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Licreek's avatar
Licreek
Explorer
Dec 19, 2017

Fridge frost up?

Hello all. We are living full time in our 36' DP. We are new to this via hurricane Irma which put us on the road full time. We are in that steep learning curve and I would first like to thank everyone who has helped me with my questions from poopy paper to best space heating. All of your feedback is greatly appreciated and I even got my sat tv problem resolved so my DW is getting happier with our new life on the road. So with that said I have another stupid question. The cooling vents in our fridge ice over about every 2 or 3 weeks and I have to defrost the whole unit. It cools great. I wondered if there's any tricks to making it go longer? I think the big problem is my DW and son like to stand and look in it with the door open, sometimes until the warning buzzer goes off. Anyway any tips will help!! Thanks again and Merry Christmas to all, Lee
Class A
  • Triker33's avatar
    Triker33
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    What make and model is the refrigerator?
    Is it a side by side?

    Anyone that stands in front of it with door open more then 20 seconds.
    Hit them over the head with a wet noodle.
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Dec 19, 2017
    Check the door gaskets. A dollar bill is all you need for that.
  • Licreek's avatar
    Licreek
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    It's a Norcold top freezer with 2 doors. I'll try the dollar bill.
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    Dec 19, 2017
    Not too uncommon if you are in an area of high humidity, especially if you open the door a lot.
    Out West, in the dry desert environment, your refrigerator will never ice up, no matter how long you keep the door open. :B
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    Frost is caused by only one thing ... humidity entering the refrigerator and then icing up on any surface it touches. The question is, where is the humidity entering? As stated above, every time the door opens it's letting in humidity, and if the seals around the door are not sealing tight, humidity can enter.

    You can't necessarily control the first culprit, but the second may be fixable by simply washing down (very thorough and in great detail), the seals, getting every speck of gunk off! And then cleaning the spot where the seals adhere to the door frame area. Clean is your best friend!
  • Licreek's avatar
    Licreek
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    So I did the bill on fridge and freezer. The bill will stay in place and I can pull it out but there is resistance. It's the same on fridge and freezer doors.
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    Dec 19, 2017
    A little spray with "Pam" the non-stick cooking spray, will minimize the ice build up. At least it did for us on the coast of Florida.
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Dec 19, 2017
    OK, we now assume the door gaskets are good. Next question. How often and how long do you keep the door open? These absorbition refers are not like what your used to at home. They take a long time to cool after the door has been opened. Next question. How high is the humidity inside your RV? If your living in a high humidity enviroment the excess moisture could be causing problems for you. Think about a dehumidifier.
  • John_Joey's avatar
    John_Joey
    Explorer
    Dec 19, 2017
    There is no such thing as a frost free RV fridge the last time I checked. Frost is just part of the lifestyle.

    There are ways to avoid some of it. One is using a 12V fan on the fins. Best for the short term RV'ers not so much for FT/PT'ers. Other option is not to open it so much and look inside for so long. Last is what we would do. Which was a defrost every month or two.

    I would turn the fridge off on a day we would be on the road. By the time we got to the park things were cool but not cold. Take everything out and into a cloth Walmart Freezer bag. Defrost, reload, good to go for a another couple of months.

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