Cold Question - refrigerators

[Army Guy]

I had an RV service manager tell a friend to be aware of refrigerator coils freezing up in temps that go below 20. They should be switched over to propane so the coils will be heated up.

Now, I have camped in Kansas for the last 3 winters with temps into the sincle digets and never had any issues with my fridge. I don't know what the amoninia freezing point is but would think its lower than that. Has anyone heard anything about this before?????

[GregN]

Boiling point is at -28° F.

Freezing point is at -107.9° F; a white crystalline mass forms.

Critical temperature is at 270.3° F; ammonia exists as a vapor, regardless of pressure above this temperature.

[Art-n-Marge]

I am not sure it's the ammonia that will cause the problem, so the service folks are causing undo concern.

However, there is an operating temperature range for all electronic appliances in that they can only work within a certain range, otherwise some insulation or heating to keep the device within this temperature is needed. If your fridge is operating on electricity I can only imagine that the outer exposed part of the fridge might not get as warm as when it's running on propane. I think running propane generates more heat to the outer exposed part of the fridge and maybe keeps things warmer. But I am not sure. I will agree that it's probably not the ammonia itself.

[dustinc02]

I wondered the same thing. I had my cooling unit replaced 4 months ago then came to southern Idaho for the winter. After several days of single digits and subzero digits, mine stopped working. I thought the same thing. It does not make sense to me since the freezing point of ammonia is so low. I wonder if the condensation inside the cooling unit can freeze though. It surely must produce some condensation. Mine still does not work. I just went out and bought a small 110volt fridge to put in the closet where the washer/dryer goes. This was the 5th time that the Dometic fridge quit in less than 5 years, spoiling hundreds of dollars of food in the process. Finally smartened up!!! Now I use the dometic fridge for an extra pantry. I will attempt to have the problem fixed when I get on the road again ( I am sure it will be useless as it will quit again in no time), but this time I will install a remote thermostat with alarm to keep from spoiling all the food. Yes, I have no faith in Dometic nor the RV refridgerators. (I understand that I may be part of the small percentage)

[noggs]

I am full time in Ohio and we get pretty cold here. Mine is on AC (saving propane for furnace) and stays there. Never had an issue. I do disconnect my outside frig (in shed) as anything inside it will eventually freeze and burst.

[cmawendy]

We are in Montana and had temps down to -20 and the refrigerator did stop working. Had a mobile RV fix it guy come to our 5th wheel and he took the frig out and laid it on its side and and to keep turning it from one side to the other. You could hear the ammonia gurgling. After about 8 turns he put it back in the hole and has worked ever since. He said that they run on heat and when it gets too cold out they stop working. He suggested a 40 watt light bulb in the compartment behind the frig.

[nunya]

Same issue I had 2 weeks ago, fridge froze up. Used heater to warm the rear compartment 24 hrs. fridge started and I taped off the bottome 2 rows of vents on both top and bottom covers to maintain a warmer compartment..........no problems since. I have always taped them off in winter before, just spaced it this year! Just remember to pull tape when weather gets warm...which I hope is soon!

[Mudchief]

Rick, that just happen to us. The temp was single digits dropping below zero at night. Worked OK for about 5 days then it quit. Put the food in bags outside and covered them up with snow. The mobile rv repair guy I call told me to switch to propane and cover up most of my bottom vents. I did that and now the unit is working great.

[Rondo]

If I remember right, at the Fall Rally we were told that the ammonia will jell up if it gets to cold. I would say that's what's happening with you all when your frig quits.

[Mudchief]

Rondo, when it gets cold like it has been here I tend to jell up also.

[TYR]

We had our frig seize up in fairly cold temps and a service tech suggested switching to propane when in severely cold temperatures. Now we switch over to propane whenever it is going to be . . . ummm . . colder than usual!

We sure have learned a lot about RV'ing in northern/colder climes during our initial year out! Not that we really want to know these things . . .

I think we're snowbirds who have temporarily become directionally challenged!

Cheers,
Betty

[ols1932]

When we lived in an RV during severely cold weather, I rigged up a 60 watt incandescent bulb and set it inside the back of the refrigerator. That fooled the refrigerator into believing it was warmer outside. It works great and is well worth trying.

You should have a spare 110-120 volt receptacle back there that you can plug one of those bulb sockets that plugs directly into the receptacle. If 60 watts doesn't work, use a 100 watt bulb.

Orv

[sreigle]

Rick, as you know, we also do Nov/Dec in Kansas. For the very first time, this last December, we had that problem. I talked with Jim G at Lifestyles RV and he told me it's an occasional problem with the Dometic refrigerators. He said the thermistor wire that goes through the back wall is susceptible to outside temperature changes and when there is a rather sudden drop in temperature when it's very cold then the control board gets confused and thinks it is too cold inside the refrigerator and shuts down the cooling. The solution was to put a lighbulb inside that outside compartment. It took a couple of days but it did solve the problem. In all our years this is the only time we've had this problem. The temperature went from around 30 to single digits during the night. I used a 60 watt bulb but smaller would probably work fine, too.