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Old 07-24-2019, 03:22 PM   #1
GeekSquadOfUn
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Fridge ventilation on new Dometic

Trying to improve performance on my Dometic RM1350, in my Cougar 315RLS. I installed these 3 computer fans at the top vent, pushing air out. Ran the power wire down to the 12V block connector. Also installed a thermistor, so that the fans power up only when it reaches 110F.

Having a hard time in having it show less than 40F... Hovers around 42 to 46, not pleased with that. I've also installed thermometers inside both fridge and freezer to see how acurate those numbers are...

I'll also check all my door seals. Next step air flow inside the fridge. One kinda wonders why Dometic puts out a fridge like that... Many have similar issues.

On my older 5th wheel, with a 2 door Dometic, was always between 35 to 38F... Miss it.
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Old 07-24-2019, 05:09 PM   #2
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The refrigerator is probably fine. From the picture it is obvious that it is not installed as best as can be. Refrigerators in slides can be a problem. Your upper vent is too low for proper convection flow.

Blame the RV designer, builder, not the refrigerator.
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Old 07-24-2019, 05:42 PM   #3
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The baffle in the photo is exactly where it should be, so air fully passes the fins. If that baffle was not there or lower, you would not get adequate heat removal at the upper fins. There are a number of issues that can cause insufficient cooling in the fridge, and your manual should have diagnostics that you can follow, or maybe it is better to just get a qualified tech to check it out.
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Old 07-24-2019, 06:39 PM   #4
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Fridge ventilation on new Dometic

Fans should be installed UNDER the coil assembly. There should already be fans installed if the refer is on a slide, are they not working?

As stated that baffle is right where it needs to be. And the upper vent is installed in the correct position.
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Old 07-25-2019, 04:21 AM   #5
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Yes, there are fans installed at the factory and they do work, as you can hear them kick in & out.

I added the top ones to help exhaust the warm air after the top coil.
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Old 07-25-2019, 06:50 AM   #6
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Fridge ventilation on new Dometic

I don’t think your issue is the air circulation. Have you looked real close at the center flap on the door, and the door seals.
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Old 07-25-2019, 07:26 AM   #7
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Adding the $10 2-D cell battery operated fridge fan to the back of the bottom shelf helps as much as anything else from my experience.
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Old 07-25-2019, 10:27 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57 View Post
I don’t think your issue is the air circulation. Have you looked real close at the center flap on the door, and the door seals.
Yep, but I'm not sure what to make of it... Not sure hiw to check it's leak proof or not... I'll look again, with a dollar bill, well a $5 bill, as it's the smallest paper currency we have... 😁
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Old 07-25-2019, 12:20 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeekSquadOfUn View Post
Yep, but I'm not sure what to make of it... Not sure hiw to check it's leak proof or not... I'll look again, with a dollar bill, well a $5 bill, as it's the smallest paper currency we have... 😁
You probably should use two $5 bills because I don't think that slick plastic currency you guys have is as thick as our $1 bills.

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Old 08-29-2019, 01:28 PM   #10
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GeekSquadofUn,

I also have the 315RLS with the same refrig condition and our previous TT refrig worked great.....39 is the coldest mine has ever gotten...and I would be ok with that, but in the hot south 46-54 is the norm and that dog don't hunt.

I am going out tomorrow to look for fans, and if they are there then I think that is my problem they are not running....

Make sure the make up strip between your doors closes....we have to manually close it and several other 315RLS ers have had the same issue, I don't recall who fixed theirs by adding a few washers on the bottom hinge to lift the door so that the make strip rides in the opening and closure bracket mounted between the top of doors .

I just order exhaust fans, do I need to canx the order or are yours helping? I am also adding a interior recirculating fan.
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Old 08-29-2019, 01:49 PM   #11
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I had cooling issues with my Norcold fridge on a recent trip. The fridge side of the trailer was in the hot afternoon sun every day but the prevailing winds (daily) blew on that side of the trailer as well.
I removed the small plastic tabs that hold the the fridge covers on and replaced them with zip ties creating a hinge effect and the propped the covers out away from the trailer with short sticks (as I was parked for 3 weeks). They were able to deflect any rain that might have occurred.
Dramatic difference in cooling. I actually had to turn the fridge to a setting that did not freeze items in the fridge area.
It's almost worth a look at having powered louvers for fridge vents available on future campers,at least I think so.
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Old 08-29-2019, 02:13 PM   #12
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Dometic Application Guide 3308666

Here are 3 slides from a briefing by ? when ? to whom ?
In the Diagnostic Service Manual it refers to an Application guide 3308666, and this is what I found that briefing

