6.7 Fridge Leaking Cold Air!!! - Page 9 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
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Old 09-02-2014, 05:44 PM   #161
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Hi: markvt... Confirms my findings only more scientific. The flue behind the fridge is hot to the roof. That space on a dewy morning is always dry... so it's working as it should.
The bottom right corner of the door leaked a lot. I plugged the hole in the door and I have now added a strip of peal n stick foam along the bottom of the fridge cavity, behind the screwed on wood strip, to help with air intrusion from out side under the fridge. Doing all I can to stem the flow of cold air!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
Hi Alf,
At the time these IR picture where taking my trailer was in 100% shade with the ambient temperature at 79 F . If you look at the target cross hairs you have 79 F inlet air and at the middle target cross hair you are already at 90.7 F then at the top cross hair you are at 101 F.
From what I see in these picture is there no way the Dometic 6.7 refrigerator will ever really work right unless you can lower the flue temperature down to at lest the ambient air temperature. I do not have the Texas fan option because I was told that you do not need it if you live in the North. I can tell you now that is 100% wrong these refrigerator should came standard with the Texas fan option. I am not blaming ETI I am just saying that now that we know there is a ventalation problem I would not sale any fridge with out fans installed on them.
Mark
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Old 09-02-2014, 05:53 PM   #162
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Hi Alf,
At the time these IR picture where taking my trailer was in 100% shade with the ambient temperature at 79 F . If you look at the target cross hairs you have 79 F inlet air and at the middle target cross hair you are already at 90.7 F then at the top cross hair you are at 101 F.
From what I see in these picture is there no way the Dometic 6.7 refrigerator will ever really work right unless you can lower the flue temperature down to at lest the ambient air temperature. I do not have the Texas fan option because I was told that you do not need it if you live in the North. I can tell you now that is 100% wrong these refrigerator should came standard with the Texas fan option. I am not blaming ETI I am just saying that now that we know there is a ventalation problem I would not sale any fridge with out fans installed on them.
Mark
Exactly my thoughts. Have to move air across the backside to lower the temps there if there is any hope to extract more heat from inside the fridge........going to join in the experiments soon - pick up our 21 on in 2 days!!
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Old 09-02-2014, 06:50 PM   #163
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I had the Texas Fan option added to Ten Forward. Mainly because I didn't know WHERE I'd be camping 3 years from now and wanted to make certain I had everything setup for heat. I can see now, I made the right decision.
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Old 09-02-2014, 06:53 PM   #164
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I had the Texas Fan option added to Ten Forward. Mainly because I didn't know WHERE I'd be camping 3 years from now and wanted to make certain I had everything setup for heat. I can see now, I made the right decision.
Most likely you did. I'll have to invent an Oregon Shroud to channel airflow across the fins. Along with your stove topper if you ever send me the dimensions............
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Old 09-02-2014, 07:00 PM   #165
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We worked with Tammy a couple of weeks ago to finalize our build list. At that time, at least for the 21, the Texas fan was no longer an option -- it's standard.

Can't wait until mid-November so we can begin testing our fridge... :-)
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Old 09-02-2014, 07:16 PM   #166
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We worked with Tammy a couple of weeks ago to finalize our build list. At that time, at least for the 21, the Texas fan was no longer an option -- it's standard.

Can't wait until mid-November so we can begin testing our fridge... :-)
Pick our 21 up Thursday - hope ours got included with making the fan standard!
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Old 09-02-2014, 07:20 PM   #167
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I'm hoping they can retro fit the early 21' owners who do not have the fans.
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Old 09-02-2014, 07:39 PM   #168
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The fan, baffle, and insulation mods are interesting and may assist the heat exchange. But, IF the heat engine of the subnormal Dometic is insufficent, the refer may never be able to adequately cool above 85 degrees F.
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Old 09-02-2014, 07:49 PM   #169
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I'm hoping they can retro fit the early 21' owners who do not have the fans.
Jim,
I talked with ETI three time now by phone about retro Texas fan kits for my trailer .I was told by ETI each time that they where putting together a retro kit that we could purchase. But I still have not heard back from them .Maybe if some else calls or emails them about retro kits it might help.
Mark
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Old 09-02-2014, 07:53 PM   #170
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The fan, baffle, and insulation mods are interesting and may assist the heat exchange. But, IF the heat engine of the subnormal Dometic is insufficent, the refer may never be able to adequately cool above 85 degrees F.
Spot on. You can make SN fridges work better with fans, but when the ambient temps are high, all bets are off.
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Old 09-02-2014, 08:00 PM   #171
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The fan, baffle, and insulation mods are interesting and may assist the heat exchange. But, IF the heat engine of the subnormal Dometic is insufficent, the refer may never be able to adequately cool above 85 degrees F.
Bob,
I feel that I am behind the eight ball with my Dometic Fridge and anything I can do to make it work better with in reason I have to give it a try.
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Old 09-02-2014, 08:24 PM   #172
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Bob,
I feel that I am behind the eight ball with my Dometic Fridge and anything I can do to make it work better with in reason I have to give it a try.
I really do admire and appreciate the inovation that members have contributed as a possible resolution to the refer cooling problems. Several strategies have resulted in increased efficency.
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Old 09-02-2014, 11:17 PM   #173
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Nice reports markvt! The visuals are excellent. Thank you.

