Residential fridge

Topic: Residential fridge (Read 12644 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #25 – August 22, 2011, 09:47:33 pm

I installed a fridge similar to what Merle has the pictures of a year ago. Mine is 19 inches wide so it's easy to get into the coach, and into the old fridge area. I spent an extra $20 or so and got the extended warranty but so far it's worked flawlessly. Couple of things, I had to create a door latch using self adhesive Velcro on the big door to assure it stayed closed if something fell against it from the inside. Since it was so much narrower, it gets no support from the side walls, so I reinforced the floor as it was pretty flimsy, and braced across the top. The braces then formed a base for a shelf above the fridge since it was about 10 inches shorter than the original. I trimmed around the edges with oak to finish it off.

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #26 – August 23, 2011, 02:27:58 am

Does this frigidaire have a ice maker option?

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #27 – August 23, 2011, 08:29:06 am

Our $350 Whirlpool refrigerator from Lowe's does not have an ice maker option. Our ice maker is four covered ice cube trays that freeze in a half day and we dump them into a plastic bag. Ice makers take up too much space for a small fridge in our opinion, not to mention maintenance and water line issues.

There are many ways to keep refrigerator doors secure while driving. Here are some photos of our removable door latch.

Electric refrigerators do not have to be kept level, another benefit to go along with self defrosting. They cannot be damaged by being out of level.

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #28 – August 23, 2011, 08:58:06 am

Barry, do you have any concerns pertaining to the movement of the compressor, that is usually rubber mounted, but still would constantly be moving when underway. jc

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #29 – August 23, 2011, 09:02:32 am

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We put a piece of 2' square weld steel plate on cabinet floor for reinforcement.

Thanks for all the info on your residential refer changeover Barry.

One question: why did you use the steel plate under the new refer? Isn't the new one lighter than the original?

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #30 – August 23, 2011, 10:39:28 am

Another modification we made was to shorten the two top plastic stand-offs that hold the rear condenser coil so it does not lean so far away from the back of the fridge. I shortened the mounting screws also.

We did this to keep the coils from touching the back wall of the cabinet, as we really were not sure how much room we had. And if the refrigerator settles down in the back a little we still had ample space between coil and wall.
The original design has the coils close to the fridge back at the bottom and further away at the top. We just made it the same distance at the top and bottom. Care has to be made as the coils are fragile at the bottom.

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #31 – August 23, 2011, 10:39:30 am

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Why did you use the steel plate under the new refer? Isn't the new one lighter than the original?

We think you can't have enough of a good thing, so overbuilding is usually a good choice.
The floor under the fridge is really not that strong and over 15 years of moisture from original fridge, the bottom is not a strong when the coach was new.
The bottom of the propane fridge and bottom of the electric fridge are differently built so the floor has to carry the weight in different places. I don't remember how the propane was built, but the electric fridge carries 100% of the weight on two 2-inch runners that are located under left and right fridge walls
Rather than analyze the condition of the floor, I figured some reinforcement was in order.
And when I saw a perfect size piece of metal that goes completely side to side, we figured it was cheap insurance.

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Do you have any concerns pertaining to the movement of the compressor that is usually rubber mounted, but still would constantly be moving when underway?

This is a good question among other concerns over using a fridge built for stick-homes in a home on wheels. We figured we really did not know what problems we would find with the switch. But if the electric fridge broke or there were some other insurmountable problems, we figured it was worth the risk to give it a try. And if it turned out to be a bad choice, we would be out $350 and then buy a new propane fridge.

The compressor is rubber mounted, but can only move very little. And our Foretravels are known for a smooth ride. If we leave papers on the table, they are usually still there when we get to our destination. We run the fridge on our inverter while driving so the compressor is working all the time. No problem with five months of use.

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #32 – August 23, 2011, 08:32:26 pm

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – August 23, 2011, 08:29:06 am

There are many ways to keep refrigerator doors secure while driving. Here are some photos of our removable door latch.

One should be careful when drilling into refrigerators as there could be a refrigerant line or wiring behind the outer case. A principal at a high school I worked in told the janitor to put a padlock on an expensive refrig in the home economics department. He promptly drilled into a refrigerant line ruining the refrig.

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #33 – August 24, 2011, 08:45:27 am

I couldn't agree with Jerry more about drilling holes in fridge. We also would never drill a hole so if we wanted to turn off the heater, we would mount a switch inside, instead of running wires to an outside switch. Also holes would compromise the insulation.

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #34 – August 24, 2011, 02:01:40 pm

Hey Barry,

When I first looked at your latch to keep both doors, I, too, thought you drilled holes to attached it. So, I am guessing that you used existing screws. Is that correct?
BTW, I am impressed at the way you installed the fridge with concerns for coils and support on the floor. Job well done.

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #35 – August 24, 2011, 02:18:42 pm

Since house fridges don't have any flange to be able to hold it in place, how about mounting a stop(s) behind the fridge where you could then install a quick release(s) to be able to R&R and still have a clean installation in the front?

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #36 – August 24, 2011, 05:14:17 pm

Quote from: Rudy – August 20, 2011, 04:30:09 pm

"Keeps my Blue Bell ice cream nice and firm"

Ahh now we know the way to Rudy's heart. <g>

Jerry and I are very impressed with our and I love that there is no noise coming from the frig like some of the others we have had in the past!
Jerry had a mirror etched with a desert scene to fill the gap over the top and it looks really nice.