Refer to your manual for the dimensions for A thru F

The "wide open" condition is during a test and notice that too much space can cause not cooling.....don't remove any wood, unless a Dometic engineer recommends it.
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Old 08-29-2019, 02:35 PM   #13
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Basic requirements for proper cooling

I should have started at the beginning.....We owners must ensure:

a. that we are level

b. that we have not altered the as built/as designed ventilation...dirty,wasps nest etc. (assuming that the as built matches the as designed...there is a youtube video showing the upper vent being totally closed...they never cut out the opening)....If the unit some times cools and sometimes doesn't then the as built venting is probably as designed....the design may suck ??

c. and that we are providing energy to allow for the heater to work...elec, or propane.

d. Ambient temp is below 100 (I haven't figured out how to control this one) and I wonder if they really mean the "ambient" temp of the air channel not the ambient temp of the location ??? and if they are really meaning the air temp of the air channel , then shading will work....I have not yet experience ambient temps of 100.....we are generally 85-90 with 99% humidity.

But I am sure that the air channel has exceeded 100...your thoughts
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Old 09-02-2019, 07:45 PM   #14
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Frig

I also filled the big heat holding void over the whole top of the frig with insulation and placed a baffle made with aluminum sheet as close to shape and dimensions shown in installation instructions as I could to move air out of top vent. Mine came from factory with 4 fans but no baffle or top insulation. Fans should blow from below fins. Mine stays at 34 and freezer freezes everything but ice cream is not very hard.
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Old 09-05-2019, 03:59 AM   #15
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Very happy to report that adding my 3 computer fans at the top did work.

Warm air exits the top more easily.

I do need to close the left door flap manually, as the weight seems to tilt the door just enough that the flap misses the channel at the top and will not fold as it should. Ah well, I can live with that.

It stays in the 33 to 38 range , depending on the settings.

Happy camper ⛺
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Old 09-05-2019, 05:48 AM   #16
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This is a very common issue with the larger double wide fridges in slides. The OEM fans do kick on but when the slide is in direct sunlight with 80 degree temps and higher the fridge just can't keep up. The small space around the fridge gets quite warm and the OEM fans just don't move enough air up and out.

I also installed a couple larger fans with a programmable thermostat (similar location as the OP). So far it seems to have done the job. The application seems to pull more air up through the cooling fins and out the vent. Fridge normally runs at 34/35 degrees and peaks out at about 39. Before it would get to high 40's in the afternoon sun.

I've wondered if a slide topper would help by keeping sun from cooking the roof above the fridge...
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Old 09-05-2019, 06:17 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeekSquadOfUn View Post
Very happy to report that adding my 3 computer fans at the top did work.



Warm air exits the top more easily.



I do need to close the left door flap manually, as the weight seems to tilt the door just enough that the flap misses the channel at the top and will not fold as it should. Ah well, I can live with that.



It stays in the 33 to 38 range , depending on the settings.



Happy camper [emoji554]


Easy fix: remove the freezer door to access the fridge door upper hinge. Lift off the door and put a washer on the hinge pin, Re assemble. I do it a lot to brand new fridges.
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Old 09-05-2019, 08:28 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeekSquadOfUn View Post
Very happy to report that adding my 3 computer fans at the top did work.

Warm air exits the top more easily.

I do need to close the left door flap manually, as the weight seems to tilt the door just enough that the flap misses the channel at the top and will not fold as it should. Ah well, I can live with that.

It stays in the 33 to 38 range , depending on the settings.

Happy camper ⛺
Geek,

Did the 4 factory installed fans work? and I think that I recall that you did not have the eighth inch aluminum foil baffle at the top ??

in our pics you can see a gap between the bottom of the condenser vanes and the top of the "box baffle" the protruding luan and it appears to me that (some or most??) of the air from the 4 factory fans would go through that gap (least resistance)

All of the dimensions on my 315RLS conform to the requirements except "C" I only have 4 inches (+- 1/4)
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Old 09-05-2019, 09:02 AM   #19
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The 4 factory fans do work, as I can hear them when they start. My 3 additional fans at the top help in moving the hot air over the fins.

I'm happy, it lives up to the name Refrigerator. ��

I'm done.
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Old 09-05-2019, 09:29 AM   #20
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^^^ Yep, same here. Bottom line is that the OEM setup is inadequate. I don't know if the baffles are too far away from the fins or there's too much space at the top of the fridge. The design isn't working and all I know is that there's just too much heat build up in the box and not enough air flow to get it out. The extra fans seem to solve the problem.
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