RV Refrigerator

[HVaughan]

I am a mechanical engineering graduate student and I am involved in a team project that is learning about the absorption refrigerator which is the type of refrigerator most likely in your mobile home. My team is needing end user feedback on the product of interest, so if anyone is willing I would be grateful to receive your opinion about the refrigerator. If you have knowledge of absorption refrigeration I would like to read your technical and non technical opinion, but if you don't know the theory I would still like your non technical opinion.

Thank you very much

[Bucky1320]

Residential fridges make the "vehicle" part of RV a bit more complicated, as they consume more electricity, an have no other energy source. I can sure understand full timers replacing, but I sure wouldn't buy that RV afterwards because the fridge would not meet my needs.

To the Op: Don't confuse Mobile Home with Motor Home.

[Old-Biscuit]

One trick pony.....

Your welcome!

[pigman1]

Some comments on the absorption refrigerators in RV's. It seems that the newer types such as the Norcold 1200 are considerably more prone to failure than the older models. The older ones would run just about forever without problems, however the newer Norcold's are fraught with problems. Be it failure to cool down, only the freezer cold and the refrigerator compartment in the 60-70 degree range, coolant leaks and fires. There's presently legal action on the Norcolds due to the fires and NUMEROUS recalls. Some of these problems may be attributable to poor design and some may be due to poor installation. According to Norcold instructions the area behind and above the refrig needs to be built to very close tolerances when they are used as a built-in and in many cases they are not. In addition, when a problem in an RV refrigerator occurs, there are very few repair people competent enough to diagnose and repair it. You get a guy who went through a training course (you hope) a few years ago and is now the "expert" but doesn't understand what he's doing. He's usually following the cook book, and when he gets to the last step he's out of ideas. The way we use them doesn't help as whatever he does he probably won't see the customer again.

Because of the fires and legal action, companies are afraid to admit to problems in design and/or blame the installation. The coach builders and installers blame the design and the customer so no real problems are solved. Not only are no problem solutions forthcoming, but the companies seem to spend 90% of their effort denying a problem exists rather than fixing anything. I'd heard that some of this may have been due to government and EPA required changes that forced manufacturers into designing less than satisfactory units, but that allegation is extremely foggy to try and get any info about.

Just to give you some info on where we're coming from: I had a 2005 Diesel Bounder with a Norcold 1200 that worked fine. Ran it 75,000 miles. When we bought a 2008 Allegro Bus with essentially the same refrigerator in it, I started having too warm inside issues after 2 years. I replaced the cooling unit with an Amish unit myself and made sure the compartment was to specs. In less than 8 months that unit was beginning to give me similar issues. The "new" cooling unit was replace under warranty and reinstalled by professionals in Tucson, Az, who's only job was absorption refrigerator repair and replacement. This unit lasted about 14 months and again suffered similar maladies. In the course of ownership of these units, just about all other parts of the refrigerator cooling system were replaced such as control boards, heaters, baffles, thermistors, gas orifices, and any other thing I could think of, to no avail. We replaced the unit with a residential refrigerator and will never own another absorption unit.

Hope this helps. A search of this or other RV forums on Refrigerators, Refrigerator fires, and any related words will give you more reading than you probably want.

[wa8yxm]

As has been posted absorption fridge technology has been around over a century, It is used in commercial installations, has been used in homes and RV's. I will admit there is always a danger of bad things happening with ANY technology, many go on and on about the danger of fridge fires, this danger can be limited or practically eliminated by adding the proper safety devices.

Absorption Cooling is not as efficient as compressor type Fridges, so it uses more energy but.. For an RVer who boondocks, the fridge burns very little electricity when it is running on propane (Some older units might well not burn any but I'm not that old rv wise) it's just that it burns about 3-4 times the electricity a residential fridge would burn when running on electric.

When my Absorption unit fails I may go to a high-effiency all-electric (Burns less than half what a residential would burn) or I may just repalce the cooling unit.

[bob213]

I believe the number one factor in performance of these refrigerators is "venting". In a properly vented situation they seem to work well. Since there are so many variances in installation by different mfgs. we all get different results. Some cool at all temps while others suffer after an ambient temp above 80-85 degrees. As stated, extra fans inside and behind help those not properly vented. I can deal with having to be relatively level, having spots that freeze things, but I'm not happy when I'm camping in warm temps. and I have to worry about the safe temp of my food. Mfgs. should be held to a strict standard for installing and venting these units.

[Mr_Mark1]

HVaughan wrote:
I am a mechanical engineering graduate student and I am involved in a team project that is learning about the absorption refrigerator which is the type of refrigerator most likely in your mobile home. My team is needing end user feedback on the product of interest, so if anyone is willing I would be grateful to receive your opinion about the refrigerator. If you have knowledge of absorption refrigeration I would like to read your technical and non technical opinion, but if you don't know the theory I would still like your non technical opinion.

