Help! Any way to slow down the frost/ice build up in fridge?

[coachmac9]

Seems like I read on one of the threads about a small fan to help keep the frost from forming and help with cooling...was I just dreaming or is there such a thing? The de-icing is a real pain in the rear. Fridge works great other than that.

[Chalkie]

I have used the item below and while I do think it helps it is also a little noisy and eats batteries. I have been examining using a 12v muffin fan as a more permanent option. Also, if you are in a humid climate you need to limit how often you open and close the doors if possible.

 

https://smile.amazon.com/Valterra-A10-2606-FridgeCool-11-28-Switch/dp/B002N5W8Q4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479310080&sr=8-2&keywords=rv+refrigerator+fan

[Yarome]

Seems like I read on one of the threads about a small fan

 

Sure sure. Here's what you want. Scroll down to the dual fan units. There are a couple of variations. The basic, the deluxe w/screen and manual switch, and the deluxe with manual switches w/blue LED lighting. They are only $1or2 difference and the Deluxe model has a basic screen to keep your frozen peas out of the fan blades and the manual switch. $18.75 + around $4 for shipping. The LED unit goes for around $21. Supposedly the blue light helps to further prevent frost, but I've been running the "standard" deluxe w/switch for years and just the added circulation has kept me frost free. Not too mention MUCH improved cooling.

 

He also sells through eBay under the user name dforce1029. Don't confuse the knock-offs. His units use larger ball bearing fans.

 

While you're at it.. another great reefer mod is the snipatip thermistor kit. It's much more reliable/accurate than the fin slide. This guy sells through eBay as well, but for a couple bucks more. This guy also sells through eBay, but it will cost $2 more to cover eBay fees.

[I'mdonewiththis forum]

Why is your fridge icing up so much? Also, where is it icing? There may be some other type of repair that may be more appropriate.

[Yarome]

Why is your fridge icing up so much?

 

Just the nature of the beast. Maybe it's not as much of an issue in drier climates or if they aren't in full time use.. maybe.. but before installing the above I generally had to defrost the fins every 3-4 months. The build up would just get to be too much and it wouldn't cool properly.

[Dutch_12078]

We used two of the dual fan units mounted side by side on our previous Norcold fridge coils, and never had to defrost the coils at all, just the freezer occasionally. We've since switched to a frost free residential fridge that didn't need any additional fans. I powered the fans with a wire routed through the defrost drain hose and connected to the PC board wiring at the back. The fans switched on and off with the fridge or via a switch mounted on one of the fan panels.

[I'mdonewiththis forum]

It seems to me that there should be enough time between cycles to defrost the fins. I dunno. My fridge has been on and running since the middle of July and I have been in 14 states in the mid west and no problem. Maybe mine is broke..........

[EagleEye]

We've used the dual fan unit for several years the fins don't ice up any more and the temperature is more even.

[lenp]

Are your door gaskets sealing good? if not you could be allowing moisture to enter. Use the old dollar bill test in the door and make sure it is firmly gripped when the door is shut - do it all around the door.

 

Lenp

[Kirk W]

You are probably thinking of the fans Chalkie suggests, but those mostly distribute the cooling around the interior of the chill box to prevent warm and cool spots inside. We always kept one of the battery fans in the bottom of ours to help with that but it really don't do much to prevent ice forming inside on the cooling coils.

 

Those other fans suggested to go into the outside part of a refrigerator will improve cooling in most cases, but do nothing at all for your icing problem, other than possibly make it worse since it will cool more. Icing inside comes from the condensation on the cooling coils and that happens normally in any refrigerator but home units have a defrost cycle that is either missing or very limited with RV refrigerators because of the much slower cooling ability of an absorption unit. The cause of this can be poor door seals or moisture from foods but there are several things that can be done to help.The first thing is to always allow foods to be at room temperature before they are placed into the refrigerator. Cooked food that has not yet cooled will increase the interior humidity a lot. Sealing all foods into a zip lock bag before refrigerating also helps, especially for left-overs.

 

The problem is much greater when in areas of high humidity and limiting the frequency and length of time the door is open will help. Your refrigerator also has a catch tray with a drain line out the back which is there to collect the condensation and allow it to exit the refrigerator. If that line is plugged up, the tray will fill with water and the ice will build up more quickly. If the drain line is too open it can allow warm air to rise up through it and into the coils and make the icing worse. Before you start adding parts and such, make sure that your drain system is working properly to allow a small amount of water out, and limit air into the box. If you look into the back of the refrigerator you can see the plastic tube that drains and inside the tray it empties. In most refrigerators that tray is removable for cleaning but the hose comes off and must be reattached.

 

Door seals can also cause this problem and pooling cool air is a factor so look at those as well.

[mptjelgin]

Those other fans suggested to go into the outside part of a refrigerator will improve cooling in most cases, but do nothing at all for your icing problem, other than possibly make it worse since it will cool more.

