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Old 08-22-2014, 09:24 AM   #1
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6.7 Fridge Leaking Cold Air!!!

Hi: All fridge fans & non fans alike...
I just went out to get ready to fill the fridge for a week long trip. I discovered with the MaxxFan running to cool the trailer a lot of cold air leaking from the bottom right corner of the fridge door. To my surprise the door is reversable, but no plugs in the opening for the door release push button...if the door were to be reversed!!!
The MaxxFan was pulling a strong stream of cold out of the fridge door causing the temp to be 42* on 3 bars. Not Good!!! I'm now looking for some foam to cut and fill with, to stop the leakage. I don't know if it means much but with the MaxxFan off the cold air stopped too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
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Old 08-22-2014, 09:59 AM   #2
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I've noticed the same air leakage problem with the 5 cu ft fridge.
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Old 08-22-2014, 11:07 AM   #3
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From the manual. Are the door hinges supported? Sounds flimsy ...

All RM 8xxx fridges are equipped with new door hinges made of metal with a plastic casing (polystyrene). This hinges are not screwed onto the housing anymore, but snap in. Thus it is not necessary anymore to adjust the height. Building in the fridge, please note, that the door hinges have to be supported. Minimum requirement for the supporting surface of the lower hinges is the distance from the housing edge to the outer edges of the hinges with 40mm.
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Old 08-22-2014, 11:11 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by escape artist View Post
Hi: All fridge fans & non fans alike...
I just went out to get ready to fill the fridge for a week long trip. I discovered with the MaxxFan running to cool the trailer a lot of cold air leaking from the bottom right corner of the fridge door. To my surprise the door is reversable, but no plugs in the opening for the door release push button...if the door were to be reversed!!!
The MaxxFan was pulling a strong stream of cold out of the fridge door causing the temp to be 42* on 3 bars. Not Good!!! I'm now looking for some foam to cut and fill with, to stop the leakage. I don't know if it means much but with the MaxxFan off the cold air stopped too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
When we first got our 15 with the 3 cf fridge, the first thing I did was insulate around the fridge AND put foam board behind the control panel AND caulk the entire insert because of air being drawn in around the fridge. It made a HUGE difference in both summer and winter on both the internal temp and fridge performance. I know you said from inside but to have a constant draw from inside wouldn't you also have to have air getting in as well? I think a lot of the draw might be coming from around the fridge as well.
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Old 08-22-2014, 11:21 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by techfan View Post
AND caulk the entire insert
What do you mean here?

I notice a lot of cold air escaping, too, around the top of my 3 CF refer.
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Old 08-22-2014, 12:06 PM   #6
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Here is a link to the service manual

http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/Servi...,%20RM8xxx.pdf
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Old 08-22-2014, 12:16 PM   #7
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Thanks!
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Old 08-22-2014, 01:05 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Klem View Post
Here is a link to the service manual

http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/Servi...,%20RM8xxx.pdf

Not our the current model but the closest thing I have seen.
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Old 08-22-2014, 01:44 PM   #9
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I don't know if it means much but with the MaxxFan off the cold air stopped too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
Did you have a window or vent open when you had the MaxxFan running? Maybe run the Maxxfan blowing in when cooling the trailer overnight? No mention but I wonder if this is related to some of the cooling issues people are having?
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Old 08-22-2014, 01:44 PM   #10
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Quote:
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What do you mean here?

