Fridge efficiency advise
I searched, but am looking for more specific answers. 1 year lurker, 1st time poster here. :) Wife and I are newly weds (2 yrs), no kids yet, and decided to dive into the RV lifestyle about a year ...
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The fans will help circulate some more air up the flue shaft, so that more cool air will be drawn into the flue area, and draft quickly upwards, and outside.
The cooler the outdoor coil is, the better it should perform.
I would not bother fixing the electric element either. You might damage the steel tubing trying to get the old element out and ruin a otherwise working refrigerator. On electric, it will produce about 900 Btu's heat into the boiler, while the gas burner normally is 2,200 Btu's.
Fiberglass is about R-7 for 3.5" thickness, while foam is about R-5 per inch. That said, I probably would not add any insulation in the 'flue' area, as it will also block air flow. Reducing the 14" X 3" flue space by 1/3 would really hurt the performance.
Your sidewall should have 1.5" foam insulation between the interior and exterior siding. That should be good for about R-7?
Insulation on the sides of the refrigerator is acceptable, but not really a requirement. The silver Reflex insulation is good for about R-4, but if exposed to a flame will keep burning and smoke a bit. You probably don't want that.
By the way, a trailer caught fire in a hanger in Long Beach Airport once. They are not allowed in the hangers. Propane and indoor storage is not really compatible.
Fred.
The cooler the outdoor coil is, the better it should perform.
I would not bother fixing the electric element either. You might damage the steel tubing trying to get the old element out and ruin a otherwise working refrigerator. On electric, it will produce about 900 Btu's heat into the boiler, while the gas burner normally is 2,200 Btu's.
Fiberglass is about R-7 for 3.5" thickness, while foam is about R-5 per inch. That said, I probably would not add any insulation in the 'flue' area, as it will also block air flow. Reducing the 14" X 3" flue space by 1/3 would really hurt the performance.
Your sidewall should have 1.5" foam insulation between the interior and exterior siding. That should be good for about R-7?
Insulation on the sides of the refrigerator is acceptable, but not really a requirement. The silver Reflex insulation is good for about R-4, but if exposed to a flame will keep burning and smoke a bit. You probably don't want that.
By the way, a trailer caught fire in a hanger in Long Beach Airport once. They are not allowed in the hangers. Propane and indoor storage is not really compatible.
Fred.
