Nothing worse than a broken fridge

[lmwilco1]

There is nothing worse that getting ready to head out for 3 weeks and finding out that your fridge is not working. It is an 85L Isotherm compressor fridge. It cooled down when I turned on, then it warmed up and the compressor runs constantly. I guess I will have to use my Dometic portable fridge in the camper and a regular ice chest in the cab.

Not the best way to start a trip.

 

[camelracer]

Yes there is something worse. That's having a fridge full of food quit at San Ignacio Lagoon.

 

[Smokecreek1]

------Or at the Virgin Valley CG in the Sheldon WLR in Northern Nevada! One positive outcome, however, was that inspired me to go solar and replace the broken 3-Way with a new compression frig!

Smoke

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

------Or at the Virgin Valley CG in the Sheldon WLR in Northern Nevada! One positive outcome, however, was that inspired me to go solar and replace the broken 3-Way with a new compression frig!

Smoke

Seems like I recall that trip. Alarms going off, lots of excitement.

 

[lmwilco1]

So the fridge is an isotherm 85L, the freezer is a compartment inside the fridge space. The freezer is working fine but the fridge gets warm. Are the walls of the fridge cooled or is the freezer supposed to keep the entire fridge cold? The walls in mine are not cooling at all.

 

[craig333]

Did it ice up? That might prevent the transfer of cold properly. When mine quit it didn't cool at all.

 

[lmwilco1]

I did not see any ice on the freezer and the fridge walls are warm.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Here’s a link to a repair clinic with possible causes.

 

[lmwilco1]

I shut off the fridge overnight and turned it back on in the morning and it had been working perfectly. This is a great time of year to visit Grand Teton NP.

 

[Colorado Mark]

So the fridge is an isotherm 85L, the freezer is a compartment inside the fridge space. The freezer is working fine but the fridge gets warm. Are the walls of the fridge cooled or is the freezer supposed to keep the entire fridge cold? The walls in mine are not cooling at all.

Its just the freezer section that gets cooled by the refrigerant from the compressor..

The big box below with your milk & vegetables is along for the ride with any cooling that works its way down.

I came up with a couple fixes for my Isotherm compressor fridge. . . . Carefully take apart the freezer section (from inside) Move the capillary tube for temperature sensing from being mounted to the metal freezer box to the larger refrigerator section.

It may run more but now it actually cools.

Add one of those small battery powered fans.

My refrigerator will now cool to 38 all day long on the hottest day.

I'll snap a picture later whee I moved the capillary tube to.

 

[Vic Harder]

Adding a fan is a great idea. I had one of those battery powered ones. Got tired of replacing batteries. I wired in a small 2" squirrel fan that runs whenever the compressor runs and stuck the fan to the side of the fridge by the freezer.