Journey Fridge not keeping cold on gas or 240v in hot (35c)

Mintox

Member
Oct 20, 2013
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Perth
Hi

I was wondering if the attached image of the fridge heat exhaust being so close to the cover would impact on its performance. I remember the Swift has one but it seems to be further back. Does anyone know if it would affect performance of the fridge (Jayco Poptop 16ft Journey).
fridge heat exhaust.jpg

Cheers

Shane
 

Boots in Action

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2017
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Ferny Grove, Queensland
Hi

I was wondering if the attached image of the fridge heat exhaust being so close to the cover would impact on its performance. I remember the Swift has one but it seems to be further back. Does anyone know if it would affect performance of the fridge (Jayco Poptop 16ft Journey).
View attachment 60192

Cheers

Shane

Hi @Mintox , I doubt that the problem would be just because exhaust was too close to cover as long as all the hot air is directed to the outside with minimal restrictions. At 35C, your heat exchange fridge would be working hard whether on gas or 240 volts. Some other issues which have been mentioned before on this forum are:
How level is fridge in van? For maximum operation, it MUST be vertical (front to back) plus or minus only 6 degrees, and within only 3 degrees from horizontal from side to side (draw bar to rear of van). Outside these limits reduces efficiency considerably. How hot is the area around the fridge?? Is side of van with fridge in the sun?? Keeping this area cool is a good idea - shade cloth etc. Also, @Drover has advised, the whole area around the fridge at the back should be sealed off so that ALL hot air is directed out of the top vent and not allowed to stagnate in closed in corners etc around back of fridge. Air flow in cooling at the back is critical and the more air that can be moved IN through the bottom vent and directed OUT the top vent after passing through the fins of the evaporator at the top of unit, the better. Suggest 12 volt computer fans or the like to do this - very cheap and easy to install by connecting to 12 volt line and tying fans to vents with zip ties. Plenty of examples on this forum with pictures too. I have two 120mm fans (the lower one pulling air in and the top one pushing air out) thermostatically controlled and they do a great job for me up here in sunny Queensland even when temps get up around the 30 C mark. Hope this helps or at least gets you thinking about some of these issues on how to improve cooling in very hot conditions. Good luck.
 
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Mintox

Member
Oct 20, 2013
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Perth
Hi @Mintox , I doubt that the problem would be just because exhaust was too close to cover as long as all the hot air is directed to the outside with minimal restrictions. .......... I have two 120mm fans (the lower one pulling air in and the top one pushing air out) thermostatically controlled and they do a great job for me up here in sunny Queensland even when temps get up around the 30 C mark. Hope this helps or at least gets you thinking about some of these issues on how to improve cooling in very hot conditions. Good luck.

You've got me thinking about how to cool it now. I havent taken the vents off but will do that at some point and have a look inside. I dont trust Jayco to do anything right. I'll probably do as you have done and fit some small fans inside to move the air around a bit. My van is usually kept very level, front to rear and side to side. Thats not to say I am doing it within degrees but I reckon its close to those parameters. Cheers for the ideas.
 

Drover

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Nov 7, 2013
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So long as the bubbles on the level are inside the lines all should be okay, what happens if not level is the ammonia will pool and you loose the natural flow of fluid and loss of cooling .

You should have a fridge manual which will detail the fitting instructions of the unit, many times the units aren't fitted correctly, som a read of that and a squiz behind the vents will confirm if its been fitted correctly but even with the rear all correctly fitted, fans installed they will drop in performance over 30 deg.

As Boots mentioned there are a number of detailed threads describing how to mod the fridge with rear fans and stuff.

When I get home from this run I will be pulling my unit out and seeing what else I can do to insulate the outer wall and make a better flue, all to improve the air flow and dissipate the heat, have to keep it balanced though as they operate around the 50 deg mark.
 

Mintox

Member
Oct 20, 2013
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Perth
So long as the bubbles on the level are inside the lines all should be okay, what happens if not level is the ammonia will pool and you loose the natural flow of fluid and loss of cooling .
k.

Cheers for the feedback guys. I really appreciate it. I figured I couldn't be the only one to have issues with their fridge. Funny thing is the Swift I have the fridge in that has always worked, even in 35 degree heat without issue so I figured there had to be a reason for the larger fridge to play up a bit. Anyway its given me something to do on the weekend.

Cheers
 

mikerezny

Well-Known Member
Sep 11, 2016
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Mount Waverley, VIC
Hi @Mintox,
in order to be more helpful, could you provide some more detail on the problem you are having with the fridge?
Ambient temperature, how long the fridge was operating for, fridge and freezer temperature. What did the fridge and freezer have in i?
Has the fridge always performed poorly or has been working and then suddenly stopped working correctly?

On gas, the exhaust flue will be too hot to touch. On 240V and 12V, the flue will not be as hot.

cheers
Mike
 

Boots in Action

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2017
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Ferny Grove, Queensland
Well guys I think I have found a quick solution that doesnt require me to wire up anything and should work all the time:

https://www.caravansplus.com.au/solar-powered-fridge-fan-with-panel-p-3647.html

Remember @Mintox that it is solar powered and will not work in shade or at night. A permanent 12 volt power source, switched if necessary and/or thermostat controlled is a better option - and far cheaper too. And you do not have to be an electrical expert to do it either.