Do electric fridges need vents to the outside?

[sigurd]

Hi everybody,

I have an old Electrolux gas/12v/230v fridge that I'm thinking about using only as a 230v fridge.

Since I hate all holes and filled up the old vent holes, since I'm relocating the fridge, I was wondering how important it is to have a vent to the outside if I'm only planning to use it as an electric fridge?

I live in Iceland so if the vent is mainly about getting leading heat to the outside, then that's probably not going to be a problem here since, well, it's cold as hell and I wouldn't mind it heating up the caravan.

[gordon2]

As long as you can vent the heat so that it does not build up I see no reason you could not vent it into the camper as well as outside. Its just an electric heating element, in some ways similar to the "heat strip" added to roof air conditioners. But of course if the fridge is only vented into the trailer and it were then used on gas, then it could very well be deadly. The gas option would have to be safely and completely disabled.

The above is layman opinion only and not meant to be advice or suggestion. I take no responsibility for any modifications that you do.

[Kenny Strong]

the hot air ought to be removed from around the frig.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Kenny Strong

the hot air ought to be removed from around the frig.

Yes of course.. but the question was does it need to be vented to outside for safety (like exhaust gases) or can it be vented to the cabin.

[Raspy]

The fridge only needs to vent combustion exhaust gasses outside, not heat. So while running on electric, and especially if you want the heat, vent it inside. Don't even hook propane up to it.

[Defenestrator]

Venting the heat inside is OK in terms of safety, but you'll want to make sure that it actually does get vented. It'll be a decent amount, 200-400W or so depending, and it's fairly important that the heat be removed from the condenser coils. You might have to add a couple 12V fans to circulate enough air.

[Raz]

Most RV manufacturers seem to be installing compressor fridges because they are easy to install. And most seem to vent below the fridge if they vent at all. Since heat rises, venting out the bottom is probably as useless as no vent. Too much heat will result in inefficient fridge operation and premature failure of any electronics. If it were me, I would forget the absorbtion fridge in favor of a compressor type dorm fridge and vent to the outside or out the top inside. There fridges can be found used very cheap (< $100) and will work much better. I would vent outside since that will give best performance. Adding hot air into an already hot trailer is not something I want to do.

[CHICO DAN]

Basic Refridgeration...
All refrigerators reject more heat to the space than they create in cooling.
All refrigerators need ventilation to operate.
In most trailer situations you want to ventilate the refrigerator to the Outside.
Even compressor driven refrigerators require ventilation in tight quarters.

[Mark Bradley]

I second Chico Dan's reply.

[CarlD]

One more thought. I have an electric only fridge vented to the inside. My fridge only dissipates 40 watts when it is running, your fridge will probably be considerably more. On warm days, and nights, I wish my fridge were vented to the outside. Since you are in essence creating a new installation, I suggest you look at some way you could install a mechanism you could adjust so the fridge can vent inside or outside.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Mark Bradley

I second Chico Dan's reply.

The question was not IF venting is needed... the question was, can the venting be to the interior of the living space.

While OP did say that he would not mind the added heat to the living quarters, I also like having an option to vent to outside... but according to one source, the outside temperature average (in Reykjavík) in summer is +10°C (50°F) but the highs go up to 25°C (77°F). So I guess if the heat were always added to the living quarters it would not be a problem. What a different environment from mine! I wonder how often a fridge is even needed at all.

[Jon Vermilye]

Originally Posted by CarlD

One more thought. I have an electric only fridge vented to the inside. My fridge only dissipates 40 watts when it is running, your fridge will probably be considerably more. On warm days, and nights, I wish my fridge were vented to the outside. Since you are in essence creating a new installation, I suggest you look at some way you could install a mechanism you could adjust so the fridge can vent inside or outside.

2X.

Starting from scratch, I'd look a an upper outside vent with a baffle that could be flipped to an inside opening.

[Arthur II]

.


Since there are gases in the refrigeration system
even without propane, I would still vent to the
outside in case of a leak.


Just personal preference for safety.




.

