Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:29:14 +0000
Reply-To: rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Todd Last <rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Dometic Fridge Mod Update
Did you check sealing around the door?
I've always felt that the door set-up with the Dometic fridge was a design which would allow lots of cooling losses because of bed sealing.
Also, did you add a fan inside the fridge to blow air over the heat sink on the inside?
Have you considered adding extra mass on the inside heat sink (maybe adding some computer CPU heat sinks)
Todd
'88 Westy
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Keith Ovregaard <kovregaard@COMCAST.NET>
> For those of you interested in the results so far on the mods I did to
> the fridge...
>
> Problem:
> Not cold enough during warm daytime temps, would not start on LP very
> easily, fan in the back was not working at all, lots of heat coming
> from the vent in back of the stovetop heating up the van too much.
>
> Mods done:
> Added 4 fans (one exhausts hot air out the
> what-used-to-be-city-water-inlet, two are cooling the fins in back of
> the fridge and one circulates inside air), cleaned burn chamber,
> cleaned orifice, blew out intake/exhaust/drain tubes, added check valve
> to pump, reamed out pump outlet, added extra pump inlet hole, wrapped
> intake and exhaust flues and burn chamber with fiberglass insulation,
> added foil-backed foam insulation to back, bottom and sides (had to
> remove it from one side to fit), replaced thermal mastic with Radio
> Shack silicone-based heat sink compound, insulated area in back of
> cabinets with 2 layers of foil bubble insulation.
>
> Enough already!
>
> Results:
> Disappointing:-(
> After re-installing the fridge, I turned on the AC mode, the temp
> control to maximum cooling and let it chill down over night. It is
> empty for this test. This morning the temp inside the fridge was 28°F.
> Outside temp was 65. So, a 37° differential. I switched to LP mode.
> Started right up! Just as before, I could hear the flame very clearly
> at the flue. Right now, the temp inside the fridge is almost 41 and
> outside is 75, a 34° differential. The exhaust fans are doing an
> amazing job of cooling and almost NO warm air is coming out of the
> vents behind the stovetop or to the left of the cabinet. I can feel
> cool air going into the area under the fridge and warm air coming out
> of the new exhaust port outside the van. Ventilation is working fine.
>
> Question is, why is this thing not working any better with all of these
> "improvements"!
>
> Any suggestions? Roger? Anyone?
>
Keith O
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