Atwood Refrigerator Venting Modification

[minnow101]

On another forum I read where someone was complaining about the Atwood not cooling down sufficiently. Like ours, the Atwood would not drop below 45 degrees. Another poster referenced the Atwood installation manual which on page 3 provides venting requirements and how the installer needs to provide for baffling to direct air flow from the lower vent to the upper vent. The baffling is to include a piece of wood/metal/etc that is attached to the top of the refrigerator and slants towards the upper vent which will direct air that is being blown upwards from the ventalation fan(located under the coils) and out the top vent. As you can see from this picture, G.D. didn't build the baffle as required by Atwood.



You can also see where the minimal insulation that was installed has fallen down from lack of spray adhesive.




First thing I did was install additional insulation on the sides and roof of the refrigerator cavitity and reattached the fallen down insulation.



Then I took some light weight roof flashing I had and using aluminum tape secured one side to the top of the refrigerator and screwed and taped the other end to the "baffle" G.D. had built.





Now the air from the fan has no where to go but out the vent. Before the air would be trapped on top of the refrigerator and down the sides due to lack of any insulation.

I am hopeful this will make the Atwood more efficient in cooling. I'll let you all know what I find out.

[CManley]

Minnow101,

The attached picture shows the baffling that should have been installed. I have the same issue even with the baffling.

During the day temps, empty running on electric and no difference on propane. Setting at 3 of 5

Freezer at 12 degrees
Refrigerator at 43 degrees

In the morning with overnight outside temps in the low 60's the temps are:

Freezer at 10 degrees
Refrigerator at 35 degrees

By the time the outside temps hit 75 the refrigerator does not hold from its low point.


Atwood advised
Setting 3
Outside temp mid 80's
Freezer 0 degrees
Refrigerator 35 degrees

I took it in for repairs and was advised is was within spec. In questioning the tech he didn't know what the spec was and that he would follow up the next day. After three weeks of the same I picked up the trailer and checking with GD for other options.

Not sure if there is something wrong internally or if not enough air is passing through for ventilation. As many others have stated my Dometic in the last trailer with the roof vent and no HE performed flawlessly for 14 years. I could freeze everything in the refrigerator if I turned it above 6 and that was in 90 degree weather.

I am interested in your results


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[minnow101]

Thanks Chuck. Mine is certainly different. Hard to tell from the angle of this picture but that wood structure at the top of my refrig. is actually a "V" shaped which I suppose would work if the structure was made big enough where it would of extended to top of the refrig. cabinent. Then it would of provided a path for the hot air to easily escape. As it was the air just blow upwards and then I imagine rolls around in the open space at the top of the refrigerator cabinent.



If you look at page 3 of the Atwood manual, it clearly shows that a baffle needs to be built from the top of refrig. and angle upwards to the vent. I'm not sure even yours does that. It looks to me that it is a piece of metal (?) that does seem to reduce the open space between the roof and the top of the refrig., but I think would still allow the hot air from the condensor coil to collect on top of the refrig. and not easily flow out through the top vent. I wonder what Atwood would say about how G.D. has vented their refrigerators ? It's certainly not correct as to what is shown in their installation manual.

[CManley]

You are correct, the illustration is different than the actual install. The install leave space above for pooling.


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[minnow101]

Well since the modification, my refrigerator temps. which were never lower than 45degrees on a good day are now 37 degrees. So I think it worked.

[GaryBro]

I had a mobile repair guy come to fix a gas problem with my Norcold. He stated that the refrigerators in a slide don't have a roof vent and the side vent in the slide just doesn't provide the proper air movement. I will try the modification noted here, but he also stated that perhaps another fan at the top to blow hot air out the vent would be good. I'm going to look into that also.

[minnow101]

The Atwoods have a computer fan mounted under the cooling coils which blows upwards. But I think another fan either mounted near the bottom vent blowing upwards which would suck in more cooler air from the bottom vent or one mounted near the top vent aimed to blow hot air out the vent would also be beneficial. I may try that too.

[CManley]

I had talked to a local dealer to find out what test would prove ventilation issue or not. The response was that the sides nor top should be exposed to heat and that a test would be to take off the lower vent door and place a small fan at that location. If the temps are better it would point to ventilation issue from installation, or in fan not working properly.

I set up the fan last night and awoke to Fridge temp at 35 and Freezer at 10. I called Atwood to confirm what temps should be and what the drivers of higher temps would be. They advised that the temps reported are good and that it would be a ventilation issue. Possibly the fan not working or not enough voltage or improper installation.

My fan is running all of the time and as defined in the above picture the top of the refrigerator is exposed to hear even with the factory baffle.

Atwood advised that the baffle should direct heat right to the vents which mine is not. I am going to pickup a piece of sheet metal and add a baffle from the top of fridge to the vent. From there the addition of a fan would be next. The bad thing about that is it will draw more amps when dry camping.




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[CManley]

After further investigation here's what I found:


1. The factory baffle above the fridge was not installed per manufactures direction. The baffle allowed hot air to the top of the fridge and created a pocket for hot air to pool.

2. There was no insulation on top of the fridge.



Fix:

1. Added 1 inch solid insulation to the top of the fridge and sealed edge with aluminum tape.

2. Added a new baffle that attached to the frame above the opening with rivets and the back of the fridge with aluminum tape.

This change solves the issue of heat getting to the top of the fridge and heat pooling at the top of the slide out fridge compartment.

While working on it I could feel the heat moving outward at a faster rate. I'll check the temp through the day to see how it goes. Today is a good day to test its going to hit 101.



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[minnow101]

Looks good ! Are you going to permantly add the 2nd fan at the lower vent ?