrow board somewhere. I put mine to the left of the controls that are already there. There is alot of room over on that side.
Now there is a small nub sticking out on one side of the potentiometer, file or grind it off you wont need it on there and it will get in the way of installing it in the eyebrow board. Also cut off about 1 1/4" off the shaft of the potentiometer using a hack saw, the shaft is too long and wont look good sticking out so far when installed with the knob in the eyebrow board.Install the potentiometer with the 3 electrodes straight up.Solder the wires to the middle and right electrode, that is while looking at it from the front side with theshaft closer to you. Solderone wire to each electrode. You wont use the left electrode. (when you use the right and middle electrode, when you turn the potentiometer to the left it will make the fridge colder, to the right warmer. If you use the left electrode and the middle electrode it will be opposite, right turn will be colder and left will be hotter)
You can fill the hole you pushed the wires through with silicone to keep the critters out.
Now istall the knob and put it all back together and you now have an insidetemp control for your fridge.
Edited by: fixit5561
Linear Mode
