Circulation for the Fridge?

[simplicity1987]

Morning All,

 

Just a quick one.

 

Having just gutted the old kitchen out on my new narrowboat and fitted the brand spanking new units (a few wasted minutes were taking trying to level the units out with an air bubble measure!) - I've just realised we have measured up the units to house the stand alone fridge pretty much flush - about 5mm on each side. The fridge will have around 15mm above and 40mm behind for circulation - but is this going to be enough to allow for enough circulation or is it going to burn out the fridge? Anybody know the recommended distance to leave for a stand alone fridge that is to be housed in units either side of it?

 

Also, I can see on my worktop instructions, they recommend placing tin foil at the base of the work top directly above where the firdge will be, so hopefully this will help to reflect the heat away from the fridge and not just back onto it?

 

I am yet to fit my worktop, so worse case scenraio I can remove the battening of the units and just increase the space if necessary, so any prompt help would be gratefully received.

 

Cheers

Max

[Stormbringer]

Hi

The instructions for my Lec 12v fridge state that there must be 50mm clearance at the sides and top, and 75 mm at the rear, for air circulation.

However, ours is close fitted on one side with a gap on the other, and seems to work fine.

I guess you could help the circulation with a fan if needs be?

 

Could you download the manual for your fridge maybe and check...it may well have different requirements....

 

HTH

Andy

[Ex- Member]

We have 2 computer fans set in the floor, the fridge is a tightish fit so added these for extra circulation. The air blows from 2 holes in the a o.3 amp fan in each one and draws cool air from the bilge up the back of the fridge over the top and out the front. The fans are only really used in summer. Some holes without fans though will still draw some cool air though as heat rises. and might make up the required amount of ventilation.

[twbm]

Our gas fridge is fitted with less gap than is recommended and seems to work fine, in fact too well - sometimes the milk freezes overnight. (I've wondered if this is a symptom of insufficient air circulation causing it to over work?)

[Kwacker]

If you restrict the airflow, you will just reduce the efficiency and up the running time. Computer fans pulling air in underneath and forcing it out of the top would be a big help ... can you fit a grille into the worktop above to let the hot air out ?

Our gas fridge is fitted with less gap than is recommended and seems to work fine, in fact too well - sometimes the milk freezes overnight. (I've wondered if this is a symptom of insufficient air circulation causing it to over work?)

Not a wise move !! Is the burner getting enough air to burn clean?

[grahame r]

The fans in the floor are an excellent idea, I believe you can wire them in so that they only come on when the fridge compressor is working and they will also help to keep the bilge free of moisture.

[springy]

Our gas fridge is fitted with less gap than is recommended and seems to work fine, in fact too well - sometimes the milk freezes overnight. (I've wondered if this is a symptom of insufficient air circulation causing it to over work?)

 

Gas fridges are not usally thermostatically controlled - just have (usually) Low-medium-high or 1-5 so on 5

on a hot day the milk may be barely chilled, but after a cold night left on high the milk may well be frozen.

 

springy

[David Mack]

With just 5mm at the sides and 15mm at the top there just isn't enough space for the warm air from the fridge to get out, so your fridge will be hugely inefficient. Since it is already the largest single consumer of electricity on board, this will put a significant extra demand on your ability to keep your batteries charged.

 

So you definitely need a vent in the work top. The computer fans will help as well. By drawing cold air from under the floor you are reducing the work the fridge has to do.

 

 

That is assuming this is an electric fridge. If you are asking a gas fridge to work with those clearances then I would be seriously worried about the possibility of CO from incomplete combustion.

[Proper Job]

The fans in the floor are an excellent idea, I believe you can wire them in so that they only come on when the fridge compressor is working and they will also help to keep the bilge free of moisture.

Two 12v computer fans - take a feed from the compressor supply. Then the fans only run when the compressor runs.

 

I don't have any definative figures, but my fridge runs noticably less often and for shorter duration since fitting a couple of fans

[ditchcrawler]

We have 2 computer fans set in the floor, the fridge is a tightish fit so added these for extra circulation. The air blows from 2 holes in the a o.3 amp fan in each one and draws cool air from the bilge up the back of the fridge over the top and out the front. The fans are only really used in summer. Some holes without fans though will still draw some cool air though as heat rises. and might make up the required amount of ventilation.

Same here, two fans in the floor, I slid a sheet of celotex in each side of my fridge to aid the insulation so no gap there, just up the back and over the top. I leave the fans running all the time, I was going to connect them to a thremostate but the Round 2 it never came

[smileypete]

If the condenser grid gets hot then having a fan (or three!) carefully tie-wrapped to it can work wonders. Otherwise just a fan or two alone in the floor at the back should work, bringing cold air up from the bilge.

 

The 120mm computer fans seem to have the best price/performance, running them on 9V or a PC fan controller means they're not too noisy.

 

If it's a mains frig I wonder if one of these would work OK, powering a small 'wall wart' via the peripheral socket to run the fans:

 

https://www.eonshop.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductCode=PDOWNPACKB&Category=8

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited May 20, 2013 by smileypete

[simplicity1987]

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

So I've just got back from unpacking the fridge and confirming my initial fears - the fridge fits almost exactly (0mm) on both sides. I have therefore extended out the space to allow for an inch on either side and 4 inches at the back, hopefully doing this an cutting a coupe of fans into the floor should do the trick. So, with regards to the fans, should I just pick up a couple of cheap computer fans and have the wires split into the back of fridge compressor? I assume this is a simple DIY jobby?

 

Also, having just read my worktop instructions, it recommends placing tin foil on the underside of the worktop directly above the fridge? Would this be to improve insulation or just to better protect the (wooden) worktops?

 

Thanks again

[trackman]

On my Shoreline fridge there's a spade terminal spare by the compressor connections that becomes live at 12V only when the compressor is on. I've a fan from an old PC wired to that via fuse and switch so it can be switched out of use in winter, when it's not needed & just wastes battery power.

[smileypete]

If its a 12V fridge with a Danfoss compressor a google on the Danfoss part#, BD50F or something like that, should turn up a PDF with connection details.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~