[CHICO DAN]

A bee in everybodies bonnet !
I understand the move of modern RV manufacturers to 12V Compressor driven refrigeration. Just recently 12

[CHICO DAN]

A bee in everybodies bonnet !
I understand the move of modern RV manufacturers to 12V Compressor driven refrigeration with the improvements in efficient variable speed and motor technology.
Absorbtion cooling with propane is reliable good choice for boondocking.
Absorbtion cooling with a 12V heating coil just makes no sense to me.
Our RV battery systems do not have adequate storage for an almost constant 5amp draw from a resistance heater ?
Maybe as you are traveling in your vehicle....
Then you Stop for a dayhike....The alternator Stops charging...Your fridge runs on the House battery AND your vehicle Start battery....Runs them BOTH down..and you are STUCK !

[redbarron55]

Vent the electric compressor fridge to the inside of the camper. There will not be a problem in the warm weather as you will either run the A/C or vent with the windows open and the vent on the roof (maybe with a fan).
The added heat from the fridge will be insignificant.
Every vent to the outside creates another place for leaks and bug ingress.
All I have ever had in my Scamp has been electric compressor refrigerators and it has never been a problem with the added heat, Of course we generally are hooked up and we have solar power for off grid.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by sigurd

...
I have an old Electrolux gas/12v/230v fridge that I'm thinking about using only as a 230v fridge.
....

Originally Posted by redbarron55

Vent the electric compressor fridge to the inside of the camper. ...

OP said that he has a fridge that runs on gas so it must be an absorption type and NOT a compressor type. If one has a electric compressor type then that is a totally different situation. A compressor fridge needs to have airflow around the unit but the issue of venting inside vs outside is moot.

[Lloyd (aka Santa) Coltman]

A few years back, we obtained (for our late grandson) an 'Alaskan' 10 foot camper (pump-up), that came stock with a 'Dometic' 3-way 'Cube' fridge. The fridge had an outside 'Intake' vent (uncovered when camper raised), but the 'Exhaust' vent was through the cabinet top (in front of the opening portion of the side window). We never operated the fridge on gas (all lines removed). It did work on shore power though, and heat build-up wasn't a terrible problem, if the window and roof vent were open. Note: It's 10:30AM, and current temp is 32C (90F)

[CHICO DAN]

My last RV had a Dometic 2way fridge with side inlet and roof exhaust.
The fridge would fail to above 40F inside as the outside temp in the Desert went above 90F.
OK for beer..bad for food spoilage.
The Casita Spirit has exterior wall the bottom side inlet and top side outlet.
I saw a real potential problem with adequate ventilation. And...Dometic recommends the installation of a vent fan in the back coil section.
The fan has an On/Off and limit switch which turns the fan On above 95F.
Works great and does the fridge ventilation job.
As I camp in the AZ desert for 6 months out of the year I was not looking forward to another fridge failure.
You can view the installation pics in my Casita Profects Post in the Modification Forum.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by sigurd

Hi everybody,

I have an old Electrolux gas/12v/230v fridge that I'm thinking about using only as a 230v fridge.

Since I hate all holes and filled up the old vent holes, since I'm relocating the fridge, I was wondering how important it is to have a vent to the outside if I'm only planning to use it as an electric fridge?

I live in Iceland so if the vent is mainly about getting leading heat to the outside, then that's probably not going to be a problem here since, well, it's cold as hell and I wouldn't mind it heating up the caravan.

I read your first thread; what a project!

First, absorption refrigerators typically have ammonia in them. You will need to look into the Electrolux to see what they use. You don't want to be in a confined space if ammonia ever leaks.

https://www.health.ny.gov/environmen...monia_tech.htm


Secondly, I found the lineage of the absorption process interesting as Electrolux apparently spun off Dometic.

Commercial production began in 1923 by the newly formed company AB Arctic, which was bought by Electrolux in 1925. In the 1960s, absorption refrigeration saw a renaissance due to the substantial demand for refrigerators for caravans (travel trailers). AB Electrolux established a subsidiary in the United States, named Dometic Sales Corporation. The company marketed refrigerators for recreational vehicles (RVs) under the Dometic brand. In 2001, Electrolux sold most of its leisure products line to the venture-capital company EQT which created Dometic as a stand-alone company.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator

Third, the absorption process requires adding heat in specific locations and, and then removing it from other locations in order to not defeat the intent of refrigeration; refer to the thermal image in the Wiki link above.

Casita's have notoriously poor installations which do not conform to the manufacturer's requirements and fail to properly baffle the airflow; this is why they often don't refrigerate properly. Casita then promotes the use of fans to compensate for their poor installations.

You might want to try mocking up your intended approach to see how it works.