Fridge not getting cold enough in hot weather

[mossypossy]

solution

By not opening the fridge door and being parked up the fridge has achieved, with fan assistance, and on one third Max setting:
Outside temp 30
Cabin temp 40
Freezer temp -16.5
Fridge temp -0.2

There you go.
Don't go opening the door to make a cup of tea during the day or your beer will be warm at beer o'clock.

 

[campertwo]

I'll try that also & see if it makes it any better? Cheers

 

[barge1914]

Another tip

We've also found it's very important to keep clearing any build up of ice off the fins inside the fridge. There's a tendency to forget these until you go home and defrost again, but the ice layer makes for an effective insulator preventing heat being extracted from the fridge. Since we started doing this regularly our fridge has improved enormously...although once you get much over 30C though there's only so much an absorption fridge can achieve.

 

[El Veterano]

In my experience absorption fridges are not fit for purpose. For sure you occassionally get one that works OK but generally they are usless once the temp gets higher than about 20C. I have now owned 6 absorption fridges and only one of them could cope with warmer weather, and that was the first one I had in a 1983 Autotrail. That would freeze milk when it was 30C + outside. Although it is essential that the fridge is properly fitted, ie there is no access from the rear of the fridge to the air in the habitation area, it makes no difference at the end of the day - they either work or they don't, mostly they don't. Taking the fridge out, turning upside down a few times can sometimes help, and fitting a fan or 2 to the top vent is essential. Our latest MH, a 2013 Dethleffs has a large fridge freezer in it, and although I was hoping for better performance from this one it is pretty much the same as all the others that I've owned. This one even has a heater function to de-ice the fins in the freezer if you need to. The only way forward if you want proper cooling is a Waeco compressor fridge, they are superb.

 

[Fletch6]

.

 

[Deleted member 5816]

That would be with Ammonia as the refrigerant, the replacement gas is not half as good.

Alf

In my experience absorption fridges are not fit for purpose. For sure you occassionally get one that works OK but generally they are usless once the temp gets higher than about 20C. I have now owned 6 absorption fridges and only one of them could cope with warmer weather, and that was the first one I had in a 1983 Autotrail. That would freeze milk when it was 30C + outside. Although it is essential that the fridge is properly fitted, ie there is no access from the rear of the fridge to the air in the habitation area, it makes no difference at the end of the day - they either work or they don't, mostly they don't. Taking the fridge out, turning upside down a few times can sometimes help, and fitting a fan or 2 to the top vent is essential. Our latest MH, a 2013 Dethleffs has a large fridge freezer in it, and although I was hoping for better performance from this one it is pretty much the same as all the others that I've owned. This one even has a heater function to de-ice the fins in the freezer if you need to. The only way forward if you want proper cooling is a Waeco compressor fridge, they are superb.

 

[Haaamster]

I'm convinced my freezer part is just really for freezing ice packs to assist with keeping the fridge cool, even the tiniest pack of food fills it so its no good for that but 4 ice packs fit in almost too perfect for it not to have been made for them.

 

[El Veterano]

That would be with Ammonia as the refrigerant, the replacement gas is not half as good.

Alf

Yes, exactly.

 

[Fletch6]

.

 

[mistericeman]

Not heard of an ammonia replacement, are you sure? There's plenty of replacement refrigerants for compressor fridges mind.

News to me too.....

Mind I'm still getting to grips with the phase out of r134a in favour of R1234 at about a gazillion pounds a kilo lol

 

[Fletch6]

.

 

[mistericeman]

Yeah R134a was a new gas when I went into the trade (early 90's) and it was very expensive then, what goes around comes around

Always someone making a buck or two out of global warming etc....

Days of washing compressor components off in r11 before disposal in a buried drum long gone lol

 

[Channa]

The issue with most fridges whether compressor or absorption is they are sealed units with no ports for recharging. In the case of the former for cost reasons often the compressors are hermetically sealed and cant be repaired.

I struggle to workout the variation in efficiency on absorption fridges I am leaning towards correct installation away from heat sources etc

Channa

 

[Wooie1958]

The issue with most fridges whether compressor or absorption is they are sealed units with no ports for recharging. In the case of the former for cost reasons often the compressors are hermetically sealed and cant be repaired.

I struggle to workout the variation in efficiency on absorption fridges I am leaning towards correct installation away from heat sources etc

Channa

So the nobheads at Compass fekked up when they installed the dometic fridge right next to the cooker in my motorhome :mad2:

 

[mistericeman]

The issue with most fridges whether compressor or absorption is they are sealed units with no ports for recharging. In the case of the former for cost reasons often the compressors are hermetically sealed and cant be repaired.

I struggle to workout the variation in efficiency on absorption fridges I am leaning towards correct installation away from heat sources etc

Channa

Easy enough to add 'ports' on hermetic systems... either clamp on or braze in.... though obviously braze in require recovery of refrigerant if still partially/fully charged.
Absorbtion ones I suspect vary due to the quality/blend of components in the ammonia charge as well as partial stratification/separation of the ammonia charge (hence inverting the unit often works as a repair.)

Having had a fair amount of experience with both.....id never have anything but a variable speed compressor type.

 

[mossypossy]

Even though my fridge was ultra efficient the other day I can guarantee it will be iffy when we are out and about, moving and using.

 

[campertwo]

Down here near Marbella & temperatures still around 38 degrees! I have turned our external fan to draw hot air out of the top vent. It is still icing up in the freezer compartment so all ok so far! We have a 12v/240v cool box also in the garage & that is keeping the beer & wine cool also thank God! Lol.

 

[Pauljenny]

Down here near Marbella & temperatures still around 38 degrees! I have turned our external fan to draw hot air out of the top vent. It is still icing up in the freezer compartment so all ok so far! We have a 12v/240v cool box also in the garage & that is keeping the beer & wine cool also thank God! Lol.

We had the fan fitted 5 days ago.
Yesterday was the first day that was hot enough to test it.
Looks good to me.
£ 85 well spent.

 

[mossypossy]

£8.50 for a fridge fan!
Got two from China for about £4.

 

[Tezza33]

I fitted a thermostat on my fridge fans so that they only come on when needed