Atwood refrigerator noise?

[Julie n Kevin]

Is it common for these to make a humming noise? I thought they are normally quiet since there are no moving parts. The noise cycles on/off maybe 5 min intervals. I had it set in "auto" mode since we've turned it on a few weeks ago, plugged into shore power. We've been using LP for the furnace and water heater. I assume the fridge runs on AC when in auto mode even though the LP tank is open?? I have since switched mode to AC. Will see if that stops the noise when we go back to the campsite.

Kevin

[Big Mike]

Most likely what you are hearing is the ventilation fan that is installed in the rear of the refrigerator to keep air circulating in a slide out installation. With a non slide out installation and a roof vent, you usually do not get the fan(s).

Hope this helps.

Big Mike

[TucsonJim]

That is normal for our reefers. BTW, if you're plugged into shore power, why not save your propane and run the water heater on shore power? Or, if you want faster recovery rates, you can use both propane AND shore power.

[GDRV Service]

Is it common for these to make a humming noise? I thought they are normally quiet since there are no moving parts. The noise cycles on/off maybe 5 min intervals. I had it set in "auto" mode since we've turned it on a few weeks ago, plugged into shore power. We've been using LP for the furnace and water heater. I assume the fridge runs on AC when in auto mode even though the LP tank is open?? I have since switched mode to AC. Will see if that stops the noise when we go back to the campsite.

Kevin

Hi Kevin (@Julie n Kevin),

@Big Mike is correct (thanks Mike!). What you are hearing is the cooling fan which is used on side ventilation applications. If the noise becomes excessively loud it should be looked at by your dealer.

Best regards,
~ Janice

[Julie n Kevin]

Ok Grand Design, we went to our seasonal this weekend and the refrigerator is still on the blink. I'm in a bit of a dilemma, our camper is setup on a seasonal site and really do not want to tow it 5hr to our dealer we made the purchase from. I see there is an Atwood service facility in Rochester, MN that makes house calls. I may go this route and seek reimbursement. Or, there is a dealer in Bloomington, MN.

Needless to say, I'm disappointed. But I said it anyway.

I'm quite capable of doing the swap myself. I just need to acquire the needed parts.

I'll be calling my selling dealer Monday to see how they may be able to help.

[GDRV Service]

Ok Grand Design, we went to our seasonal this weekend and the refrigerator is still on the blink. I'm in a bit of a dilemma, our camper is setup on a seasonal site and really do not want to tow it 5hr to our dealer we made the purchase from. I see there is an Atwood service facility in Rochester, MN that makes house calls. I may go this route and seek reimbursement. Or, there is a dealer in Bloomington, MN.

Needless to say, I'm disappointed. But I said it anyway.

I'm quite capable of doing the swap myself. I just need to acquire the needed parts.

I'll be calling my selling dealer Monday to see how they may be able to help.

Hi Julie and Kevin (@Julie n Kevin),

We recommend that you contact the local Atwood Service Center and arrange for an on-site inspection. Please contact our Customer Service team at (574) 825-8000 if you encounter any difficulties or are charged for this service.

Best regards,
~ Janice

[Julie n Kevin]

Hi Julie and Kevin (@Julie n Kevin),

We recommend that you contact the local Atwood Service Center and arrange for an on-site inspection. Please contact our Customer Service team at (574) 825-8000 if you encounter any difficulties or are charged for this service.

Best regards,
~ Janice

We contacted a dealer who handles Atwood and does on site calls. They are about 30 miles away from our camper. This is what the GD tech i talked to recommended as well. We'll get to the bottom of this soon!

Thank you!

[Julie n Kevin]

Kelly at Camp-site RV, http://www.campsiterv.com/ just called and they did an on site check on the refrigerator and the tech says the cooling unit is going bad. It's cooling a little but no where near cool as it should be.

[TucsonJim]

That's a little crazy on such a new unit! Hope it's a fluke.

[Tucsontraveler]

My Atwood frig is driving me crazy with that constant hum/buzz. It is a joy when it switches off which happens rarely. I spoke with Atwood and checked other forums. It may be the fan---the fan used is not a quiet fan. Today I am installing a 12 v computer fan to see if it makes a difference. I will let you know if the noise vanishes.

Well I just returned from getting the new computer fan. I was lead to believe it was easy to install. Very wrong. Called Grand Design and was told the fan is behind the top ventilation panel. My husband got a tall ladder and looked inside---can't see the fan anywhere. There are some black coils and then a piece of wood covering what is below. I am waiting for customer service to call me back. So much for an easy fix. I wish they included diagrams of these systems to make it easier.