Can I run fridge on AC mode with full cover on Casita? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 04-03-2016, 07:14 PM   #1
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Can I run fridge on AC mode with full cover on Casita?

May be a dumb question but Im not sure - is it safe to run a Castia fridge on AC mode with a full camper cover on the camper? I know gas mode gets hot and needs the vents - but what about AC mode?

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Old 04-03-2016, 07:25 PM   #2
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I wouldn't do it.
All energy sources for the fridge create heat. That's how an ammonia absorption refrigerator. So you'll still have a heat build up that should be vented to the atmosphere.

Running on AC is like putting a 75 Watt light bulb in outside fridge compartment.
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Old 04-03-2016, 07:39 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by JWScarab View Post
May be a dumb question but Im not sure - is it safe to run a Castia fridge on AC mode with a full camper cover on the camper? I know gas mode gets hot and needs the vents - but what about AC mode?

Thank You!

A better question might be "Why would you want to?" If it is covered, it presumably is in storage and not being used, so why would you need to run the refrigerator?


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Old 04-03-2016, 07:58 PM   #4
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Sounds good. I assumed I should not, but was not sure. I wont do it. Reason is just that we keep it covered all the time because we dont have a shelter for it yet, and its nice to turn on fridge in advance. I will just make sure I uncover it before turning on fridge. Thanks again!!
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Old 04-03-2016, 10:10 PM   #5
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The answer is no. The refrigerator uses heat to cycle the ammonia and convert it from a gas to a liquid for cooling.
There is an electrical part called a resistor that is used to create heat like the propane flame. If you cover the vents it can overheat and even cause a fire.
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Old 04-04-2016, 12:38 PM   #6
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Instead of pre-cooling my frig by turning it on, I put frozen containers of water in it. Works well.
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Old 04-04-2016, 12:42 PM   #7
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Definite no go. Those absorption fridges take a LOT of power, and that power is all to run a resistive heater. Without cool fresh air being drawn in the fridge would quickly overheat.

My little 3 way fridge in my Scamp 16 took about 200 watts on AC.
Needless to say it has a new home now. I like my DC compressor fridge much more.
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Old 04-04-2016, 01:12 PM   #8
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Good info guys! I definitely will not turn it on without uncovering it fully. Thanks for all the great info and tips!

Joe
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Old 04-04-2016, 02:12 PM   #9
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I wouldn't worry about running the 'fridge on electric with the cover on, but why risk it? You are preparing for a trip so pull the cover off first.

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Old 04-05-2016, 09:33 AM   #10
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If it's really that important to you why not have a removable section of the cover over the vents made. You could use Velcro on it. We just uncover our trailer the day before we plan on loading up for a trip. Also having everything you put in the fridge cool first helps. We put all drinks we take in ice chest not the fridge. Fridge/freezer is for food and condiments. Just as an added note on ice chest. When you get to where you're going place it outside and open the drain. Leave it open until you're ready to leave. The ice will last much longer this way. I even block up one end so it drains better.
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Old 04-05-2016, 10:03 AM   #11
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When you get to where you're going place it outside and open the drain. Leave it open until you're ready to leave. The ice will last much longer this way. I even block up one end so it drains better.
The instruction manual that came with my Coleman Extreme cooler says DO NOT open the drain. If you do, you are pouring out cold water that is almost as cold as ice. The ice will melt faster.
Ziplock containers can be used to keep butter, cheese, meats etc from floating around.

http://www.coleman.com/Coleman-xtremecoolers.html
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Old 04-05-2016, 12:30 PM   #12
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The instruction manual that came with my Coleman Extreme cooler says DO NOT open the drain. If you do, you are pouring out cold water that is almost as cold as ice. The ice will melt faster.
Ziplock containers can be used to keep butter, cheese, meats etc from floating around.

http://www.coleman.com/Coleman-xtremecoolers.html

I agree with Glenn. Every cooler I have ever owned that came with instructions stated that the water should not be drained. And if you Google "should water be drained from a cooler," the almost universal answer from the many hits you will get is no. And the reason is that water, as a liquid, takes longer to chill or warm than does air. That is why temperatures near bodies of water tend to be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than inland temperatures.


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Old 04-05-2016, 03:47 PM   #13
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The only truth to the claim is when the cooler has poor insulation. The idea here is that water carries heat much better than air. If the ice begins to melt and is then floating in cold water, it now has a superior thermal bridge to the poorly insulated shell. The fact that the box is sealed from air movement is it's best defense in that case. The food and drinks will be in the middle of the ice, and the ice will end up forming gaps away from the sides of the poorly insulated box.

If your cooler has anything but TERRIBLE insulation however, this is no longer the case. something like a Coleman extreme cooler or any with good insulation should not be drained. The thermal capacity of the water is quite large meaning that it would take a lot of BTU to heat it up. Loosing all of that cold water would be terrible if you have a good cooler.
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Old 04-06-2016, 09:52 AM   #14
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What temperature is the water? What temperature is the ice? The water will melt the ice faster because it's warmer than the ice. Common sense. I don't know what the instructions say for your cooler, or mine for that matter. I do know the ice last longer in my ice chest when the water is drained. And of course the quality of the ice chest and insulation makes a difference. Take two glasses filled with ice and add water to one of them. Then come back and tell us which one the ice lasted longer in. I wonder why bars and restaurants have open drains on their ice bins and ice makers? I wonder why they put drains on ice chest if they work better with water in them. It's faster to empty them by turning them over. I guess it's better to have cold water and no ice than nothing at all.
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Old 04-06-2016, 10:21 AM   #15
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I wonder why Coleman would say DO NOT drain the water if your 'common sense' made sense?
Bars and restaurants have ice makers.
Drain makes it easier to remove water from a cooler full of can/food/etc. when you are done using the cooler.
Texas air is warmer than either water or ice that is in the cooler and leaving the drain open allows air in.
Hot air rises, so it follows that you should leave the cooler lid open to allow the hot air to escape.
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Old 04-06-2016, 11:56 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by Craven View Post
What temperature is the water? What temperature is the ice? The water will melt the ice faster because it's warmer than the ice. Common sense. I don't know what the instructions say for your cooler, or mine for that matter. I do know the ice last longer in my ice chest when the water is drained. And of course the quality of the ice chest and insulation makes a difference. Take two glasses filled with ice and add water to one of them. Then come back and tell us which one the ice lasted longer in. I wonder why bars and restaurants have open drains on their ice bins and ice makers? I wonder why they put drains on ice chest if they work better with water in them. It's faster to empty them by turning them over. I guess it's better to have cold water and no ice than nothing at all.
The temperature differential in which phase exchange occurs between ice and water is extremely narrow. The water, being that it came FROM the ice melting is almost the same temperature. Therefore the water has a lot of cooling BTU available in it to keep your food and drinks cold. In a good cooler, do NOT let it out. "adding water" to a glass of ice implies that the water was not already cold. Of course it would melt the ice you add it to. That's a logical fallacy.

The correct way to prove your point would be to create a closed environment with terrible insulation properties. Say, a tin can. Fill two cans with ice and drill a hole in the bottom of only one of them. The one that drains will will still have ice in it long after the other one only contains water. This is because the melted water forms a thermal bridge to the outside of the can.
So long as both are covered, there will be very little air movement inside between the chunks of ice. This is insulation. Convection won't do much when flowing through all of the small cavities between the ice. The ice will melt away from the walls of the can, creating air gaps that insulate them from the hot outside air.


Anyway, enough off topic chat yeah?
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