I notice a lot of cold air escaping, too, around the top of my 3 CF refer.
I removed the top control panel and fitted a piece of foil backed foam behind the panel. This was AFTER I had placed fiberglass bats on the sides and top. The fridge is just inserted in a space in the cabinet. I used clear caulk to seal between the cabinet and the fridge edges. I eliminated all air penetration around the fridge and air coming in through the latch area. Turn your fan on high with everything shut and hold a tissue around the fridge and see how much air penetration there is.
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Old 08-22-2014, 02:17 PM   #11
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I'm having trouble following this discussion. Isn't Alf talking about refrigerated air leaking from the interior of the fridge? Air leaking around the outside of the fridge box is something else, right? I'm going to check for both this afternoon, but in our 19 with the 6.7 cu ft fridge, there is a really tight rubber seal around the fridge sides and it's caulked with expanding foam on the bottom. Not sure about the top. Now, back to Alf, I'm really curious about the Maxx fan pulling air out of your fridge unless there is some way for air to go in somewhere else, which would have to be vented outside the camper like pulling air through a window. How is this possible? Not saying it's not happening, but I'm having trouble understanding.
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Old 08-22-2014, 03:12 PM   #12
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One of those infrared thermometers could be used to confirm that it is actually fridge air that is moving as opposed to outside air moving past the fridge door. If air can get out of the fridge then air can get in.
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Old 08-22-2014, 03:25 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker View Post
I'm having trouble following this discussion. Isn't Alf talking about refrigerated air leaking from the interior of the fridge? Air leaking around the outside of the fridge box is something else, right? I'm going to check for both this afternoon, but in our 19 with the 6.7 cu ft fridge, there is a really tight rubber seal around the fridge sides and it's caulked with expanding foam on the bottom. Not sure about the top. Now, back to Alf, I'm really curious about the Maxx fan pulling air out of your fridge unless there is some way for air to go in somewhere else, which would have to be vented outside the camper like pulling air through a window. How is this possible? Not saying it's not happening, but I'm having trouble understanding.
Hi: Parker... While you're checking the fridge door seal... stick your finger in the bottom right corner of the door, where the door handle would insert if the door was to be reversed. Even with the MaxxFan not running there is still cold air leaking from the fridge door...just not as much as with the MaxxFan running. Maybe Dometic should have made a foam rubber insert or plugs of some kind, for this hole!!! No windows were open either. Alf
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Old 08-22-2014, 03:30 PM   #14
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Or if air can get in somewhere like around where the cooling coils are mounted or thermistor wire hole is maybe it can be pulled through the door latch then out these holes?

Parker is looking at his and says the air may be coming in the drain hose. Drain hose is next to the burner. Possible 100+ degree air coming back in. Maybe that's why it don't work as good on propane.


Question is can air get from from the latch area to this hole?

Alf you may have found something!!
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Old 08-22-2014, 03:44 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by Kountrykamper View Post
Or if air can get in somewhere like around where the cooling coils are mounted or thermistor wire hole is maybe it can be pulled through the door latch then out these holes?

Question is can air get from from the latch area to this hole?

Maybe you have found something Alf!!!
Hi: KountryKamper... Just trying to understand this whole issue. I did find a lot of cold air escapes when you depress the door latch and when seated at the dinette and someone opens the fridge door WOW!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
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Old 08-22-2014, 03:49 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by techfan View Post
I removed the top control panel and fitted a piece of foil backed foam behind the panel. This was AFTER I had placed fiberglass bats on the sides and top. The fridge is just inserted in a space in the cabinet. I used clear caulk to seal between the cabinet and the fridge edges. I eliminated all air penetration around the fridge and air coming in through the latch area. Turn your fan on high with everything shut and hold a tissue around the fridge and see how much air penetration there is.
Thank you techfan. So the "insert" is the refer itself.
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Old 08-22-2014, 04:38 PM   #17
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I always crack a window when using the MaxxFan to avoid the negative pressure it can create, but I wonder if the fans inside the refer can create an air flow, I checked and did not find any. I'm sitting at 40/2on #2 setting 80 degrees outside.
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Old 08-22-2014, 04:40 PM   #18
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I just got back from a little tinkering with the Escape, texting back and forth with Tom the entire time, and as you can see we've discovered as possible path for cold air to be pulled out of the fridge. I'm attaching a better picture of the cold air exit that Alf discovered and another of the latch, which is inside the perimeter seal with a lot of clearance around it. So air could be pulled through the defrost drain hole, maybe around the thermistor hole (ours was caulked), and after looking behind the fins the other day, perhaps from that very large area as well. There are two holes visible in the picture. The larger one is blind, but the smaller one opens up into the door. A small piece of duct tape should do the trick. This may not be THE fix, but it's certainly easy to do and may help at least some. Thanks for your observation, Alf!
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Old 08-22-2014, 04:51 PM   #19
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I'm sitting at 40/2on #2 setting 80 degrees outside.
Is this in a 'stock' 6.7 or do you have you changed anything?

Mine 'out of the box' would touch 40 on #4 setting and stay under 40 only on the #5 setting.
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Old 08-22-2014, 04:57 PM   #20
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Totally stock, no changes. I've installed a Fridge Fix fan, which I brought home today to modify, but the fridge is as delivered.
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