Back to Fridge Ventilation

[steve101]

Latest Update.

 

Things done to my fridge so far:

 

- Cleaned burner and flue.

- Replaced jet.

- Insulated the area above rear of fridge and sides where heat builds up. Also underneath the fridge.

- Removed door panel and covered in multiple layers (3/4) of tin foil.

- Fitted single 120mm PC fan at top vent in the middle with the temp sensor on the bottom middle of the rear fridge cavity.

- Adapted a tin can to extend the flue gases away from the condensing fins an towards the fan.

 

So far this is what has given me the best results. I have measured the temperature in the fridge with a wired thermometer for about £2, I did it as often as I could and compared it against the ambient temperatures reported on my phone.

 

Other things I have tried:

 

- Fitting the fan to the location specified by Dometic - namely the rear of the fridge.

- Fitting a custom (made by me) aluminium baffle to force air over the condensing fins with the fan as above. (On rear of fridge) the reason for the baffle was due to the large gap I had between the fridge and the wall.

- Whilst the baffle was fitted I moved the fan back to where I had it to start with at the middle of the top vent.

 

The only thing the baffle did was made things worse. The fridge performs better without it.

 

I am now onto my final experiment. I have two fans fitted and I have moved the temperature sensor for the fans to the place specified by Dometic, this is on the right hand side of the condenser fins.

 

The reason I have done this, following a great deal of reading I have found the following.

 

The ammonia gas which flows into the condenser needs to be cooled in the tube. The temperature at which ammonia condensates appears to be 25-50 degrees centigrade.

 

I have attached with cable tie my sensor to the gap on the right hand side of the fins and I have set my fans to come on at 37 and off again at 35 degrees.

 

The testing so far with the ambient temp being around 18 degrees is that the fans are struggling to keep it down at 35 degrees on the fins. I will monitor it this evening and maybe set it a little higher for tomorrow testing.