Causes for Refrig Frosting?

[happycookin]

Why is my refrigerator freezer continuing to frost up after I clean it out ?

We have a 1998 Newmar 40 ft. Mountain Air. We are planning to travel up to Washington state in the spring. Will this get worse?

I emptied the freezer then reorganized the entire freezer and refrigerator below by removing items to allow more air flow. What am I missing? This is suppose to be a frostless freezer/refrigerator. Any help is appreciated.

[dwhit]

You don't mention make and model of your fridge...but unless you have a residential style frostless fridge then expect frost to build in the freezer immediately and thoroughly...especially in 90% humidity regions.

I'm in the Florida Keys for the last three months...my freezer is totally iced...I use a tool occasionally to chip-out the big pieces. This will continue 'till I return-to-base in April whereupon I'll turn the unit off and soak a beach towel with defrost water. All normal operation for an ammonia absorption fridge. The main box will defrost the fins every 48-some hours.

[shaman52]

1. You can try to minimize air infiltration by checking the door seal fit. Take a 1-2" wide strip of white paper and close it on multiple locations to determine any loose areas. If needed replace door gasket. Based on vintage of your Newmar Mountain Aire it may need replacement.

2. Reseal wire and tubing penetrations entering the freezer and refrigeration compartments. Dometic uses a plumbers putty that ages and pulls away from wires and such. Look inside compartments and from your outside access panel with a flashlight.

3. Minimize the number of times you open the door(s.) Know where items are and not search for them. Had to train myself on this, took a while to get this programmed in my brain.

Defrost as needed. We all do.

Good luck!

["007"]

Didn't say which fridge Norcold or Dometic two door.
My 1200 four door freezer does frost up but not to cause a problem.
As mentioned the door seal may need to be looked at for a tight seal older refrigerators two door maybe able to replace the seal.
Another thing if you have a ice maker heated air from outside maybe getting into freezer compartment where water line enters and needs new sealant to close off leak.

[sprayman]

put some vaseline on the door seal.

[Steve N Sue]

If it's a Dometic sidewise automatic defrost, it won't defrost unless the real time clock is set.

[happycookin]

It is a Dometic two door refrigerator and top door freezer compartment. When we bought it last December we were told the ice maker doesn't work so we never bother with it, not needing one anyway.

Thanks for all your responses and ideas! I'm not sure where I would find the real time clock? I do open the refrigerator a lot when I'm prepping dinners. I'll have to train myself not to do that so much. Does stuffing the refrigerator have anything to do with it frosting up? The ice maker is by New Dimensions. Should I remove the ice maker if not using it? If so, how?

[Mr_D]

You will probably find, as we did, that you can't buy just the gasket. Have to buy the whole door and they no longer make that either. I did replace the cooling unit with the Amish unit but the whole refer was on borrowed time. We took the easy way out and traded it in on a newer unit with home refer! I was researching new apt size refers at Lowes and Home Depot.
BTW: you won't ever stop it from frosting up either, they aren't a self defrosting nor even frost free. I just took stuff out and used the DW's hair dryer, be careful though as high heat can warp the plastic inner liner.

[Ramets]

1998? If that's the original fridge, then it's lasted a lot longer than most. I finally gave up on the one in our 2000 Dutch Star. We put in a residential a little over a year ago. Should've done it a lot sooner.

[Waiter21]

I have a 2001 Mirada with an original Dometic Americana (RM2652) , two door, upper freezer. Not sure its the same as yours

1) As mentioned, check the door seals to make sure they aren't torn or ripped and they are a good seal all around, specifically look at the bottom seal carefully, this is where they tear or buildup crap.

2) Mine has a switch labeled "Climate Control". This is a small heater that is supposed to help prevent condensation when in humid conditions, or help the frig when the outside temperatures is very low (This is a 12 volt heater that runs all the time, Used for high humidity or low outside temperatures.)

3) Mine also has a drain tube outside. If that drain is plugged up, this could aggravate frost buildup inside the freezer.

[GaryKD]

Hi happycookin,
In addition to the suggestions mentioned in the previous posts, one can minimize frost in the refrigerator by placing a fan or two in the refridgerator compartment on the shelf under the cooling fins. Air circulation will keep frost from forming for quite some time. Check the refer controls for a switch that allow the unit to minimize frost with internal heaters. A fan in the freezer compartment will help that part of the unit. Stuffing the refer will exacerbate the problem of frost. However, air circulation is the key to success. Battery powered fans are available at RV accessory stores. I use old computer CPU fans in the refridgerator section. They are powered from the internal light hot wire.

[wa8yxm]

What causes frosting in Fridge and Freezer both for that matter.

IN normal operation the fins get below freezing... Warm moist air enters when you open the door.. This warm air contacts the fins (Which are near the top of the fridge) and the water condenses out and freezes to the fin....

Now sometimes adding fans INSIDE can cut down on it.. But all Fridges both residential and RV do this.

On modern residential fridges in addition to the cooling apparatus they have a heater. This heater cuts in for a short time at the end of each cooling cycle to melt the frost.

Somewhere in Michigan is a room.. This room can easily hit sixty degrees BELOW zero (it is a cold room used to test Allison transmissions) This one has a frost sensor on each bank of fins.. IF frost is detected... A heater melts it,,then it returns to cooling.

Friend of mine was on the design team and tested it.