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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> Researching RV Living -> RV Fridge in Extream Heat Report
Post Info TOPIC: RV Fridge in Extream Heat Report
Bill and Linda


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RV Fridge in Extream Heat Report
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For those deciding on the type of refrigerator, called a “refer” by many, to put in your RV I thought this report might be helpful.  This is not a report to try and generate arguments as to why or why not to put in a residential unit as opposed to an “RV fridge.”  It is an attempt to give a report on our Dometic unit (we’ve had Norcold as well with very similar results) and how it operated under we consider to be somewhat extreme conditions and why we chose the type of unit we did.

We define extreme operating conditions in this case as the following:

Phoenix in the desert in July for over a week – Temps topping 115 degrees and in the high 100’s each day – The refer was in the sun all day – that is the refer side of the rig and the vents were never in shade – there wasn’t any shade. The refer is mounted in a slide which is not ideal for ventilation – The trailer was sitting on top of sand so the heat from the day was also contributing to heat throughout the night.

The unit was operating on electric but this makes no difference as to cooling capability.  

The results:  It worked just fine. The ice cream stayed hard and the freezer was at 10 degrees or less.  Main box in the mid-30’s - This measured with a good digital meter.

We were told by Leon at National RV Refrigeration in Shipshewana not to worry; the unit had a lot of reserve capacity.  He was right.

In our case we actively chose a “RV refrigerator” for our new rig because we travel a great deal, do like to boondock some and it reduced by 50% in our case the amount of battery capacity we require to boondock and weight we have to haul around. That was our choice.  Obviously if you have a lot of battery and solar capacity this doesn’t particularly matter as much. Or if you are “residing,” i.e. not traveling and boondocking much the criteria is totally different in our opinion.  As I say, “it depends” and neither choice is right or wrong.

Since the mid-1970’s we’ve used “RV” refrigerators with good success.  Others have good success with residential units for various reasons including personal preference.  But we felt this report of operation, in what we feel are pretty extreme conditions, might be of help to those making a decision as pertains to “keeping the ice cream hard” - which ours does and did.  Not which one lasts longer, etc. and not an argument as a “Ford/Chevy” thing between residential and RV gas/electric absorption units.  Both have their place and both work.

Bill



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GENECOP


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Good to hear, not really sure why but our current Norcold Fridge can not keep ice cream totally frozen when we are in the shade at 90 Degrees....

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Bill and Linda


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GENECOP wrote:

Good to hear, not really sure why but our current Norcold Fridge can not keep ice cream totally frozen when we are in the shade at 90 Degrees....

Gene:

I will tell you this new Dometic does a "little" better job with ice-cream than our Norcold which was a 2006 model.  But the Norcold did well when we had it in Arizona before albeit not in 115 degrees.  It was hot out there and “forgetabout” the dry heat line.  At 115 it’s simply hot.

You may want to consider some baffling around the heat exchanger fins (at the top) such that all of the air coming up the “stack” has to go through and not around those fins.  Leon, at National RV Refrigeration suggested that as he explained it wasn't usually the capacity of the refers cooling system as such, but the fins ability go transfer the heat to the air.  It’s not always the refers fault. Sometimes it's the OEM installation that allows too much air to get around, not go through the fins.  All FWIW but I'd try that if I were you.  We've done that before - the fin baffling with wood or aluminum sheets and make sure it is sealed even in the corners next to the wall if physically possible.

Also, I'm sure you've confirmed all the aux fans are still running to assist with air flow up the stack.

Bill



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Glenn West


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Depends a lot on ventilation. Has to get the heat out from behind it. Had to add fans in our Mobile Suites to get it cool in Texas heat.

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Lucky Mike


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I added solar fans....2 in the chimney and one inside the fridge.....made a big difference


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Joe_Camper


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On a previous RV, I had trouble getting a refer to cool down sufficiently. I dug out the installation instructions and checked my installation. There was an open area above the refer and the instructions explicitly stated that there must not be any such area. This caused the air flow to be incorrect and allowed a pocket for hot air to pool. I closed that area off and added a couple of computer fans above the refer and it made a world of difference.

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Bill and Linda


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Both our Dometic and former Norcold have thermostatically controlled fans in the chimney. In a slide mounted fridge they are a requirement and are always an asset even for non-slide installed refers.

 



-- Edited by Bill and Linda on Tuesday 5th of August 2014 11:53:52 AM

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Bill & Linda
GENECOP


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I better check all the fans out, make sure they are working, and add a fan or two if I can...Our fridge is in our slide, upper and lower vent hatches on the side wall...any instructional vids or walk throughs on adding fans ,upgrading etc.. Out there?



-- Edited by GENECOP on Tuesday 5th of August 2014 11:04:59 AM

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Bill and Linda


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Gene, no video’s I know of but the fans can be pretty much just below the fins – maybe a foot or so.  Ours are about 2 feet down from the fins.  You just need to get the air moving bottom to top and out. You don’t need 4 or 5 fans.  Leon told me three were “nice” but not necessary.  Two should do it. Just get air to move over the fins and not around them.  We have two, super quite, low(er) speed fans.  We don’t hear them in the rig when running.

Ours run on a thermostat but that isn’t totally necessary.  The thermostat is mostly to conserve 12 volt power – i.e. so they don’t run all the time.  Naturally if you’re going to use 120 volt units, which I suppose you could more easily in your motorhome than in a 5er, the thermostat probably isn’t necessary – at least for a first test.  Make sure you fuse the power line to the fans appropriately for 12 or 120 volts. Just for a test I’d just look in a RadioShack for some computer cooling fans.  I noticed some there yesterday that should work at least for a test.



