re-charging Refer

[kiss6669]

Do RV frig/freezers need recharging? Our norcold (model unknown) seems to be having problems keeping cold and the freezer seems to some days freezes and other days not freeze. I know they have to be level to work efficiently but in the last year of owning this coach 94' Fleetwood Pace Arrow. The temp isn't being maintain as I would expect.

 

[boatbuilder]

Most RV refrigerators do not use freon like a household unit.  They are absorbtion units that use ammonia.  They take about 24 hours to cool down.  They are not rechargable.

 

[NY_Dutch]

No, RV absorption fridges cannot be "recharged" in the normal sense. Some of the chemicals used can solidify under certain conditions, partially blocking the flow needed to transfer the heat from the fridge to the outside. The only fix is to have the cooling unit rebuilt, or more commonly to remove the existing unit and install a new or rebuilt unit from one of several vendors. Many of us that don't do long periods of boondocking have opted to replace the absorption fridge with a standard residential fridge, running it on an inverter and/or generator when not on shore power. The lower cost and more stable operation offset the lack of propane operation when not on shorepower.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If your fridge cooling unit has lost its charge, it has a leak and is not repairable or rechargeable. Throw it away and buy a replacement, which is a bolt-on deal you can even do yourself if you are handy.

An absorption fridge is nothing at all like a residential unit with "freon" (or equivalent).

 

[2kGeorgieBoy]

They use a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen and water plus a small flame or electric heater unit to make it work. If you are interested, try a search using "absorbtion refrigeration" or such. Lot of info on how it works, I.e., using heat (the flame) to generate cooling.

On  another note, take a look at the Frdge Fix by Smart RV Products. It's a US built product that contains, in my case based on my RV fridge, 2 cooling fans mounted in a metal box that mounts in the lower compartment close to the cooling fins. The fans cause interior air to be forced over the fins which settles to the bottom of fridge and then is pulled back up to be recirculated again. Using actual forced circulation rather than depending on convection currents to spread the cool air works wonders. I was a little skeptical until I installed mine, but it worked wonders for us. It helps keep both the freezer and the lower compartment temps consistent. It is not a cheap unit, in either price or quality, but I believe it's worth the cost. There are other ways of doing the same thing a lot cheaper, but this was almost "plug and play" easy.

 

[Back2PA]

On  another note, take a look at the Frdge Fix by Smart RV Products. It's a US built product that contains, in my case based on my RV fridge, 2 cooling fans mounted in a metal box that mounts in the lower compartment close to the cooling fins. The fans cause interior air to be forced over the fins which settles to the bottom of fridge and then is pulled back up to be recirculated again. Using actual forced circulation rather than depending on convection currents to spread the cool air works wonders. I was a little skeptical until I installed mine, but it worked wonders for us. It helps keep both the freezer and the lower compartment temps consistent. It is not a cheap unit, in either price or quality, but I believe it's worth the cost. There are other ways of doing the same thing a lot cheaper, but this was almost "plug and play" easy.

It's likely you have a leak as Gary suggested (and if so that will have to be addressed) but in any case I agree about the Fridge Fix - I have one and wouldn't be without it. Pretty easy to move to a new fridge if it becomes necessary (I ended up replacing my fridge and moved the unit). Also added extra fans to help move hot air out the stack.

 

[2kGeorgieBoy]

Another thing to check, is the actual flame that the "burner" is putting out. I've had this problem on 2 different units and although there was a flame, it wasn't sufficient enough to do the job. Cleaning the burner and and gas orifice with compressed air and soaking in a solvent such as alcohol will help clean out dirt, corrosion and even spider webs. Both times, a good cleaning restored both units to good working order. It's not not a difficult job. The 2nd time, I did the cleaning in a Walmart parking lot in the middle of Kansas, on our way home to Maryland to visit, last Oct. When cleaning the orifice, don't insert anything into it as it may damage/enlarge the opening causing more problems. For compressed air I used one of those bottles you buy for cleaning keyboards and such.