Covering fridge vents in winter

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Our winter trips are underway again and we are heading off on a van-ski trip very soon.

I believe fridge vents can be covered as part of winterising a van and have seen vent covers for sale. I assume there are lots of DIY options though, in addition to the obligatory cautionary tales.

Does anyone have knowledge to share on this subject please?

Jim
 
There's two schools of thought on this. The official line is that absorption fridges don't operate if it is too cold and you need them below 5 degrees to make the fridge work properly. It's to do with the temp of evapouration of ammonia or something.

In practice I have found the fridge works fine without them. The outside temp was -20 last year one night and -5 to -10 over a few days. I just turned my fridge down a few notches, no covers. The ice box worked fine. The cool compartment worked fine maintaining 3-4 degrees temp ( I have a fridge thermometer... it should be 5 degrees or a bit below is OK).

So personally, I'd only ever use my fridge vent covers as rain protection or when washing the van with a pressure washer. It will save a bit of gas/electricity. There are people who use them to stop draughts, but in that case the fridge compartmentation is not properly built. The rear cold air compartment should built be more or less airtight round the fridge.

For winter storage of a van rather than winterisation and using the van, you could put them on. I think that would be a benefit.
 
If the temperature inside the van is kept at normal temperatures by heating and the fridge door is opened as normal, then the heat gain into the fridge is going to be as normal and this means the absorption cycle does need to operate as normal. Problem arises if it is so cold in the rear of the unit - especially if there is a strong wind blowing - that the heater (gas flame or element) just can't get the boiler up to temperature to get the cycle started in the first place and/or the rest of the cycle also can't get established.

At extreme temperatures, supposedly parts of the refrigerant can turn to slush and this prevents the fridge from operating at all.

Possible more of a consideration when driving rather than parked in a sheltered spot.

Driving snow getting into the space behind the fridge is another consideration.

Reducing the ventilation area of the vents (but not the actual chimney exhaust) solves the problem.
 
I was thinking more in terms of maintaining as much heat as possible inside the van and reducing draughts, rather than the optimum functioning of the fridge unit. When we are at the ski centres we are in very exposed positions with very low external temperatures, (the lowest we have got to is -17,) and keeping the van warm inside is paramount. I was led to believe that the vents simply release heat when the fridge is functioning normally and other than the gas exhaust section, there is no harm in covering them.
 
If you are getting draughts it would be better to look at the sealing of your fridge in its compartment. If the ply is not a tight fit, you could glue sealing foam into the gaps and cover them with waterproof tape. An easy way to access the edges of the cooling compartment may be from outside by unclipping the centre part of the vents. This gives a fair size hole to work through and you should be able to see quickly if you have any gaps round the edge.
 
Thanks fellas.

Have just spotted the time of your latest post Firefox! Wow, don't you sleep? :sleep-040:
 
fridge covers

i am after the same covers and someone sed u can get them from diy stores.the caravan shops/agents ones cost a packet.firefox normally posts at odd hours(i think he is a vampire)billi
 
I do keep very strange hours. On Thursday I worked from 3am till 8pm. That's 17 hours... almost 3 days work in one ;-)

You won't normally find me posting from 5am to 10am though!
 
I use them all the time in winter and traveling. Infact I was looking for some in Grey for my Thetford vents in the new van. I was at Todd's in Lostock Hall Preston the other day and they had Swift ones in Grey for £7:99 each.
Colin
 
Tony Lee said:
If the temperature inside the van is kept at normal temperatures by heating and the fridge door is opened as normal, then the heat gain into the fridge is going to be as normal and this means the absorption cycle does need to operate as normal. Problem arises if it is so cold in the rear of the unit - especially if there is a strong wind blowing - that the heater (gas flame or element) just can't get the boiler up to temperature to get the cycle started in the first place and/or the rest of the cycle also can't get established.

At extreme temperatures, supposedly parts of the refrigerant can turn to slush and this prevents the fridge from operating at all.

Possible more of a consideration when driving rather than parked in a sheltered spot.

Driving snow getting into the space behind the fridge is another consideration.

Reducing the ventilation area of the vents (but not the actual chimney exhaust) solves the problem.
Click to expand...

I would agree with your explanation,

on the slushing of the refrigereant gas though I think it is unlikely and you correctly used the term supposedly ,,,,,,,,the boiling point of cfc gases are well below what we will ever endure in our natural climate

Dependant upon the age of the fridge, in turn depends the gas the fridge is charged with, a lot of older vans using r22 gas which is now only available recycled or from stock I.E no longer produced by gas companies,

to my mind the vents provide weather protection and will have no detrimental effect at this time of year when ambient temperatures are so low


Channa
 
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