Community Forums

moleary · 02-03-2017, 07:27 AM

What are everyone's thoughts on turning off the residential refrigerator during winter storage. We winterize our motorhome for 8-10 weeks beginning in January. I have shore power and keep the batteries topped off. Is their any harm if I shut the refrigerator off?

ziaptrn · 02-03-2017, 07:29 AM

We turn ours off (Samsung RF18) without any ill effects for several years now. But I am interested in group consensus. Thanks for asking the question for me!

DeWat · 02-03-2017, 07:31 AM

I think you're going to get mixed responses on this one. 2 & 1/2 months (8-10 weeks) isn't really a long time either way. Since both the DW and I are still full time workers (I am on my after-retirement job until DW retires), we do "occasional" travel, and when parked, I turn off the refer at the breaker and prop the doors open.

computerguy · 02-03-2017, 07:33 AM

Curious why you are asking. Have you read or heard otherwise somewhere?
Any refer (rv or residential type) I've owned gets shut off when not in use for extended periods. Crack the doors open so it can "breathe" (no mold creation)

moleary · 02-03-2017, 07:44 AM

I have not any heard opinions either way. I simply got to thinking that since residential style refrigerators in our homes are built to run continuously (out of necessity), what harm or benefit is their to shutting it down for a couple months. Does being off extend the its life or create some undesirable condition that is hard on the cooling system.

Mostly I just posted this because I'd rather be camping than sitting in the cold thinking about it.

DeWat · 02-03-2017, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by computerguy

Curious why you are asking. Have you read or heard otherwise somewhere?
Any refer (rv or residential type) I've owned gets shut off when not in use for extended periods. Crack the doors open so it can "breathe" (no mold creation)

The argument here is that just keeping the refer on is better than the stresses of repeatedly starting and stopping the refer... just as if it really were in a residence and running for 10, 15, 20+ years. I'm not on either side, I just like keeping ours off when not in use to save on energy costs.

DonDee · 02-03-2017, 08:54 AM

If it gets cold in the RV, turn it off for sure and open those doors. At very low temps the oil in the compressor isn't happy and unit will cool poorly anyhow.

My home never gets under 40 while I'm gone, my bus can.

**CountryFit** · 02-03-2017, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeWat

The argument here is that just keeping the refer on is better than the stresses of repeatedly starting and stopping the refer... just as if it really were in a residence and running for 10, 15, 20+ years. I'm not on either side, I just like keeping ours off when not in use to save on energy costs.

doesn't sound like too convincing... we know the fridge is on and off throughout the day. does one time turning it off and a few months later turning it on make it more stressful that we need to worry about?

Mr_D · 02-03-2017, 10:41 AM

I've always left my refers on all the time, even the gas/electric ones. Now I have a residential refer and do the same. Do you turn your household refer off when leaving for a vacation? I don't

2 Stroker · 02-03-2017, 11:06 AM

Mine has been on 24-7 going on 4 years. I have all the good stuff stored out there because you always have something to work on and plus I can watch Football and Nascar and it's ready for the road.
2 stroker

Crankshaft · 02-03-2017, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

I've always left my refers on all the time, even the gas/electric ones. Now I have a residential refer and do the same. Do you turn your household refer off when leaving for a vacation? I don't

The difference being that the RV may and will be subject to very cold temperatures. Coachmen referred me to Whirlpool and the owners manual. In their it said that extended used below 40 degrees is not recommended. We clean it out, prop the doors open and unplug it for it's winter nap.

Funhaus · 02-03-2017, 11:22 AM

Leave it on or turn it off, really doesn't matter as far as stress on the compressor goes. I shut mine off after every use, I'm not paying to keep an empty fridge cold. Prop the doors open and call it good.

JohnBoyToo · 02-03-2017, 11:23 AM

We too shut it down and prop doors open
if for no other reason than its in storage and we don't check on it daily....

I could leave it on if I set the ags on to make sure the batteries don't go down WHEN the power goes out.

Racklefratz · 02-03-2017, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funhaus

Leave it on or turn it off, really doesn't matter as far as stress on the compressor goes. I shut mine off after every use, I'm not paying to keep an empty fridge cold. Prop the doors open and call it good.

I would think it WOULD matter in terms of compressor life. Anything mechanical has a finite lifespan, meaning, nothing is designed to run forever - everything fails eventually. So it logically follows that a continuously-running frig will reach it's end-of-life before one that's not running continuously. If it's empty, why hasten the time of failure? If it's not empty, that's reason to leave it on.

Like some others, I switch off the breaker for ours between RV trips. Saves money on electricity, and saves wear and tear on the compressor - win/win.