 

 

 

Kirk-

 

You might want to take a look at the link that Yarome provided. These are in fact fans that attach to the inside cooling fins of the refrigerator and circulate air inside of the unit. They are much more effective than the little D-cell battery fans that Chalkie referenced.

[Dutch_12078]

This is the type of fin mounted fan that works well for keeping ice from building up on the fins in high humidity conditions, as well as circulating the air in the box for more even cooling. I installed two sets for a total of four fans on our previous Norcold fridge.

 

[coachmac9]

Thanks guys, that's exactly what I was looking for!

[Ray,IN]

No cost things you can do to reduce frost accumulation. Yes, test the door seals with a dollar bill, if you have to pull it out the seal is good, if it comes out will little resistance either the seal is bad or it need thoroughly cleaned.

Educate your family, you don't open the door until you know what you are getting out of the frig. These absorption units are slow to recover when the door is opened and the cold air dumps out, to be replaced with warm humid air.

Do not place warm/hot food in the frig, wait until it cools, this way you aren't adding as much heat and moisture to the frig.

Make sure the frig chimney(and back of frig) is clear of dirt and is constructed per the frig mfgr instructions. You'd be surprised at how many RV refrigerators are improperly installed at the factory. No, this does not directly cause frost, but it does cause the cooling unit to run more frequently, which does encourage frost. How long since the frig was cleaned and serviced?

[RBH]

Bought a couple of muffin fans from radio shack and mounted them on the inside fin area with high strength double back tape. Ran a wire thru the drain tube to power them. No more ice buildup at all and much better cooing circulation. The fans have been running continuously for several years. This is on a Norcold unit.

[LFDR3116]

We put a dry dishcloth at the corner of the drain try to block the warm humid air that can come in from the outside. We were in 90+ humid air for most of the summer, and it did help. I would say it was 3 mo, instead of 2 mo intervals for defrosting. We replaced the circuit board a few years ago, and I don't think the new board ( dinosaur electronics) has the "defrost" cycle like our old one did. I never notice it in a defrost mode anymore like I used to . I wasn't worried about the drain being plugged as the drip tray in the outside is so small is can't catch much water before overflowing and, there is only going to be water when I do a defrost. We are full-time, so frig is always running.

[Ray,IN]

We put a dry dishcloth at the corner of the drain try to block the warm humid air that can come in from the outside. We were in 90+ humid air for most of the summer, and it did help. I would say it was 3 mo, instead of 2 mo intervals for defrosting. We replaced the circuit board a few years ago, and I don't think the new board ( dinosaur electronics) has the "defrost" cycle like our old one did. I never notice it in a defrost mode anymore like I used to . I wasn't worried about the drain being plugged as the drip tray in the outside is so small is can't catch much water before overflowing and, there is only going to be water when I do a defrost. We are full-time, so frig is always running.

There should be no warm air entering your frig unless you open the door. The drain line is designed to be routed into the condensate pan/drip pan next to the heating elements which evaporate the condensate. This effectively blocks warm air, insects, and dirt from entering via the drain tube because it's submerged in condensate.

Some folks move the drain tube so it drains outside the RV, but exposes the end to the air. Best of my knowledge, all RV refrigerators are designed with a condensate pan.

[Pat & Pete]

There should be no warm air entering your frig unless you open the door. The drain line is designed to be routed into the condensate pan/drip pan next to the heating elements which evaporate the condensate. This effectively blocks warm air, insects, and dirt from entering via the drain tube because it's submerged in condensate.

Some folks move the drain tube so it drains outside the RV, but exposes the end to the air. Best of my knowledge, all RV refrigerators are designed with a condensate pan.

 

That^ is true , when there's condensate to be submerged in . I've seen the pan dry more than once .

[Ray,IN]

 

That^ is true , when there's condensate to be submerged in . I've seen the pan dry more than once .

[Kirk W]

There should be no warm air entering your frig unless you open the door. The drain line is designed to be routed into the condensate pan/drip pan next to the heating elements which evaporate the condensate. This effectively blocks warm air, insects, and dirt from entering via the drain tube because it's submerged in condensate.

Some folks move the drain tube so it drains outside the RV, but exposes the end to the air. Best of my knowledge, all RV refrigerators are designed with a condensate pan.

 

Some of them use a catch pan near the heat source to evaporate the condensate while others extend the drip hose out through the vents of the access panel. I often see both ways. In either one there should be a restriction in the hose to limit the ability of air to rise up through the hose into the refrigerator. Some crimp the hose with a partial heat seal, some of a plug with a small hole for water to drip out and there are other ways. Any of these can become plugged up and cause icing to be worse or if someone removes the restriction for some reason, they then open a direct air line into the cooling fin area. I had one case where the tube became brittle and broke and the symptom was rapid icing of the fins. Replacing that tube solved the problem. I have also seen cases where the drain was plugged up.