Installing residential refrigerator

azrving, the unit I bought seems to be the same one you bought at Home Depot the first time. It is a magic Chef 10.3 hope I have better luck with it LOL. I did buy the additional warranty which I don't usually do. I think I like the idea Acampingwewillgo has about using the using the vents to remove hot air. Will know more after I get the old one out so I can see what there is to work on.

Thanks to all for the comments!

Well, I've had my relatively small 10.3 CF residential Refrig in for about 7 years now. I know everyone says treat it just as if you were replacing one in the home but I beg to differ. I did insulate the sides with foil sided rigid panels, I made the outside vent so that it could be opened or closed, I placed exhaust fans within the cavity to move hot air to the roof vent. I do a lot of RV'ing in Hot weather and I can see temp's within the compartment in the 120's + at times(I have a probe in the compartment)...I never see temp's like that at Home no matter how hot it is outside.


So in my view, its not quite the same as a Home install....It takes a few considerations. I've been happy with my install and the exhaust fan can reduce compartment temp up to 25-30 degree's. IMHO....

I believe this is the Model I bought. I had first bought a magic chef from the depot but it didn't work. It ran at first but conked out. Maybe it didn't like my 1000 w Xantrex inverter. They only give a 48 hour return window so I hurried up and took it back. They never contacted me about all the scratches on it or anything.

I bought a Xantrex 2000 prowatt for the whirlpool and televisions etc.

I can't seem to post pictures from my phone.

My opening was lined with the same paneling as the outside. They tried to create a tight cabinet for the propane fridge because they don't want the fumes from the gas flame to enter the rig.

I removed the inner panels and had to cut the opening larger for side and top air clearance. I had to close the side and top vents or the wind would be blowing in. Some people do insulate around the frig so it's not open to the living area and then leave the vents open for cooling.

I was concerned about proper cooling so I went with a whirlpool 10.7 that has the exposed coil on the back. So mine is no different than having it installed in a house. It is captive on both sides and doesn't have a gap between the countertop and the upper cabinet like a house install. It does have the required side clearance and an extra large gap at the top.

You will probably also find that it will hang out of the cabinet a fair amount so the front feet may not have anything to sit on. I used 3/4 lumber to set it on which protrudes out of the cabinet. Iirc I used an L bracket at the top at the hinge screws. I also drilled through the rear bracket for a couple screws into the cabinet floor.

Depending on how you want to approach it, whether forming an insulation seal or leaving it open to the living area and closing the vents be prepared for some sawing and hacking. What refrigerator are you considering?

Thanks Matt Colie, Ava and azrving...do appreciate your comments. Do you know if insulation is needed? My old one is loose and ready to come out. It is also a bit over 100 miles away so I am unable to look and see if insulation is there now.

The reason for letting it sit for a while is so the oil can drain back down to the compressor. The oil is mostly in suspension in the refrigerant loop. Even then its not really that big of a deal but a CYA by the manufacturer.

Weldon,

You have gotten an amazing mix of information, and about half of it is wrong.

We are talking about a modern AC powered compressor unit....
It has to be close to upright to run, other than that, it doesn't care. You don't have to wait for nothing to happen.
Azrving was on the mark and you will not need the old venting for that was for the gas unit.
If it does not have the coil on the back, then it is cooled by the sides, so those have to be open.

I did this change about 8 years ago, then I got the original repair and DW won't let me change back....

Matt

Once a fridge has been moved and left on its back or side and perhaps leaning a lot it is best to let the refrigerant inside settle for a while ( not sure how long ) before turning on.

My coil is on the back. I removed the doors to get it in. The manufacturer will give the side clearance numbers. I closed off my top and side vent and treat it as a home install with proper side and top clearance.