Frost/Ice build up Dometic Refrigerator

[Dryheat36]

We have the basic Dometic Refrigerator in our TT. We know they build up frost and Ice in the freezer and on the fins in the refrigerator section after a period of time. We will be taking a 3 month long trip with continuous use. Is there anything we can do to reduce the build up or short of pulling everything out the best, fastest and safest way to defrost.
Thanks

[derh20]

This is going to sound strange, but this is what happened to me. (If you do not use ice trays to make ice cubes in your freezer, skip the rest of this message.) We had ice build up after only about 2-3 days. I would defrost it and 3 days later have to defrost it again. I checked everything mentioned here including putting in a fan. No results. My wife loves her Manhattans in the evening so we continually make ice cubes in ice trays. On one trip she went off her Manhattans, so I did not make any ice. Guess what? No ice build up in the freezer. For the last couple of years I have either made ice by putting the trays in a large plastic zip lock bag or I have gone to a convenience store with a large zip lock bag and ask them if I could buy some ice from their soda machine. Never has anyone asked for money. I don't have room in my freezer to buy a "bag" of ice.

[wa8yxm]

Several things can reduce frost build up

FANS.. There is a fan/light assembly designed to mount to the TOP of the fridge which I'm told is somewhat effective in reducing frost build up.. It is, however, expensive.. I have two "Computer" type fans on the shelf in front of the fins, one high volume one low, the high one has done a fairly good job of preventing frost build up the low volume one reduced it but alas did not prevent it. (There is more to this story but. Well, the frost left on it's own, I fix the reason why, in theory, tomorrow).

The fans are 12 volt and simply wired to the light circuit.

Next:
Ever stand there trying to make up your mind what to snack on for 5 Minutes.. Make it 5 SECONDS.

Decide before you open the door (And yes I'm guilty though 5 minutes was exaggeration).

Check all seals, Make sure the door closes properly.

[mgirardo]

Our refrigerator defrosts itself about once a week. There is a sensor that goes between the fins. Last summer I didn't notice that the sensor had fallen and was surprised after a few weeks that the fridge fins were freezing over. I defrosted it with a hair dryer, replaced the sensor and haven't had a problem since.

The freezer does not defrost itself and usually after 2 months, it needs to be defrosted. I noticed this year that most of it came off easily enough with a spatula. I think my bemoaning to the kids not to leave the door open longer than necessary may have finally sunk in. I was able to just scrape the frost off and then remove the resulting "snow". I did not have to defrost the freezer once this summer.

Using a hair dryer to defrost the freezer worked much better than using a pan of hot/boiling water. The owners manually specifically says not to use a hair dryer, but I think that's more for fear of electrocuting oneself instead of actually doing damage to the freezer.

-Michael

[ncrowley]

I also just use a hair dryer to get the frost off the fins. I have tried all the suggestions including a fan but nothing has worked. I just run it quickly over the fins. The frost comes off quickly and I do not need to take everything out of the refrigerator.

[LarryJM]

philandterri wrote:
When our freezer builds up with ice, we use a hair dryer to melt the ice. Been doing it that way since 1996.

Same here, but I have another 15 years to add to that method started using the hair dryer since 1981. I put it on high fan & heat and constantly keep it moving and the end of the dryer never actually enters the freezer proper. Takes about 10 to 15 min. with towel in bottom and plastic scraper to speed things up.

Larry

[hokeypokey]

larrybluhm wrote:
Another approach to frost buildup is to "head it off at the pass." Warm air can enter the cabinet through the drain tube and contribute substantially to the problem. The simple solution is to extend the drain tube 8-10" with some appropriate tubing and a barbed connector and form it into a loop creating the equivalent of a p-trap. The tube will drain normally and the bit of water trapped in the loop will block any warm air from entering the cabinet. The difference was quite dramatic for very little cost and effort.

We just went through this with our 3 year old house refrigerator. Bottom freezer was getting a sheet of ice on the floor of the freezer again and again. About the same time the ice maker died so we assumed it was hand in hand but the ice sheet kept coming after we cut off the water supply.

We talked to the appliance store and they admitted this was a problem caused by the defrost drain tube. A newer style drain tube would be covered by warranty but the service call to install it was $100. We decided to get the part and try it outselves. It turned out to be a 15 minute job, and that included removing and replacing the back panel. Problem solved.

[Dryheat36]

Appreciate all of the great replies and suggestions!!!

[Chris_Bryant]

Easiest for the lower compartment is to simply shut it off for an hour or so- the food will stay cold, but the frost will melt off the fins. That's basically what Norcold does.

[Thunder_Mountai]

There are built in defrost coils in the freezer. Ours failed in our old MH and the frig started to frost up. You might check that out along with above suggestions. Rather than fix it we went residential.

[philandterri]

When our freezer builds up with ice, we use a hair dryer to melt the ice. Been doing it that way since 1996.

[TenOC]

I full time.

1. I have a small fan in the Refrigerator part that runs all the time. It clips on the fins and moves the air in the refrigerator part so that there is no hot or cold spots in the refrigerator. It also keeps ice off the refrigerator fins.

2. I have an indoor/outdoor thermometer in the refrigerator part to make sure the temp is between 35 and 42 degrees.

3. I do not worry too much about ice build up in the freezer part. I wait until the ice is about 1 to 2 inches thick. When it is time to defrost (on a nice hot day) I have a fan that will fit inside the freezer with the freezer door open. This blows the hot outside air into the freezer. After about 15 to 30 minutes the fan has melted the ice from the back of the freezer so the ice falls off (with a little help from me) in one big sheet.

4. I grew up in the days before auto-defrosting refrigerators so I am use to ice in the freezer. The first auto-defrosting refrigerators simply had a timer that turn off the refrigerator for about 20 minutes a day to allow the ice to melt. Now I think (?) they have a heater strip to melt the ice.

[larrybluhm]

Another approach to frost buildup is to "head it off at the pass." Warm air can enter the cabinet through the drain tube and contribute substantially to the problem. The simple solution is to extend the drain tube 8-10" with some appropriate tubing and a barbed connector and form it into a loop creating the equivalent of a p-trap. The tube will drain normally and the bit of water trapped in the loop will block any warm air from entering the cabinet. The difference was quite dramatic for very little cost and effort.

[jamway]

On a three or four month trip we need to defrost the fins in the fridg part. We use a tall fan on the top rack with everything else still in the fridg. Just almost close the door and every thing will stay cool.

[Dave_H_M]

I am surprised no one recommended some sort of circulating fan inside the frige. My fins don't frost.

There are a bazillion posts on the subject.