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Alie and Jims Carrilite


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We have a NorCold 1200 in a slide as well. It has the 2 fans required and has been doing a decent job. Decent because in the Texas sun shining on that slide most of the day, its having a harder time keeping icecream solid. Its not melting, and our ice is solid, its just a touch warmer. That being said, I ordered a 2 fan cooling mount, this one rvcoolingunit.com/Dometic-add-on-Frame-Fan-bracket-kit-2-fans-switch-wiring--P3261872.aspx 2 days ago. We'll see if it helps out. Normally the fridge is 38-39* and freezer is 8*, with it in the sun full time we've added about 5* to both.

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Bill and Linda


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Gene:

I did find this just for your reference:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ghLikc4q1w

I don’t know that I agree with putting a fan at the bottom as well as the top.  My training for airflow wants (generally) a single point of air movement or you could get air bucking or damning where the fans can actually fight one another.  But whatever works is fine.

Nonetheless, the baffling at the top around the fins is an example of what I was talking about.  Not a great one but a picture nonetheless.

Would love to know if you have or don't have fans and / or good fin baffling.  Might help someone else as well.

On edit: I wanted to say that the picture in Jim's link above is where my two OEM fans are mounted.  Right above the condenser coils but below the heat exchanger fins.  Looks like that might be a good kit to consider if the Norcold has the room and doesn't have the fans.  My 2006 Norcold did have two fans and very good OEM baffling from KZ.

Bill

 



-- Edited by Bill and Linda on Tuesday 5th of August 2014 03:07:28 PM

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The Junkman


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These style run on propane too, correct?
Someone should have a residential that works on electric and propane and has a ice maker.. I would have bought it. Though maybe they do? I didn't even ask...

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Bill and Linda


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By definition on most forums, “RV refrigerators” run on propane (LP) and 120 volt electric; either or. (They do need 12 volts DC for the computer that controls them.)  Ice makers are a options on many RV refers and have been for a long time.

Residential LP refrigerators have been around for a long time.  But in the RV world most of the time when the term “residential” is used it means 120 volt electric, no LP and is a unit you would put in a house.



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Bill & Linda
GENECOP


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Thankyou.....much appreciated......

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Alie and Jims Carrilite


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Dometic makes a line of 12v compressor style fridges. We put the small units in the boats we used to build.
The baffling on ours is very tight to the coils, sides and top.

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The Junkman


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Bill and Linda wrote:

 

By definition on most forums, “RV refrigerators” run on propane (LP) and 120 volt electric; either or. (They do need 12 volts DC for the computer that controls them.)  Ice makers are a options on many RV refers and have been for a long time.

 

Residential LP refrigerators have been around for a long time.  But in the RV world most of the time when the term “residential” is used it means 120 volt electric, no LP and is a unit you would put in a house.

 Shoot, I should have asked for the propane / electric residential.. Next one.. Thanks..



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Glenn West


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You will love the residential fridge. Has a Dometic, hated it. Got the residential Amana now, love it. Can't tell you how many times we had to throw out food with the Dometic. Never with the Amana.

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igotjam


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I agree with most of the posts here. There are places for both. We had a 2 door dometic which we added fans to and it performed as advertised. We also had a Norcold 1210 where the temp fluctuated and never kept ice cream hard. After fighting with the Norcold (not unusual...lots of bad press on that model) for 3 years we went with a 120 V house model and will never go back to an RV fridge. We don't have a generator or inverter so boondocking is now out. Like I said, there is a place for either depending on your needs, and for us the house (no propane) is our choice.

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Glenn West wrote:

You will love the residential fridge. Has a Dometic, hated it. Got the residential Amana now, love it. Can't tell you how many times we had to throw out food with the Dometic. Never with the Amana.

 Have to agree, we had a Dometic (with extra fans) could never get it to cool to a good temp to keep meat cold, we were always throwing out sandwich meat/cheese etc! In the end we chucked it out of the slide window into a neighbors truck bed, good riddance! We now have an LG residential, loads more space in fridge/freezer and no more spoiled  food, love it! 

 

Huggs Kim x



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Alie and Jims Carrilite


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Alie and Jims Carrilite wrote:

We have a NorCold 1200 in a slide as well. It has the 2 fans required and has been doing a decent job. Decent because in the Texas sun shining on that slide most of the day, its having a harder time keeping icecream solid. Its not melting, and our ice is solid, its just a touch warmer. That being said, I ordered a 2 fan cooling mount, this one rvcoolingunit.com/Dometic-add-on-Frame-Fan-bracket-kit-2-fans-switch-wiring--P3261872.aspx 2 days ago. We'll see if it helps out. Normally the fridge is 38-39* and freezer is 8*, with it in the sun full time we've added about 5* to both.

 Update- Adding the 3 fan kit has helped.  Fridge and freezer temps are both lower 6-7 degrees lower than without the fans in the Texas sun.  Fridge is 36-37* and freezer is 0*.  Once the cooler fall weather hits I may need to move up a number or too to keep the fridge from freezing the veggies.  The fans have a thermo switch that activates at 85* and I added a switch as well so I can turn the fans on or off as I see fit.



-- Edited by Alie and Jims Carrilite on Friday 8th of August 2014 04:59:05 PM

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