Sharing my thoughts about frig issues beyond one forum

[pbitschura]

Posted: 07/15/18 06:15pm Link | Quote | Edit | Print |
How many posts have we seen about rv refrigerators not performing, on gas particularly. Over the years I am learning that I can turn this under performing Norcold frig into a freezer through good practice. I use frozen water bottles distribruted among the food items to keep them as cold as I choose. The freezer always freezes, so I rotate in and out to refreeze if need be. On medium I can freeze food in the crisper drawer, if I choose. The laptop fan in the chimney tunnel also helps. But past practices have always been wrong. Packing meals as packages reduces open door time. Keeping a separate, frequently opened, beverage cooler, simple stuff, add up. Happy sunsets.

[mat60]

As I said mine is working fine even with a some 1/4 plywood sitting on top of the coils from where they cut a hole in the wall at the factory. At lunch time today I took the roof lid off to reseal around the opening and look down and there it is. Going back out to fix it now. LOL

[doxiemom11]

We also have had good experience with ours. It's 18 years old and doing a lot better than many on here I read about. If it's not performing, then there is an issue somewhere that needs to be addressed, be it improper installation, fans not working - something.

[Expyinflight]

I too have had nothing but satisfactory experience with an absorption refrigerator. One exception...not always enough room for beer. lol
We purchased a Dometic ACDC 12 volt Electric Powered Cooler/Fridge Freezer to solve that issue. It sits under the booth table, out of the way. Works like a charm.

[ScottG]

The last two trailers I bought have had the fridges installed contrary to the install directions.
It makes for a great winter project to pull the unit, insulate and adhere to all the clearances stipulated in the install manual.
I did so with our last RV and the fridge worked on propane perfectly even in temps well over 100 degrees.
Our new TT has also has a bad install and I'll be correcting that next week.

[RJsfishin]

Up to 10-15 yrs, they never give trouble.

Then, some seem to not give any problem. Others are proned to give problems. The one I have now can be a pain, but now that I know it well, me and it get along quite well. Some times in hot temps, I have to hotwire 12v to the gas valve, manually lite it, and lett'er run. In cooler temps, its good,....until the next chunk of rust falls from the flue and lands on the burner,.....like they are too cheap to use SS on a flue ?? Anyway, the best way to keep an older fridge running, is learn how it operates, and how to fix it (mostly clean) when it doesn't.

[SidecarFlip]

Cydog15 wrote:
What in the world is this cat saying? We just use ours like a fridge at home and it works fine.

What he is saying is:

Most builders don't follow or adhere to standard install practices like adding adequate insulation around the outer cabinet between the cabinet and the walls of the fabricated enclosure. not providing adequate clearance in the backside to allow good air movement and not placing the upper vent high enough to cause a good natural draft (real common in slide fridge units).

With an ammonia fridge, it's imperative to refrain from opening the door excessively and parking with the sun beating on the fridge side of the unit because an ammonia fridge cannot cool nearly as well (efficiently) as a compressor fridge. Not in the cards.

Using common sense goes a long way toward keeping your food cold, but then people today exhibit little common sense.

[shelbyfv]

Cydog15 wrote:
What in the world is this cat saying? We just use ours like a fridge at home and it works fine.

Yes, lots of words, maybe English is not first language.... Anyway, rotating water bottles between freezer and fridge seems like a useful tip for folks whose fridge doesn't work to suit them. Thanks!

[Cydog15]

What in the world is this cat saying? We just use ours like a fridge at home and it works fine.

[Old-Biscuit]

A good functioning absorption fridge is the direct result of proper installation paying attention to the 'clearances', draft/airflow and dead air spaces.

[mat60]

I have my refrigerator turned down on the warmest setting and its still a bit to cold but Im fine with that.

[DutchmenSport]

I've had 3 different travel trailers over the last 20 years and all three had fantastic refrigerators. All 3 campers had refrigerators that got down to negative 5 or more in the freezer and often times below 32 in the refrigerator, as the refrigerator would start freezing things up too, even during the hottest times of the year. Maybe we've just been lucky. But our's works fantastic! If we put soft drinks on the top shelf, they almost always have ice in them after 24 hours. We keep our refrigerator running 24x7 (except during January and February when the outside temperature is colder than the inside of the refrigerator and the trailer is truly shut down for winter).

I think the secret to a successful and good running RV refrigerator is to let it run and never turn it off.