RV Refrigerator Not Cooling Properly | RV Refrigerator Troubleshooting
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- About a year and a half ago, we noticed our RV refrigerator not cooling properly. Through some research, we discovered an RV refrigerator located in the slide-out of an RV can struggle to cool properly due to lack of air space between the refrigerator and the RV wall. We found a post on an RV forum that stated Grand Design techs removed a shroud behind the top panel of the refrigerator to allow excess heat to escape. We made this mod to our RV refrigerator and it began cooling properly and the temperature stayed much more consistent! More recently, we noticed our refrigerator fans running much more than usual and the temperature staying higher than normal. After some investigating, I discovered 2 of the 4 RV refrigerator fans were not working! I ordered new fans but could not find one with the correct connector, meaning I would need to change the connector from the old fans to the new ones. In this video, we will show you the mod we did over a year ago to get more consistent cooling from our RV refrigerator and how we repaired the RV refrigerator fans!
Below is the link to the RV refrigerator fans we ordered, they work great!
RV refrigerator fans: amzn.to/3diw3aW
Chapters:
0:00 RV Refrigerator Mod #1
3:00 Our Next RV Refrigerator Cooling Problem
3:57 How To Change RV Refrigerator Fans (EASY!)
11:41 Let's Wrap This Up!
Great video!
We have a 2019 28bh. I’ve added 2 valterra fans in the outside at the bottom vent blowing up. Also replaced the OEM fans with three 6” much quieter fans in the top vent blowing out to remove heat. All of that along with adding a slide topper has helped to keep our fridge cold. Now it swings between 33 in the morning and 38-40 in the heat of the day.
Eventually I will pull the fridge and insulated the cabinet.
I can definitely see where the fans blowing up would help along with a slide topper. Thanks for watching!
Another good video! I have looked into removing the shroud behind the top of our refrigerator before, I think we saw it on Pippi Petersens channel, but never did. Also was going to add a fan to the bottom but realized the receptacle behind the frig only has one place to plug in. The other one is blocked off. The same with the outlet for our outside mini frig. I think we will wait until we start having issues and then pursue it. This weekend we had record highs here in Washington, temps over 100, and luckily the frig has been doing fine. Oh, we did change out our toilet with the one you suggested and it is a lot better. Big improvement! Thanks for that video as well! Really easy installation. See you down the road! Chris and Barbara
I noticed the same think regarding the outlets! Thought about adding a fan at the bottom but really, the fridge does fine as is. It didn’t run any cooler overall after removing the upper panel, just seems to hold a more steady temp overall. Glad the toilet video was helpful! As always, thank you so much for watching!
We love DIY! It saves you sooooo much money. Great job with the repair!
I couldn’t imagine struggling with getting in to a dealer these days for a repair I could do myself! Thank you and thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors isn’t that the truth!
Thank you! our fridge has been pretty good and just today started creeping up. We checked all the normal stuff then went to CZcams. Your video was super helpful! we have a broken fan! We of course are in the keys but it can be here by Monday. That stupid shroud is right in the way of course. We seem to get a lot of heat in the cabinet above the fridge and realized we had no baffle above so we insulated between the overhead cabinet and fridge from the outside and used some furnace tape and reflectix on inside of cabinet but did little it seems. We also installed fans at the bottom pulling in cool air for the summer. We are going to need to remove the shroud to install the fan (we only have 2 but we ordered a extra to see if we can fit 3 and if not we will keep for a spare) just wondering if you have a link or anything to the post that you said the grand design techs removed a shroud behind the top panel of the refrigerator to allow excess heat to escape. We have to remove it regardless so I guess we can see if there is a difference in temp before we put it back on. Thanks for any info and thanks for a great video!!!
You’re welcome! I found the info regarding what the Grand Design techs were doing on the Grand Design owners forum through a link someone else posted on the Reflection Owners FB page. Our refrigerator performed much more consistently having the baffle removed. The extra fans you’re adding will make a big difference! Glad the video was helpful and thank you for watching!
A few tips i would have to augment what u have said. Would b to:
1. Remount the fans closer to the bottom of the condenser coil.
2. Clean the condenser cool.
3. Clean and brush the flue.
Ur refer will kick ass if u do all this.
Thanks for the tips!
My fridge can’t even get below 50. Yesterday it was 50° the first day being on. Sometimes like today just doing a test run it’s hitting 60. It’s working and cooling and even forming ice in the cooler but the fridge won’t cool for nothing. I checked for level and only 1° out. Checked the thermistor sensor last year and it all checked good. It’s been a pain since it was brand new and I’m stuck relying on a cooler or paying a ton for a new fridge.
Have you checked the fans on the outside?
@@JouppiOutdoors yes the fans have been running and we’re running that day when it hit 60. Oddly when I got home from that trip my fans would no longer run even though they were at the campground. If I bypassed the thermal switch they would run. This is a new issue but I think my cooling issue is most likely a restriction or blockage in the cooling system. It never has cooled well and has always struggled to even hit 40’s even in 20-30° weather. I’m going to maybe throw a new thermal switch and fan and thermister on just to try and fix that issue plus they are cheap but I’ll have to try and find a pro to figure out the rest. If it’s an expensive restriction issue I may see what they will charge to just yank this POS out and swap something else in its place.
