Freezer works, Fridge doesn't

[Grampa Jim]

Moodman,,,,,,a couple things to consider.....
1.Yes, it takes overnight before it starts cooling well.
2. Is the fridge on one of your slides? If so,,,,make sure the outside condenser cooling fan is operating. You'll hear it if you have one. Some people get irritated with the noise, and I know someone who disconnected it. That will destroy your fridge, so don't entertain those thoughts. You normally won't have a cooling fan out there if your fridge isn't on a slide since the heat leaves by a rood vent and not a side vent.
3. Is your RV close to level. If it's way way out of level, the absorption refrig won't work.
4. Crunchmand is right about installing fans. I have one each in the freezer and refrig compartment. They run on D cells and really do help with cooling. They last about a month, but they're well worth it.
5. That tube you're talking about is the temperature sensor and it really doesn't matter where you slide it on the last fin. It's not really going to drastically change your temp. Just make sure it's installed properly.

[OldCoot]

Absorption refrigerators have be operating for years before they put fans in and on them. Unhooking a fan will certainly decrease the cooling ability, but it certainly will NOT destroy the unit.

My 08 and 12 didn't even come with fans. One was a Dometic and the one we have now is a Norcold. I added 2 fans in the rear and 2 inside the frig.

[Grampa Jim]

Oldcoot,,,,I've been in the refrigeration business for over 40 years. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about. If your fridge in on a slide, it'll have a fan outside, and it's critical. That ammonia and the solution it's in depends on proper heat transfers. Without the fan, you're greatly shortening the life of the fridge.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Grampa Jim

Oldcoot,,,,I've been in the refrigeration business for over 40 years. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about. If your fridge in on a slide, it'll have a fan outside, and it's critical. That ammonia and the solution it's in depends on proper heat transfers. Without the fan, you're greatly shortening the life of the fridge.

Explain why they still put units out without fans. I agree if it is in a slide it needs a fan, but none of mine came with fans since owning campers with refrigerators starting in 1975.

Do they help? You bet, are they critical, NO!

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Grampa Jim

Oldcoot,,,,I've been in the refrigeration business for over 40 years. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about. If your fridge in on a slide, it'll have a fan outside, and it's critical. That ammonia and the solution it's in depends on proper heat transfers. Without the fan, you're greatly shortening the life of the fridge.

I do understand what you have said mine is in a slide. You will get the same natural movement, hot air rises as a top discharge. The hot hot air that rises has nowhere to go but be trapped in the slide. I can not hear any fans going at all being I upgraded to a ball bearing fan and also increased the CFM. If you do not do this on a slide out it will decrease your cooling period. It is still a good idea for your refer with a top discharge being the more air you push against the coil the more efficient it will become. Will it still work without adding fans yes by convection. But will work harder and take longer to cool down.

[SuicideSaints]

As others have said, if the freezer is running so is the fridge part. It takes awhile for the fridge to get cold, especially empty. It can take up to 48 hours, but generally 24 to 36, to be at operating temp. Most people start it up a day or two before you plan to use it.

In the original post you said dual fridge 12v and LP, that is kinda a fallacy, it doesnt cool off of 12v, 12v runs the boards and such (unless it is a 3 way fridge). Just something to think about. It cools from shore power or LP.

[MOODMAN]

Following all your excellent ideas, I let it run for 24 hours.
Then, I used my infrared thermometer and actually probed my house refrigerator. The temps ranged between 38-42 degrees, depending on where the laser was pointing in the fridge.
Then I checked the freezer, and it came in between -1 and +1 degrees.

Then I checked the camper, and those temps were almost identical. The freezer was -1 to + 1 (identical) and the refrigerator part ranged from 38 (right on the fins) to 48 near the bottom of the empty fridge.

No doubt putting cold food in there will moderate the temps.

Also what I got out of this discussion is that it might help to put a circulating fan in the food portion, but ALSO it might help to make the unit cool faster to put a fan in the outdoor part to take away excess heat faster.

What do you think?

Anyway, thanks for all the great input. My DW will be pleased, and if she says the refrigerator doesn't seem as cool as the one at the house, I will take along my IR thermometer and show her.

I've been married 36 years, and figured out I can either be right or happy, my choice.

[youroo]

Fans! Youroo!!

[MOODMAN]

Where did you buy those fans? Do you know the cost? Are they hard wired or battery?

[dsjohns71]

You can get those fans on eBay. I got one last week and installed in a few mins. Then started my fridge and it was to operating temp in 12 hours. That's 38 in fridge and 0 in the freezer, and can nearly hear them. They run off of the 12v. I tied mine into the hot wire for the fridge light, it was pretty simple.

Just look up "fridge fans" on eBay. Mine was $16 shipped...

