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Post by yobarr on Mar 8, 2024 20:59:23 GMT 10
Because my Evakool 175 litre fridge/freezer died, with fridge running 24/7 and freezer not freezing at all, I had to install a Bushman 190 litre fridge/freezer because it was the only one that I could find that would fit in the available space, albeit with some cabinetry work.
Fridge mechanic said Evakool was not worth trying to repair, with some long, involved, explanation about how freezers get cold first, then the fridge, but mine wasn't doing that!
The chap that did the installation of the Bushranger did a fantastic job, and proudly pointed out that the fridge is not "completely sealed from the interior of the van".
Is this good? My van has no vents to the outside behind the fridge, and there is now only a 100mm gap between the back of the fridge and the caravan wall. Will this work or will it all get too hot?
Any ideas will be appreciated. Cheers
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Post by arewelost on Mar 8, 2024 21:16:57 GMT 10
What does "not completely sealed from the interior mean" in terms of cm2 for ventilation?
The Danfoss BD50 is a great compressor and the Bushman appears to have lots of insulation. But they still generate heat which needs to vent somewhere. Heating the inside of the van does not seem a great idea to me.
Have you read what the manual says on ventilation?
I don't understand the calculation for achieving 600cm2 opening but the dimensions are pretty specific. It is also a good idea to prevent that hot air from wrapping around the back, sides and top. I am about to put some foam around the back edges of my 3 way to prevent hot air getting between the fridge and cavity walls.
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Post by yobarr on Mar 8, 2024 21:57:54 GMT 10
Because my Evakool 175 litre fridge/freezer died, with fridge running 24/7 and freezer not freezing at all, I had to install a Bushman 190 litre fridge/freezer because it was the only one that I could find that would fit in the available space, albeit with some cabinetry work. Fridge mechanic said Evakool was not worth trying to repair, with some long, involved, explanation about how freezers get cold first, then the fridge, but mine wasn't doing that! The chap that did the installation of the Bushranger did a fantastic job, and proudly pointed out that the fridge is now "completely sealed from the interior of the van". Is this good? My van has no vents to the outside behind the fridge, and there is now only a 100mm gap between the back of the fridge and the caravan wall. Will this work or will it all get too hot? Any ideas will be appreciated. Cheers Typo…SHOULD read:- fridge is NOW "completely sealed from the interior of the van". Cheers |
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Post by Mike Harding on Mar 10, 2024 10:35:20 GMT 10
Hi Yobarr
The fridge *must* have ventilation. It extracts heat from the air inside the fridge via a heat exchanger (normally located on the back of the fridge) and this heat *must* be vented to atmosphere either naturally via vents or forced via fans.
If the fridge does not have sufficient airflow it will:
Not get as cold
Run excessively
Probably have a shorter life
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Post by yobarr on Mar 10, 2024 12:40:01 GMT 10
Hi Yobarr The fridge *must* have ventilation. It extracts heat from the air inside the fridge via a heat exchanger (normally located on the back of the fridge) and this heat *must* be vented to atmosphere either naturally via vents or forced via fans. If the fridge does not have sufficient airflow it will: Not get as cold Run excessively Probably have a shorter life Thanks Mike. Because I spend much time on dirt roads, with Gt Central Road planned next, keeping dust out is a priority. My options are to re-fit the top and bottom vents to the outside from the fridge cavity, or to put two holes into the walls of the new fridge cavity, one at the bottom and another at the top, on the opposite side, perhaps with a fan blowing through the hole at the bottom to create airflow on hotter days. The van itself is pressurised by a Donaldson air-cleaner and a 3" bilge fan but because the new fridge cavity is sealed from the van's interior there will be no pressure in there. Not too keen on the fridge not getting cold, although it is rated to 43c outside, and not too worried about running excessively as I have heaps of battery, but short life is not appealing as this setup cost $3500. The Evakool Platinum 175 was a bit of a disapointment as it cost over $2000 and only lasted for 4 years on the road. Losing a freezer-full of food was not much fun, but luckily I was near enough to civilization for that not to be a problem. Cheers |
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Post by Mike Harding on Mar 10, 2024 13:11:48 GMT 10
Emmmm....
As the cavity is isolated from the van it does, as mentioned, need ventilation but with all that dust you are going to need a method of cleaning the cavity from time-to-time.
I like the concept of a bottom and top vent for natural convection but aided by a fan on a simple bi-metal temperature switch at, say, 30C. But that bottom vent is going to need to be big enough for you to get a vacuum hose in.
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Post by yobarr on Mar 11, 2024 18:35:58 GMT 10
Thanks for advice.I've decided to put in new vents to the outside, with aluminium covers that can be used to cover and seal them when I'm on dirt roads.
Also will put big hole into cavity at the rear of the fridge at floor level, on right side, and another hole into the kitchen at the top of the fridge on left side.
There also will be a fan blowing into the hole at the bottom for when the vents to outside are blocked off on dirt roads, and covers for both of these holes for when I have the outside vents open, to prevent cold air entering, or warm air escaping in winter. Cheers
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