I also found out from my neighbor that had the same issue the issue maybe be the crystallization inside the cooling system clogging things up. They were told by their repair man the issue is from shutting the fridge off during storage. My neighbor never had anymore issues after that. He claimed you need to leave it running 24/7 to prevent it. Not sure how true that is but I’d like to talk to a repair man directly to see what they say.
Thank you very much for doing this. I also have a 2019 Grand design different model trailer but looks like the same refrigerator and the same exact problems so I think this is what I will be doing.
You’re welcome! These refrigerators can be pretty aggravating. Hopefully this takes care of your issues! Thanks for watching!
Norcold 1200 not cooling at all in fridge and barely any temp difference in freezer. Gonna cut out top panel like you did and hopefully the fans will be right there! Its been 107 here in Texas and the fridge stopped working last week (when it was Only 102😂)(been that hot for weeks though...). Already bought fans.... Here's to hoping i stay cool enough doing this fix!! Oh, and that it works!!!! BTW, this is the only video I've found that addresses removing the panel at the back to do the repair. I totally understand its purpose, but it's fricking HOT here -- and im sure the panel isnt doing its job right now !!!! Thanks!
In THEORY….the panel would keep the air moving across the fins, but these are pretty small fans and don’t have the velocity to do the intended job. Removing the panel and making sure all the fans are operating has helped tremendously! Thanks for watching and good luck!
@JouppiOutdoors yep. I agree. Been reading up on the Norcold 1200 and it's theoretical reasoning for the panel. It makes sense, and I totally agree with you on the size of the fans.... Doh! Of course, it doesn't help that it's been over 100 for a couple of weeks! The past week, 104-107.... Even with this rv under an awning (being lived in permanently), it's still hot.... Gonna snip the panel in the morning and change out the fans -- and maybe put in some extras at the bottom. We'll see! Thanks for your help, validation, and support.
You’re welcome!
@@JouppiOutdoors Have you ever used a Snip-The-Tip thermistor to replace a regular thermistor?? Do you suggest just replacing like with like?
Same issue here. I believe one or more fans have failed ( or possibly the thermostat that controls them ) how can I determine if it is in fact the fans and not the thermostat that has failed since they are not on all the time? Any way to bypass the thermostat to test the fans? Thanks!
The fans should all be on or all be off. If some are running and some are not, the fan is bad. You can hook the fan to a 12 volt power source to see if it runs or not. Thanks for watching!
I removed the shroud a day ago. Now not enough heat to turn fans on. all my fans were still working. Do I hot wire the fans to run all the time?
If there’s not enough heat for the fans to run, the fridge should be staying cool.
@@JouppiOutdoors I think you are correct!! I tested the theory jumped the two wires left fans on 24/7 and the temp went up 6 degrees according to the readout.
Can you refer the post from grand design? I noticed that I have a wood panel where you had the metal panel. I would like to confirm with Grand design before I cut out that panel. I have seen other youtub's videos where they add a panel there to direct the flow up to the fins.
I do not recall which Grand Design forum I read that in. I believe I searched on the Grand Design Owners Forum. The panel is designed in theory to direct airflow over the fins, but in reality, the hot air cannot escape the compartment with the top louver closed off. Thanks for watching!
You didn't have to cut the wires and use wire nuts and tape. On each of the plugs there is a tab on the back end that can be lifted up and it will release the wire from the plug. The wires will have a connector fixed to the end of the wire. Just remember where each wire (red and black) goes. Once all the wires are out, insert the wires for the new fan into the old plug. They will just snap right in and lock in place.
You are correct, I elected to cut the wires to avoid damaging the plug by trying to remove them. Thanks for sharing this info for those that may want to go this route vs cutting the wires. Thanks for watching!
Are the fans supposed to run all the time?
No, the fans run when needed depending on the setting of the refrigerator.
Thank you, I will trouble shoot mine tomorrow.
You’re welcome, thanks for watching!
Removing the shroud is contrary to what repairman in My RV Works says to do. He does believe in fans for cooling the coils
I have heard arguments both ways. I was reluctant to remove the shroud until I read on a Grand Design forum that this is what the techs at a Grand Design rally were doing to correct refrigerators that were not cooling. Ours is still performing much better since removing it. Thanks for watching!
You spent whole video doing nothing. Did replacing fans solve your issue completely? I mean removing sheet metal shroud or piece over a vent cover to outside wall seemed like a design flaw. You would think hole that big would vent well enough but if there is no breeze, the 2 alone fans should be enough; that is a lot of current drain on bats.
Yes, replacing the two inoperative fans got the refrigerator temperature back down to where it typically runs (34-38 degrees depending on outside temperature). The fans only draw around 3 amps total and since they aren’t running all the time, it’s not a tremendous drain on the batteries. Thanks for watching!