Thank you very much

You asked for technical and non-technical info about absorption fridges. In our 2008 Monaco Dynsaty, I did not want propane in our motorhome, hence, no propane fridge. I only wanted one fuel, DIESEL, on board So, our coach is all electric with 8 house batteries and 2 chassis batteries. We have a solar panel on the roof to keep the batteries topped off on sunny days while driving down the road.

We have a residential Jenn Air side by side fridge with water and ice in the door that has worked flawlessly the 7.5 yrs. that we have owned it (currently on consignment).

If I'm not connected to shore power while dry camping (boondocking), the manual states to run the generator 2 yrs. in the morning and 2 yrs. in the evening to keep the battery bank charged up. It actually works quite well as those are breakfast and dinner times when you will be using the electric cook-top, toaster, coffee pot, TV's or anything else electric.

If for some reason I'm away from the motorhome or forget to charge the batteries, the generator is set to come on automatically to recharge everything. The only thing I need to do is make sure my 150 gallon Diesel fuel tank is topped off before dry camping (boodocking).

A 'mobile home' generally is a manufactured home that is stationary. Motorhomes (class A, B and C) power themselves down the road. A TT (travel trailer) or 5th wheel trailer need a power source like a truck/SUV.

Good luck on your research, MM.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Our refrigerator died at about 5 years. Purchased a new one. Wish we had purchased a residential refrigerator. Absorption refrigerators don't work well when the ambient temperature is high. Also doesn't keep food as cold or freeze as well as residential refrigerator. Has to be operated close to level or damage occurs. Opening and closing the doors too often increases the inside temperature and it takes a long time to bring it back down to "normal" When we put something not already chilled in the refrigerator, we wait until night when the ambient temperature is lower to put the items in the refrigerator.
Pros: Runs on propane when you dry camp and therefore doesn't deplete batteries.

[mockturtle]

Have had four RVs with absorption refrigerators and they all worked pretty well. I dislike having to be level when parked but otherwise have found them to keep food cold and work especially well on propane. I do use a battery-operated fan inside to distribute the cooling evenly.

The new RV I'm picking up next month has a small AC/DC fridge with a Danfoss compressor. I won't have to worry about leveling and it will run mostly on solar power but I think I might miss the propane operation.

[TripleE]

Non-technical (female) opinion - We have had RV's for about 20 years and I don't like the refrig. It works but depending on the weather it can be bad or good. Ice cream doesn't freeze well, things in the fridge section freeze when they shouldn't. We are fulltimers so ours is in use 365 days a year. I plan on replacing it with a residential one soon.

[Tinstar]

Mine will start freezing after a couple of hours. I use fans in the back to keep the air moving and a fan inside to keep the temperature evenly distributed in the refrigerator compartment. Great invention; practical and efficient.

[Old-Biscuit]

Absorption refrigeration principal has been used since early 1800's
Commercial production in early 1900s but were expensive $350-$600 OUCH!




Make sure they are level when operated stationary. OK to operate while in transit.
Use ammonia, hydrogen, water and sodium chromate mixture as coolant. Newer versions have replaced hydrogen with helium
Takes 8-12 hrs. on initial start-up to properly cool down.
Freezer gets cold first then food section can cool down
Freezer can be cold and food section not get cold due to blaockage
Don't place hot foods in fridge...best to pre-cool items first
Can have difficulty keeping cool when outside temps are above 100*F and if below 32*F
Can be operated on 110V AC power, 12V DC power or Propane
Come in many different sizes/styles from basic to all the bells and whistles
Can be care free/reliable or junk
Most have been recalled
Some have caused fires


RV Absorption Refrigerator Homework

LINK

LINK

LINK

LINK

Fire Info Link


When you get thru reading the provided links you should be able to write a good summary. Don't forget 'credits/acknowledgements'

[vegasfoodguy]

What does this have to do, with the RV experience?

[Fishinghat]

Absorption refrigerators are efficient users of electrical power, which powers the control unit, and propane (for cooling), but are slow to cool down from startup. Adding fans, both inside and outside, will improve efficiency and uniform cooling. Since RVs are frequently used where electricity is limited to batteries, household type (using a compressor and Freon) refrigerators are impractical. If an owner has a large enough coach with a large (six or eight 6 volt batteries), and is willing to recharge this battery bank frequently, then a residential type is preferred.

[amandasgramma]

We have to use a fan in it to get the air to move (why don't they build them with fans???). I get tired of food that shouldn't freeze being pushed back against the coils and freezing. I had to toss carrots today....VERY irritating!