Did you seal outside vents after Residential refer install?

[Marv_Hoag]

I am in the process of completing the install of a residential refrigerator. Trying to decide if I am going to seal the vents on the outside removable panel. Pretty much decided to leave the roof vent alone.

To seal or leave open - That is the question.

[pianotuna]

Before I got the ARP unit, I had already added fans with a mask and a mechanical thermostat to keep the chimney cool. It did drop the interior temperature of the fridge, which shortened the cool down time. I added a constant running twin fan to the interior of the fridge which further lowered the interior temperatures.

When the absorption fridge fails, I will go residential. Thanks for the idea of a fan that cycles with the compressor.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Landy! Wait! You shouldn't have used common sense 🙂 That's...that's...unfair!

Good on you! A genuine thumbs up for helping someone!

[landyacht318]

My neighbors bought a new residential fridge for their stick and brick, and it was a perfect fit in the receptacle.

However the fridge instructions said 2 inches of space was required over the fridge, and 1 5/8 between back of fridge and wall behind fridge. They had only 1/4" under a cabinet basically enclosed the whole top of the fridge.

I warned them this would cause the fridge duty cycle to increase a lot, but they really liked how it looked, being such a tight fit.

I said lets throw it on a Kill a watt, and My IR gun showed 120 degrees( 72 ambient) above and behind fridge within an hour of plugging it in.

The IR gun readings alone were enough to make my point. I modified their cabinet above fridge with a false back and opened up the cabinet so the fridge could breathe properly. The Kill a watt readings were not recorded before and after cabinet modification, though I do wish I had collected that data. Temps after venting cabinet above fridge were rarely over 92f in ~70F ambients.

My small DC compressor fridge can vent to RV exterior, or interior, or both. Venting condenser heat was a priority in designing the cabinet in which it is installed. One 80mm cabinet exhaust fan runs 24/7.

One can easily wire a 12v fan and it need not even cycle on and off with compressor. The Noctua NF-f12 moves 53CFM for 0.05amps and is very quiet. This minor electrical consumption will be negated by the lower duty cycle of the fridge, and decrease the time required to remove the heat from warm items placed within.

Premature Norcold DC fridge compressor failures of the 90's and early 2000 are attributed to improper installs where condenser heat evacuation was not a consideration of those installing them. The heat removed from box and generated by compressor motor, has to go somewhere. The better this heat can be transferred to atmosphere, the less energy it will use to maintain sub 40f temperatures inside.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

dougrainer wrote:
1. OEM residential installs have either NO outside vent(Door) access or that is a DOOR and not a vent
2. HOW many of you have a outside air vent system in your stick house for the residential refer???????????????????????????????????
3. Residentials are designed for ZERO clearance to ventilate in and out the front of the refer.
4. So, to answer your question---SEAL OFF THE LOWER VENT, BUT I WOULD LEAVE THE ROOF VENT IN PLACE. If the refer is in a slide seal off both sidewall vents. Doug

ME!

I have the largest CF Viking model and it has been sealed off with walnut faced 3/16" paneling and foam gaskets. The same model 10 CFM fan is used over the Viking's enclosed condenser heatsink.

Result? Kitchen temps dropped 5-8F and by putting ear to door I verified night time compressor run time was reduced. This is in the tropics where temps at dawn are frequently 80F. Most folks may not need tp do this but I did not need more heat in my concrete kitchen. The same effect was avoided in a much smaller area in Quicksilver that has the Danforth 24v compressors. Folks in Moosejaw, Yukon, may not e bothered with the heat. I find it discomforting to pay for electricity to rid freon compressor heat by using A/C

Your mileage may vary...

[westend]

time2roll wrote:
Too bad the heat cannot be vented in during Winter and vented out during Summer.

Quit it, you're making too much sense.:B

[time2roll]

Too bad the heat cannot be vented in during Winter and vented out during Summer.

[Acampingwewillg]

While I agree we don't vent our Home residential Frig's but then again my home is not a "hot" box. I can only tell you my experience....I originally closed off the rear vent, I placed a couple of exhaust fans pointed upward toward the roof vent and a put a vent under the platform for the refrigerator. While doing all this, I placed a wired thermometer inside the cavity at the back of the refrig. During hot days(over 100 Degree's) the temp in the cavity can climb into the 120's easily. Simply by turning on the exhaust fans, I can reduce that temp by 30+ degree's. The outside vent I normally leave cracked a tad(it's a sliding piece of wood) so I can open it fully or close it fully depending on the climate.

Here again, my experience, the efficiency of my Residential fridge at 90 degree's opposed to 120+ is greatly improved, don't care how you look at it! I actually insulated the sides, the rear and the top portion of the enclosure. It's worked like a charm since I installed it some 4 + years ago.

PS....My fridge is not one of the fancy ones, it's a 10.4 CF 2 door(hey, I have an older MH and didn't have the room).

[B_O__Plenty]

If it isn't vented to the outside in your house why would you want to do that in your RV? I just bought an RV with a big residential refer. There is no outside venting for it. Just the way I would do it..

B.O.

[Ed_Gee]

I must retract my previous comments, up above. I have overlooked that the original poster was installing a residential refrigerator.

[dougrainer]

1. OEM residential installs have either NO outside vent(Door) access or that is a DOOR and not a vent
2. HOW many of you have a outside air vent system in your stick house for the residential refer???????????????????????????????????
3. Residentials are designed for ZERO clearance to ventilate in and out the front of the refer.
4. So, to answer your question---SEAL OFF THE LOWER VENT, BUT I WOULD LEAVE THE ROOF VENT IN PLACE. If the refer is in a slide seal off both sidewall vents. Doug

[Ed_Gee]

Given the statistics of propane refrigerators causing RV fires, I am surprised that anyone would consider blocking the air flow design in an RV.

[landyacht318]

Some residentials place the condenser on the fridge's side walls, instead of having a finned visible heatsink one can easily vent.

Besides extra insulation, proper venting of condenser it the best way to increase efficiency, and also the easiest way to ensure poor performance if not vented properly.

Mine DC compressor fridge sucks coolest possible filtered ambient air and pushes it only once through condenser, across compressor and controller then out of the fridge cabinet entirely.

[azrving]

I closed top and bottom and provided proper clearances required by manufacturer. I can still remove my outside plastic grill to access cord etc. I also have no holes in the walls or ceiling in my home around that residential frig.

[aslakson]

The folks who installed our Samsung residential last year completely sealed all of the old vents. Seems counter-intuitive to me, but no problems so far. They said that's the way it should be done. Since they do a lot of that type of thing, I figured they knew what they were doing.

al