A trick to Norcold fridges

[km1125]

I've been playing around with my fridge recently. It run pretty good, but not great, so I was thinking of some mods to make to help it work better.

First, I insulated the cabinet. I probably need some drawings to illustrate this better, but the stock enclosure on my boat (83 3607) leaves about one inch of dead space around the left and right sides and about 1.25 inches above the top. This is behind the teak trim, which is cut to just barely fit the fridge. On the right side of the fridge, Carver installed a 2"x10" vent, so the heat rising from the compressor and condenser would travel up the back and around the right side and out the vent. A couple years ago I put an exhaust fan in the compartment right above the back of the fridge, so this side vent was not doing anything. I'm theorizing that the hot air that gets trapped on both sides and top of the fridge also conducts itself into the fridge through the insulation, so I put a couple layers of some foil-sided bubblepack on the top and both sides. It's not a lot of insulation but keeping the hot air out has to help.

I also improved the flow to my exit fan. There was a smaller opening in a shelf that I was able to open up a couple inches.

The other thing I realized is that you can trick the fridge to stay in cooling mode longer if you keep cold food AWAY from the temperature sensor on the evaporator. I also took a room temperature "blue ice" pack and put it right on that sensor and the freezer would get down to 0 degrees F and stay there until that blue ice pack froze. That also allowed the fridge to get a few degrees cooler too.. down to about 35.. the lower shelf was still about 40 though. This is even with a cabin temperature of about 80 degrees F. If I ever get air conditioning installed that fridge would probably be just fine even on the low shelf!

[Viper]

Good tricks. Do you have a circulation fan inside the fridge? They help even out temps throughout the inside.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=camco+refrigerator+circulation+fan&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixgqq_ltzbAhVmxYMKHUp3D-kQ_AUICygC&biw=1229&bih=616#imgrc=VHppQN5F2JA67M:

https://www.mzuriproducts.com/rv-refrigerator-circulating-fan/

[km1125]

Source of the post Good tricks. Do you have a circulation fan inside the fridge? They help even out temps throughout the inside.

I don't yet but that is one of my other goals. The ones that are out there have some pretty terrible reviews. I bought a couple little muffin fans I was going to try out as I am sure some circulation would help too.

[km1125]

Where's the best place to put an interior fridge fan?? Looking at what's available on the market, most don't have good reviews. I bought a couple different fans to try but thinking of different places to mount inside. Seems like you're really want some kind of plenum from the bottom of the fridge blowing up to the 'exit' half of the evaporator to get the best efficiency and most consistent cooling, but a plenum from bottom top would also eat up some real estate in the fridge. Some of the online comments show them just putting the fan on one of the middle shelves but it seems like you'd need to keep space all around it to give it any chance of circulation.

What do you think? Any of you use them?

[390Express]

My cockpit fridge stopped working. It's been 90+ out for the last week. The LED by the temp setting flickers now, and the fridge is luke warm. Still seems like it wants to run, but obviously isn't. Could it be low on freon? Is there some sensor on it that shuts off if it works too hard, or if it's too hot out? I only had it set at 2, I just keep water in that fridge (it's small, holds about 2 cases of beer packed solid).

Also, the fridge is mounted in the cockpit, exposed to the elements. It is obviously wet beneath the bottom shelf and seemingly no way to get the water out. Should I pull the fridge, and reseal it? I'm not entirely sure how water is getting back there. There is a small vent there, and with the temp, you'd think it would dry out. Any ideas?

[Jbullock1960]

I am looking for replacement galley refrigerator for my 356 carver Aft cabin any suggestions?

[Jbullock1960]

Source of the post I am looking for replacement galley refrigerator for my 356 carver Aft cabin any suggestions?