level refrigerator

Use a bubble level. If you're more than 1/4 out of the bubble, you're not level enough.

Your fridge depends on gravity - no compressor to keep things moving along. It doesn't take long either.

If you open the fridge door and it doesn't stay where you stop it (drifts open or closed) then you need to level up.

Three degrees is definitely too much.

From Dometic:

In an absorption refrigerator system, ammonia is liquefied in
the finned condenser coil at the top of the refrigerator. The
liquid ammonia then flows into the evaporator (inside the
freezer section) and is exposed to a circulating flow of
hydrogen gas, which causes the ammonia to evaporate,
creating a cold condition in the freezer.

The tubing in the evaporator section is specifically sloped to
provide a continuous movement of liquid ammonia downward
by gravity through this section. If the refrigerator is
operated when it is not level and the vehicle is not moving,
liquid ammonia will accumulate in sections of the evaporator
tubing. This will slow the circulation of hydrogen and ammonia
gas, or in severe cases, completely block it, resulting in
a loss of cooling.

Any time the vehicle is parked for several hours with the
refrigerator operating, the vehicle should be leveled to
prevent this loss of cooling. The vehicle needs to be leveled
only so it is comfortable to live in (no noticeable sloping of
floors or walls).

When the vehicle is moving, the leveling is not critical as the
rolling and pitching motion of the vehicle will pass to either
side of level, keeping the liquid ammonia from accumulating
in the evaporator tubing.

YMMV.

We have always heard 3 degrees, or level enough that you are comfortable, but do not know the official answer. We use a level and level both front to back and side to side every time we park. We also discovered that if we are not level or slides will leak in a storm - so - takes care of both problems to be level.

This was the answer I got from dometic:

Hello,

I have a Dometic fridge in my truck camper, I believe it is a 2652. I've read the manual but can't seem to find anywhere that says how level the fridge needs to be. I'd like to have a number in degrees if you publish such a thing. I know that Norcold recommends being within 3 degrees sideways and 6 degrees front to back (when looking at the fridge). Would this be a reasonable limit for the Dometic as well?

thanks.

Mike
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Mike,
That is a good measure to follow....we don't publish a certain degree but as long as you are comfortable and don't feel like you are having to go up or down a hill the unit should be fine....just want to make sure that when in operation the fluids in the cooling unit can cycle properly....I have attached a document so you can see how the fluid flows.
Thank you,
Sandy

Do yourself a favor and install the ARP protector and don't worry about level. The ARP pays attention to what really matters- boiler temperature. As long as the boiler has enough liquid, level doesn't matter, as the solution is circulating.

Norcolds take on leveling

Leveling:
CAUTION:
The refrigerator is made to operate within 3°off level side-to-side and 6° off level front-to-back (as looking at the front of the refrigerator).
Operating it at more than these limits can cause damage to the cooling system and create a risk of personal injury or property damage. Make sure the vehicle is level before you operate the refrigerator.

Operation during travel:
While the refrigerator should be level when the vehicle is stopped, performance during travel is not usually effected


I prefer Dometics take:

COMFORTABLE TO LIVE IN

Simple --- straight forward --- no math required

Three degrees is a surprising amount off level; it's about five inches difference side-to-side (assuming an 8 foot wide RV). That's far, far more than a quarter bubble on any level I've seen. (I don't think the bubble sizes or markings on levels are particularly standardized, either, though I may be wrong there.)

Basically, if the coffee in your cup isn't all slopey, and the eggs in a frypan don't wander to one edge, and the shower drains properly, you're more than level enough for the fridge to be happy. On the other hand, if it's obvious you're slanty where you've parked, then turn the fridge off.

I tend to level my RV far more precisely than is really needed for the fridge because I like to be level.

And always keep in mind that you can turn off the fridge any time you think it might be too out-of-level. They stay cold for quite a long time. (This of course assumes that you haven't parked for the weekend.)

DrewE wrote:
Three degrees is a surprising amount off level; it's about five inches difference side-to-side (assuming an 8 foot wide RV).

On Norcold the "side to side" is the side to side of the fridge not side to side of the rv. It would be the front to back of the RV. So 3 degrees is roughly 3/4 inch per foot so about 2 ft off level on a 35 ft RV. Still is an noticeable amount that would not be comfortable to be in.

Mike

3 degrees side-to-side (of fridge, not RV), equals just under 8" difference between the front wheels of my rig and the rear wheels! :E 6 degrees front-to-back (of fridge, not RV) works out to be just over 8" difference between the right side and the left side of my RV :E (8' wide, 190" wheelbase). Way, way out of level. If your coffee doesn't slide off the table, you're OK. Level your rig to "feel" comfortable, and your fridge will well within the operating parameters.