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08-22-2014, 09:24 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,035
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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
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
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08-22-2014, 09:59 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,363
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I've noticed the same air leakage problem with the 5 cu ft fridge.
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08-22-2014, 11:07 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Port Angeles, Washington
Trailer: 2014 19'
Posts: 534
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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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08-22-2014, 11:11 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Longview, WA, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15B - 2014 Nissan Frontier SL
Posts: 854
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Quote:
Originally Posted by escape artist
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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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.
__________________
Tim and Julie
2013 Escape 15B
2014 Nissan Frontier, Previous 2012 Santa Fe
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08-22-2014, 11:21 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bellingham and Glacier, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15A
Posts: 2,051
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Quote:
Originally Posted by techfan
AND caulk the entire insert
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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.
__________________
Karen Hulford
2013 Escape 15A, "Egbert"
'93 Ford 150 XLT or
'22 GMC Acadia Denali
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08-22-2014, 12:06 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Port Angeles, Washington
Trailer: 2014 19'
Posts: 534
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08-22-2014, 12:16 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Yellow Springs, Ohio
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 709
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Thanks!
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08-22-2014, 01:05 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Middle, Tennessee
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19' #2
Posts: 1,441
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Klem
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Not our the current model but the closest thing I have seen.
__________________
Tom
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08-22-2014, 01:44 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Delta, British Columbia
Trailer: 2015 5.0TA
Posts: 271
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Quote:
Originally Posted by escape artist
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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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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08-22-2014, 01:44 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Longview, WA, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15B - 2014 Nissan Frontier SL
Posts: 854
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KarenH
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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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.
__________________
Tim and Julie
2013 Escape 15B
2014 Nissan Frontier, Previous 2012 Santa Fe
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08-22-2014, 02:17 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Yellow Springs, Ohio
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 709
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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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08-22-2014, 03:12 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Delta, British Columbia
Trailer: 2015 5.0TA
Posts: 271
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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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08-22-2014, 03:25 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,035
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker
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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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
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
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08-22-2014, 03:30 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Middle, Tennessee
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19' #2
Posts: 1,441
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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!!
__________________
Tom
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08-22-2014, 03:44 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,035
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kountrykamper
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!!!
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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
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
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08-22-2014, 03:49 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bellingham and Glacier, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15A
Posts: 2,051
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Quote:
Originally Posted by techfan
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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Thank you techfan. So the "insert" is the refer itself.
__________________
Karen Hulford
2013 Escape 15A, "Egbert"
'93 Ford 150 XLT or
'22 GMC Acadia Denali
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08-22-2014, 04:38 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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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.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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08-22-2014, 04:40 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Yellow Springs, Ohio
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 709
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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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08-22-2014, 04:51 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Port Angeles, Washington
Trailer: 2014 19'
Posts: 534
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
I'm sitting at 40/2on #2 setting 80 degrees outside.
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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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08-22-2014, 04:57 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Yellow Springs, Ohio
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 709
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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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