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Old 10-28-2021, 09:08 PM   #1
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Replacement of refrigerator

My old propane-electric frige gave up the ghost. i'm going to replace it with a residential model. i have the normal roof vent and the behind the unit rv side access panel. can i block off the access panel and let the heat rise and go out the roof vent or do i need to leave alone? thank you in advance
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Old 10-28-2021, 09:38 PM   #2
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When I installed mine years ago, I sealed off the back vent holes, but left it removable. I installed a water line to the refer and use that outside door to install and access an inline water filter.

Most residential units will vent/cool out the bottom, but I left the roof vent intact. I removed the roof vent cover and added screen door mesh to keep critters out. I also installed a brace from the framework of the roof vent to the top of the refer. This kept it from moving. I never had any cold or hot air issues with leaving the roof vent intact.
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Old 10-29-2021, 12:35 AM   #3
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Thank you very much
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Old 10-29-2021, 05:40 AM   #4
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I filled both of my vents with foam. Since the residential fridge does not seal like the RV fridge, you are creating an always open vent if you don't seal them both.
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Old 10-29-2021, 05:55 AM   #5
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This is what I did.

1. I installed a separate 120v outlet controlled by a switch inside the MH so that I could easily turn the unit off when not needed without going outside to pull the plug (some units do not have an on/off switch).

2. I chose not to seal off the existing outside openings. I put a screen on the lower opening and installed 3ea. 12v fans in the upper vent to assure good air circulation. I used the 12v wiring from the old Norcold and put the fans on a thermally controlled line with a separate switch inside my MH.
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Old 10-29-2021, 06:37 AM   #6
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I covered MOST of the fins in my side vent but left about 3 inches to allow some air to get to the back of my refrigerator. The reason was because there is hardly any room for air to circulate around my RV refrigerator like it does in my house. I totally blocked off the vent in the roof.

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Old 10-29-2021, 09:36 AM   #7
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The answer is: It depends. Different refrigerators vent in different ways. It also depends on how you install the new refrigerator and the conditions you'll be using it. If the refrigerator you are considering has coils on the back and cools by convection, keeping the vents at least partly open will help. If you must leave the vent open for your install, you'll want to seal around the front just like the factory refer to keep exterior air from entering your living space or warm air from your kitchen going out.

Check the owner's manual for required clearances. When I swapped out our Norcold for a Fisher & Paykel I sealed up both vents but left the lower one as removeable since that's where the compressor and coils are should I need to clean them. This model has a split compressor compartment on the lower back, which draws ambient air in one side and exhausts warm out the other side. I also sealed the vents because I left the gap around the front of the cabinet. The old Norcold was sealed and the new refrigerator left about a 1" gap around the front of the cabinet on the sides. I painted the interior of the cabinet black and left the gap untrimmed. I also installed it in such a way that I have a gap at the top and fashioned a grill. This assured two things. One, that the air was pretty free to move around the unit AND no cold air from outside could enter our living area from the refrigerator cabinet. The gap and vent at the top gives any rising warm air a place to go. Two, residential refrigerators are designed to be used in conditioned spaces and there "may" be an issue if the compressor is exposed to freezing temps. Closing the vents, and leaving a gap, addresses both of these possible problems. No outside air can blow in, and I have good circulation around my fridge. When installing, I did leave the rear cover off the compressor compartment after insuring it wasn't needed for correct airflow because there's no way to remove the cover once the refrigerator is in place.

The gap at the top also allowed me to get my arms in there after installation to secure the tops of the refrigerator. I'd screwed strapping to the frame of the upper vent and after pushing the refrigerator in place, removed a couple top hinge screws and re-installed through the straps. I'd removed the wheels and leveling feet and run bolts up through the platform and into the threaded holes where the leveling feet went. I didn't want any chance it could tip or move. It's in there solid!

Note, the lower vent isn't for the refrigerator, I have a heat register there that blows out from under the refrigerator. Had to lower the factory refer platform to fit the taller residential unit, and to get it as low as possible so my wife could reach the back of the upper shelves - build a custom cover to match the upper one.
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Old 10-29-2021, 10:33 AM   #8
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Thanks guys I looked at the clearance requirements. Correct on the sides and double the requirements for the back I think I'm going to cut a plug and mount it to the inside of the removable trailer grill and see how it goes. thanks again to everyone
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Old 10-29-2021, 02:40 PM   #9
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Residential fridges are designed to vent into the interior of the building. Seal off the outside vents so that hot/cold air, bugs, and critters can't enter your RV through them.

I suggest making that seal removable.

You can't fully seal around the fridge because that would block its air flow, which is near always under the fridge and up the back, then forward out over the top. It won't be effective trying to suck air from outside.
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Old 10-30-2021, 04:13 AM   #10
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I'd be curious to see how the RV manufacturers handle it. They probably just stick the refer is a hole and call it done based on recent quality control.
Anybody looked?
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Old 10-30-2021, 05:39 AM   #11
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I did the same as Gary recommends.

If I left the rear and roof vents open, and sealed the front of the refrigerator cabinet, the refrigerator would be exposed to freezing temperatures (at times). Manufacturer says not to do this.

If I left one or both of the vents open, and did not seal the front of the cabinet, then I'd get cold/hot air intrusion/loss from the coach interior, and also bugs.

If I closed off the vents, and did not seal the front of the cabinet, it meets the manufacturer's recommendations- but has two problems:

1) it heats the refrigerator cavity, reducing the effciency of the cooling coils (the refrigerator model I installed has its coils in the sidewalls and no exterior coil fan, so side clearances are crucial, and mine are under the recommended value), and

2) what heat does escape the cavity exhausts into the coach. This is not a problem when it's cold out, but is a problem when running the air conditioning.

There is a solution for that- make a moveable damper for the upper vent, to be opened when it's hot outside, but not so much that most of the cooled, conditioned air goes out that way. I thought this up after I had already sealed the upper vent; if the refrigerator ever comes out, I might install such a damper.

There is no single answer, I'm afraid. Installing an absorption refrigerator is more straightforward.
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Old 10-30-2021, 12:11 PM   #12
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The only drawback to sealing the outer vents is that the waste heat dumps back inside the RV, increasing the a/c load somewhat in hot weather (in cold weather, that drawback becomes an advantage). And that's not a big deal because modern Energy Star fridges don't waste a lot of heat. Even non-Star models meet much higher efficiency standards than a decade ago.
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Old 10-30-2021, 04:37 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer View Post
The only drawback to sealing the outer vents is that the waste heat dumps back inside the RV, increasing the a/c load somewhat in hot weather (in cold weather, that drawback becomes an advantage). And that's not a big deal because modern Energy Star fridges don't waste a lot of heat. Even non-Star models meet much higher efficiency standards than a decade ago.
I read about this issue before doing the swap and worried about it a bit but found it to be exactly as Gary describes. My refrigerator does vent to the the living space, but I've put the hand at the vent above the refrigerator when it's been running and barely feel any warm air. Refrigerator doesn't run much either so this added slight warmth doesn't last long.

You have to remember that when loaded and fully cooled down, depending on the temperature differential of the built in thermostat, the refer doesn't need to dump very many BTUs to the outside to maintain the set temperature. I'm sure this is why I can barely feel any warmth from mine when it's running.

From what I've read from others who have done the conversion, some leave the vents at least partly open, and others like me do not. Some refrigerators are more tolerant of cold temps, others are not. From what I understand, the big issue with cold is the oil in the compressor thickens which can cause compressor failures or shorten their life. But then some people argue that so does bouncing down the road while running.

Who knows what long term failure data will show since residential refrigerators in RVs haven't been very common.
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