RV Refrigerator?
- Thread starter lhemrick
- Start date
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Rene T
Site Team
lhemrick said:
Depends. I usually shut mine off unless I'm going to be using it the following weekend. Others leave it on all the time. 24/7.
If you do decide to shut it off, make sure you leave the doors open a little to prevent mold from starting.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
You can turn it off whenever you like, but remember it takes quite a while to cool down again.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Does not hurt iot to be off far as I know. but if for short breaks (less than 1 week and I'm not sure the break point.. Why bother???
Isaac-1
Well-known member
As mentioned expect it to take 12-24 hours to cool back down after being turned off in warm weather.
catblaster
Well-known member
I leave mine on and full of beer/Ice, also leave the AC on to keep down humidity and a great place to get away (my inner sanctum)
MikeFromMesa
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2014
- Posts
- 295
Isaac-1 said:
Turning the AC on would probably help if it is summer.
I am not sure just how much cooler an RV refrigerator can be than the surrounding air but I find that I can not get it cool at all when plugged into electric during the day in the Arizona summers. If the air temperature itself were not bad enough there is also the effect of an enclosing metal body sitting in the sun.
During the summer months I can only get it to cool down at night when the temperature drops to the mid 90s and there is no sun baking the RV.
Lou Schneider
Site Team
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- Mar 14, 2005
- Posts
- 13,231
MikeFromMesa said:
It's the outside air temperature, not the RV's interior temperature that stops the refrigerator cooling.
At normal temperatures, the hot coils behind the refrigerator set up a chimney effect. The warmed air rises, carrying off the refrigerator's heat through the roof vent while drawing in cooler replacement air from the lower outside vent.
When the outside air gets hot, the air circulation breaks down as the coils aren't hot enough compared to the outside air to set up the thermosyphon and the heat remains trapped behind the refrigerator.
A small muffin fan set up to blow air upwards past the coils will do a lot to keep the refrigerator running in hot weather. Or you could set up a small clip-on fan in the lower hatch to do the same thing as a trial.
Broke Boater
Well-known member
Our Artic Fox's Norcold ref has a fan already. I didn't hear it until summer temps hit,,,gregg
HappyWanderer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2014
- Posts
- 2,967
Our stays off unless needed. Turning it on the day before leaving works just fine.
