Why is my RV refrigerator not cooling on gas but works on electric?

On an absorption fridge that points at the gas side specifically: the burner, the orifice, the thermocouple or the flue. A blocked burner orifice from dust or spider webs is extremely common, since the burner tube is an ideal nesting site. If it also fails on electric, the problem is more likely the heating element or the cooling unit itself, which is a different and more expensive conversation.

Can a failed absorption cooling unit be repaired?

Not practically. The cooling unit is a sealed system charged with ammonia and hydrogen, and once it has leaked or crystallised there is no field repair. The choice is a replacement cooling unit, a replacement refrigerator, or converting to a 12 volt compressor unit. We will tell you which makes sense for your coach and your usage rather than defaulting to the largest job.

Should I convert to a 12 volt compressor fridge?

For many owners yes, particularly if you have or plan solar and lithium. Compressor units cool faster, work when parked off level, are unaffected by ambient heat the way absorption units are, and use no propane. The trade is that they draw meaningful DC current continuously, so they need a battery bank that can support them. Absorption remains sensible for coaches that spend most of their time on shore power or that lack the electrical capacity.

How much does RV appliance repair cost?

Diagnosis and minor repair is $350 to $900. Component replacement such as a control board, element or igniter is $600 to $1,800. A refrigerator cooling unit replacement is $2,500 to $4,500. A full refrigerator replacement is $3,000 to $6,500 depending on the unit and the cabinet work needed to fit it.

My appliance works on shore power but not on battery. Is that the appliance?

Usually not. That symptom points at the inverter, the transfer switch or the DC supply rather than the appliance. An appliance that behaves differently depending on the power source is reporting a power problem, and the diagnosis belongs in the electrical system rather than in the appliance.

RV Refrigerator, Stove and Appliance Repair

Appliance Repair

In short: RV absorption refrigerators fail differently from household compressor units, and the most common failure is a cooling unit that cannot be repaired, only replaced, which is why the diagnosis matters before any money is spent.

Typical range

$350 to $6,500+

Labor hours

2 to 25 hours

Updated

July 30, 2026

RV appliances are their own category. They are built to run on multiple energy sources, to survive continuous vibration, to work in a space with severe temperature swings, and to fit dimensions no household appliance uses. That combination means household repair logic transfers poorly.

Refrigerators, which are most of the work

Two entirely different technologies live under the same name.

Absorption refrigerators from Dometic and Norcold have no compressor. They run a sealed ammonia and hydrogen circuit heated either by an LP burner or an electric element. They are silent, they run on gas which is enormously useful off grid, and they have three significant weaknesses: they cool slowly, they lose effectiveness in high ambient temperatures which matters a great deal in a California summer, and they can be damaged by operating badly off level, because the circuit relies on gravity.

Compressor refrigerators, increasingly common and typically 12 volt, work like a household unit. They cool faster, work off level, are far less affected by ambient heat, and draw continuous DC current.

The failures differ accordingly. On absorption units: blocked burner orifices, failed thermocouples, blocked flues, control board failure, element failure, and cooling unit failure. On compressor units: compressor, thermostat, control board, and door seals.

The one that matters financially is cooling unit failure on an absorption fridge. It is a sealed system charged with ammonia, and once it has leaked or the solution has crystallised there is no practical field repair. The choices are a replacement cooling unit, a replacement refrigerator, or a conversion to 12 volt compressor.

We diagnose that specifically before recommending anything, because "the fridge is not cooling" covers a $350 burner clean and a $4,500 cooling unit replacement equally well.

Everything else

Cooktops, ovens and ranges. Igniters, thermocouples, valves, burner blockage. LP work is done by certified technicians only.

Microwaves and convection microwaves. Door switches, magnetrons, control boards. A microwave that is failing intermittently is frequently a door switch rather than anything expensive.

Washers and dryers. Vented and ventless units, drain and supply connections, and the mounting, because a spinning drum in a vehicle needs restraint that a laundry room does not.

Ice makers, dishwashers and residential conversions. Increasingly common in larger coaches and generally an electrical capacity question as much as an appliance one.

Air conditioning and heating is covered separately under AC and heating repair.

The diagnosis that saves money

The single most useful diagnostic question on an appliance fault is whether the behaviour changes with the power source.

An appliance that works on shore power and not on battery is reporting an inverter, transfer switch or DC supply problem. An appliance that works on gas and not electric, or the reverse, has a fault on the side that fails rather than a general fault. An appliance that works fine except when the generator is running is reporting a power quality problem.

None of those are appliance faults, and replacing the appliance fixes none of them. This is why we check supply before condemning a unit, and it is covered under electrical system repair.

What it costs

Job	Typical range	Hours
Diagnosis and minor repair	$350 to $900	2 to 5
Burner, igniter or thermocouple	$400 to $1,000	2 to 5
Control board or element replacement	$600 to $1,800	3 to 8
Refrigerator cooling unit replacement	$2,500 to $4,500	12 to 20
Refrigerator replacement	$3,000 to $6,500	12 to 25
Cooktop or microwave replacement	$600 to $2,000	3 to 9
Washer or dryer installation	$800 to $2,500	4 to 12

Appliance labor is $260 per hour where gas or electrical connections are involved. Diagnostics are $285 for the first hour and credited back against an authorized repair. See the pricing page.

LP safety

Any work touching the propane system is done by certified technicians and includes a leak test on completion. That is not optional and it is not a line item we will remove to reduce a quote.

If you smell gas, shut the tank valve, ventilate, and do not operate anything electrical including a light switch until it has been checked. Detectors have a service life of five to seven years and an expired detector is worse than none because it produces false confidence.

Estimates are $150 and credited back against an authorized repair.

Bring us the job the other shop turned down

We work on all years, all makes and all classes, from Class A diesel pushers down to enclosed cargo trailers. Estimates are $150 and are credited back against an authorized repair, so the money goes toward the work rather than to a shop that never touches your vehicle.

23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887 | (949) 799-3387