Adding fan behind refrigerator...worthwhile??

pianotuna wrote:

SJ-Chris wrote:
I would like to understand better what the NORMALtemps are behind the refrigerator while in operation. I assume it is somewhat (or heavily??) dependent on the outside daytime temperature.

-Chris

If I remember correctly the operating temperature may be up to 700 F. (and no that is not a typo). I think I read this at a site that shuts down the unit when it hits about 350 F.

I set my thermostat at 80 f.

"The refrigerator uses three substances: ammonia, hydrogen gas, and water. The cycle is closed, with all hydrogen, water and ammonia collected and endlessly reused. The system is pressurized to the pressure where the boiling point of ammonia is higher than the temperature of the condenser coil (the coil which transfers heat to the air outside the refrigerator, by being hotter than the outside air.) This pressure is typically 14–16 standard atmospheres (1,400–1,600 kPa) at which pressure the dew point of ammonia will be about 35 °C (95 °F)."

I have seen a few different websites mention that the BOILER (which is inside the "chimney" and has insulation around it) operates at around 180*C (which would be about 356*F). But that heat would be contained inside the boiler. Then all the "hot liquid" (...sorry, just using generic terms here) flows through the system, coils, etc and eventually cools. I know that all those coils behind the fridge get warm and/or very hot. This will all create heat behind the refrigerator itself (inside the space where the refrigerator is mounted). I have a roof vent, so the hot air will rise and go out the roof vent, and pull in air at the bottom (at whatever the air temperature is outside).

I'm wondering if anyone knows approximately what sort of temperature this air behind the refrigerator gets during normal operation on say an 80*F afternoon. Is it 100*F? 150*F? I don't imagine it could be hotter than that.

Seeing as how the operation of the system is that the "hot liquid" flowing through these coils needs to cool back down as it flows through these coils, I can certainly see how pushing out, for example, 130*F air and replacing it (from the fan blowing it in at a much more significant rate than with no fan) with 80-90*F air will HELP the liquid cool much easier/faster/lower-temp and thus the refrigerator can have a much easier job (and likely cool the interior of the refrigerator/freezer significantly).

Since I enjoy these sorts of projects/experiments, I think I'll move forward with this project on one of my Class C RVs and when I do I'll be sure to report back with before/after comparisons and data. Will likely take me several weeks as I'm busy with other things at the moment. And I think the best test/comparison will happen when temps are back up to 90*F or more.

-Chris