Referigerator Modification

[LonnieB]

Our refridgerator has never worked as well as I thought it should. With the thermal do-hicky slid all the way up on the fin, and the temp control set to the coldest position, it would keep the inside temp between 38 and 45 degrees, depending on the ambient temperature.

While at my family reunion last weekend, I talked to my cousin about it (he has an RV repair business in Montrose, Colo.). After checking the ohms on the thermal do-hicky, and finding it to be good, he showed me something with the condensate drain tube on the back of the fridge. He re-routed it a bit and created a "P" trap at the bottom to collect some of the water which blocked off any warm air from the outside getting to the inside.

After I got home (the same day), I checked it and found it to be at 37 degrees, and by the next afternoon it was down to 33 degrees. I lowered the control setting a couple of spaces and will see how it works at the new setting.

I never would have thought there would be that much warm air going up that tube.

[8.1al]

Thanks Lonnie, I'll give that a try

[skypilot]

Lonnie: Is your refer in a slideout? If it is, you may also have some insulation that had / has fallen and is blocking the airflow up to the upper vent. I know on mine insulation had fallen and jammed the small fan that was there. Now, I actually have two small Computer case fans that run inside pushing air from the bottom up. Originally there was a single small CPU fan and it wouldn't cool for anything in the NM or KS summer heat; now I have to watch that I don't freeze stuff in the refer section. By the way these fans are thermostatically controlled by the same thermostat that the original cpu fan worked off of. The item was a kit called something like 'slideout accessory kit' and Dometic had it for their units.

[LonnieB]

No, mine isn't in a slide out, but in the rear cap, and it doesn't have a fan. That may be the next mod.

[alandaudrey]

Thanks Lonnie, good info.

[bigmurf]

Lonnie: Is the black hose open on the end? Mind has a cap with several small holes in it.

[jimcol]

Lonnie, Thanks for the info. Makes sense that the drain tube would port hot air into the fridge. I'll try the P-trap fix. Jim

[steves]

Thanks....cool tip!

[LonnieB]

quote:By bigmurf

Lonnie: Is the black hose open on the end? Mind has a cap with several small holes in it.

Mine has the cap too, to keep critters out, but still lets hot air in.