For those who are looking for things to raise the efficiency of their 8 series (6.7 is a 8555) refrigerator check the screws in the fins holding it to the back plate units. I was moving my thermistor mount and found the screw loose. Then I checked all screws in the refrig and freezer and found some as loose as 1 + turns.

They are like a sheet metal screw, which surprised me, so my guess is the expansion and contraction is loosening them. A fine thread bolt (like I am familiar with on heat sinks) would provide a more positive mechanical connection and improved heat transfer.

Overall the 6.7 is a lovely looking refrigerator and is working like a refrigerator designed for a Climate Class SN environment. I've been told that above 77 degrees F the power should be on 5 bars. If that doesn't keep the refrigerator below 40 F then pull the freezer.

I have tested thermistors, fans, leak testing, etc. and will just hope a better solution presents itself prior to our planned trip south next year. Or we'll just look for a block of ice every few days like we did in the good old days : )
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Old 09-02-2014, 11:42 PM   #174
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.....Or we'll just look for a block of ice every few days like we did in the good old days : )
Block ice is kinda my thoughts. Crap... I've done the cooler thing for years, if I need to do the same kinda thing a month or two out of 12 months and everything else is perfect... I can do it! A refer not working like my sticks 'n brick gigantic home unit.... so what? YMMV
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Old 09-03-2014, 08:04 AM   #175
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Block ice is kinda my thoughts. Crap... I've done the cooler thing for years, if I need to do the same kinda thing a month or two out of 12 months and everything else is perfect... I can do it! A refer not working like my sticks 'n brick gigantic home unit.... so what? YMMV
That don't work for everyone. That might be Ok for someone living in the Northwest or Canada but when you live in the south hauling ice and coolers is not going to cut it. We camp 9-10 months a year. The answer is not to just carry a cooler. I have not carried a cooler since I moved up from tents to campers 20 years ago. I dont even own a cooler and dont want one. Also not everyone has room to haul coolers.

I have never had problems with fridges like this in 20 years of camping in campers where you have do mods just to try to keep the fridge cool. Yes I know its all over the forums and internet about fridge problems but half those people don't know how to use an absorption fridge anyway.

Bottom line is Dometic blew it on this 8 series. Thank goodness for Reace pushing them to get something resolved or we would be sitting here trying to fight them on a one on one basis.

I know a bit about refrigeration as I have been in the trade 40 years and worked for a company in my younger days that was a certified Dometic and Norcold dealer working on boats in So. Florida. If you can make them cool in So. Florida you can make them cool in Tennessee or Texas if they are designed to do it.

I will get off my soapbox now but when when you have pulled the fridge several times working on it, have over 50 hours invested in it, and spent a small fortune on mods trying different things because Dometic is useless for help, sometimes you get tired of being told its all good and to just carry a cooler.

Again, Thanks goodness for Reace's help!!
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Old 09-03-2014, 09:31 AM   #176
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If you have room for a soap box , you must have room for a cooler. :
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Old 09-03-2014, 10:06 AM   #177
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I agree with you Tom, the performance of these refrigerators is not 'a joke' they are simply unacceptable and many of us have spent much time and effort to try to find a solution.

My reference to going back to block ice was an attempt at sarcasm.... Surprised anyone would see it as an option. Irma is very upset with the time and money I have spent 'fooling around' with the frig. And she will not be a happy camper if Isay ' time to move the food into the ice chests Honey ' ... ' oh it's cooler now we can move it back to the frig' ... 'Whoops it's warmer then forecast let's move the food'...

Mel
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Old 09-03-2014, 12:13 PM   #178
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Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
Block ice is kinda my thoughts. Crap... I've done the cooler thing for years, if I need to do the same kinda thing a month or two out of 12 months and everything else is perfect... I can do it! A refer not working like my sticks 'n brick gigantic home unit.... so what? YMMV
I like donna's idea of block ice. I just bought a Yeti 45 Q to use when the ambient temperature is above 100F.

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Old 09-03-2014, 12:27 PM   #179
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Originally Posted by Kountrykamper View Post

I will get off my soapbox now but when when you have pulled the fridge several times working on it, have over 50 hours invested in it, and spent a small fortune on mods trying different things because Dometic is useless for help, sometimes you get tired of being told its all good and to just carry a cooler.

Again, Thanks goodness for Reace's help!!
Tom, I sympathize with your feelings. It is frustrating that we all have not heard any responses from Dometic corp.

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Old 09-03-2014, 12:43 PM   #180
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I've been working on thermistor modifications and received this from a company selling after market refrig 'help' parts, check out their website if interested:
--------------
Hello, Mel
What you are running into is a limitation of the cooling unit, not a problem with the controls. You can try adding a set of exhaust fans to help circulate air past the cooling unit coils. That should help in warmer weather.

Thank you, and kindest regards,

Christopher Clark
Sales and Tech. Support
Dinosaur Electronics
1160 SE 27th Street
Lincoln City, Oregon 97367
(541) 994-4344
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