[Grampa Jim]

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

I do understand what you have said mine is in a slide. You will get the same natural movement, hot air rises as a top discharge. The hot hot air that rises has nowhere to go but be trapped in the slide. I can not hear any fans going at all being I upgraded to a ball bearing fan and also increased the CFM. If you do not do this on a slide out it will decrease your cooling period. It is still a good idea for your refer with a top discharge being the more air you push against the coil the more efficient it will become. Will it still work without adding fans yes by convection. But will work harder and take longer to cool down.

Before I had my FR Windjammer, I had a Jayco, and with these 100 degree days in Texas,,,,I had trouble getting my fridge to cool down below the high 40's until time to go to bed,,,,then,,,,the next day was the same problem. I had discharge through the roof too.....and after I installed a fan to blow across the condenser coils, I got the temp down to the low 30's where I wanted it. The fan is necessary. If you don't hear a fan, your fan you're using is doing fine,,,,,,witness the cooler temps...right? Just check it once in a while and make sure it's doing the job.

[MOODMAN]

Thanks. I will do that soon. I think it would be good to also get a fan to circulate air in the outside compartment, but not sure where I would install it out there. Maybe one inside the roof outlet pipe would be a good strategy...

[Grampa Jim]

Originally Posted by MOODMAN

Following all your excellent ideas, I let it run for 24 hours.
Then, I used my infrared thermometer and actually probed my house refrigerator. The temps ranged between 38-42 degrees, depending on where the laser was pointing in the fridge.
Then I checked the freezer, and it came in between -1 and +1 degrees.

Then I checked the camper, and those temps were almost identical. The freezer was -1 to + 1 (identical) and the refrigerator part ranged from 38 (right on the fins) to 48 near the bottom of the empty fridge.

No doubt putting cold food in there will moderate the temps.

Also what I got out of this discussion is that it might help to put a circulating fan in the food portion, but ALSO it might help to make the unit cool faster to put a fan in the outdoor part to take away excess heat faster.

What do you think?

Anyway, thanks for all the great input. My DW will be pleased, and if she says the refrigerator doesn't seem as cool as the one at the house, I will take along my IR thermometer and show her.

I've been married 36 years, and figured out I can either be right or happy, my choice.

Moodman,,,you're hitting the nail right on the head.

[Grampa Jim]

Moodman,,,,,the outside fan should be installed near the bottom. Attach it so the fan causes a gentle draft blowing it upwards across the coils. It doesn't take much to change the outcome in the fridge's performance. I had a solar operated fan that I got at Camper World. It wasn't terribly expensive and I was very satisfied with the temp difference. You could get a DC voltage fan, but then you have to figure out how to wire it up,,,,,the solar is sufficient unto your needs. I installed a D-cell fan in the freezer AND the fridge. Both are doing much better. I like my ice cream hard and my beer cold. Have fun with this learning curve.

[DiverDennis]

Originally Posted by MOODMAN

... The bottom has fins in the back and a white cable I assume is a thermostat probe that attaches to the fins. On the side of the fridge wall inside is a blue arrow next to the fins that points up for colder. I assume that means slide the probe up higher on the fins to get more cold. The trouble is that the bottom refrigerator section does not get cold, but the top does.

Our 2016 Salem Hemisphere has the same control probe and the same symtoms. Thanks for the post. Now we know there's nothing wrong with it.

[pmsherman]

Our 2011 Georgetown 327DS had a fridge that didn't work properly when it was delivered. On propane, the burner ran 24x7 and the fridge temp never dropped below 50F. The dealer pulled the fridge and discovered that it had been installed with no insulation on the sides and in the dead space over the top of it. When the sun was shining on the RV, the free air space became an oven surrounding the fridge which just overcame the fridge's shell insulation.

It was reinstalled with fiberglass batting insulation to fill the hollow spaces and it has worked fine since then.

Phil

[Lefty665]

Originally Posted by dsjohns71

You can get those fans on eBay. I got one last week and installed in a few mins. Then started my fridge and it was to operating temp in 12 hours. That's 38 in fridge and 0 in the freezer, and can nearly hear them. They run off of the 12v. I tied mine into the hot wire for the fridge light, it was pretty simple.

Just look up "fridge fans" on eBay. Mine was $16 shipped...

Those fans are designed to bolt to the bottom of 3.5" hard drives to cool them. They can be noisy little suckers, especially after they get some age on them. They're around 50mm. I'd suggest using a larger fan, at least 80mm, and 120mm would be even better. Larger fans move more air, run slower and quieter. Ask the Google about case fans. TigerDirect and Newegg, among others, are good vendors too.

FWIW, I found 120mm fans that draw 1.2 watts so they're not battery killers in the boondocks. I'm using them to blow excess heat off the condenser, but may have to try one inside too.