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #37 – September 17, 2011, 10:45:55 am

Finally got to the fridge swap in my 91 U225. I have the booth dinette, which means the fridge is on the passenger side above the central vac. Despite measuring everything as well as I could, I was deceived by the flanges and the control panel on top as to the size of the opening. As you can't see anything in there until you do remove the old unit, there was no way to know what I had to work with.

The old one came out without a fuss. Took about 45 minutes with a helper. We removed the doors first, and got the fridge out the side entry door with a little room on each side. It weighs about the same as the new one. The opening, it turns out, was a shade narrow, which is not a problem, and deep enough, which is good, but 3 inches short in height. No way to open this up without cutting into the central vac compartment.

Can't say I'm all that thrilled with the central vac. Changing the small bags provides a fine opportunity to recite one's collection of curses, the hose had several splits in it, and filters don't seem to be available anymore. In considering a possible smaller replacement unit and redoing the space, it seems most folks aren't very happy with their RV central vacs at all. I have a nice Lindhaus upright in my closet in the house - it was decided it would take the place of the existing unit. The new fridge would now sit on the coach floor, with the remaining space above made into a storage cubbty.

Removed the fridge support floor, which is also the top of the central vac compartment. Not much there - a 1 inch pine frame, and two pieces of 1/4 inch luan plywood with a piece of 3/4 inch blue stryrofoam in between. That's all that was supporting the fridge. The tambour door assembly was also removed. What's left of the face frame will be cut out to provide a 24 inch opening for the fridge.

Steve

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #38 – September 17, 2011, 11:13:53 am

Now onto something near and dear to my heart - energy efficiency. I was very disappointed to see how this area was insulated. Please see attached pics.

Although 3/4 inch styrofoam insulation was fitted to the side walls, it did not fill all the openings. Not even close. Also, as this area is open to outside air for ventilation, the side walls and floor can be classed as exterior walls. As such, there should be a vapor barrier present. What's there now isn't doing much of anything.

The plan is to reinsulate this area with foil faced foam insulation, the foil facing the interior of the coach. All openings and gaps will be filled with expanding foam and trimmed. Then a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier will be added, all the staple rows covered in Tyvek tape. The floor will also have a layer of insulation, and a vapor barrier, topped with some 3/4 pressure treated plywood which the fridge will sit on. The lower side walls were part of the central vac cabinet (the black plywood panels at the bottom), and as such have no insulation. The panels will be pulled and insulation will be added.

Once the fridge is fitted the gaps all around the exposed area will be stuffed with foam backer rod and trimmed with some walnut to cover the seam. More insulation will be added behind and on top of the cubby opening, which will not be all that deep to leave a ventilation path open. The fridge will be secure by fastening the rear frame to the floor in some manner, accessible via the vent opening.

The propane line will be disconnected at the manifold and everything will be capped. The upper outlet is no longer needed and will be removed. The lower box and receptacle, and junction box, will be replaced and the wiring cleaned up.

Time to get my jigsaw and get busy. More to come.

Steve

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #39 – September 20, 2011, 08:15:13 pm

Some progress made in the last couple of days. The opening has been cut out, old insulation removed and the area cleaned up. Found some Dow Tuff-R 3/4 inch insulation with foil facing on both sides at a local builder supply outlet. As this material can be used as a vapor barrier, there's no need for anything else. The panels were glued in and the seams all taped up with Tyvek tape.

At this point what remains is to re-caulk the seams along the outside walls, redo some of the AC wiring, finish the floor, and the space will be ready for the new fridge. Then the cubby needs to be finished. More when it's done.

Steve

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #40 – October 14, 2011, 05:58:47 pm

Greetings,

Been awhile since I updated this project; weather has been a factor (endless rain, it seems), as well as some work where you actually get paid something.

Work is almost done to where the fridge can be installed - just need to complete a subfloor.

Although water isn't supposed to get in there, the lower part of the back wall, where the central vac once was, was walnut panelling and it showed some deterioration from moisture/water entry. Cleaned everything up, recaulked the seams, and spent $12 on a roll of foil faced waterproofing tape. The walnut panelling was covered with foil-faced self adhesive duct insulation material - had a 1/2 roll laying around, had to cover the panelling with something, what the heck.

All the wiring was encased with split loom tubing, and the electrical was reworked with new receptacles and surface mount boxes (there is enough space at the bottom of the fridge for all this to clear). In the course of wrapping and securing the wire bundles, my exterior outlet popped out the side of the coach. Seems the only thing holding it in there was the paint. Sigh...

Probably a good thing. The existing outlet show signs of overheating (soot, melting, a crack). This type of outlet, once made by Thomas and Betts, does not need an electrical box, and is no longer available (I did not call FT to see if they had any left). Decided to use a box and a standard GFI outlet with outdoor cover. However, the old cover was larger, which left a big ugly spot. Made an escutcheon plate out of aluminum, matched the paint as best I could with what was available, added some clear coat, screwed it together and sealed the seam with silicone. Doesn't look too horrible.

The propane line in the fridge bay was in the way of mounting the electrical boxes, so it was cut and capped where it ran flat along the floor. Before I cut it, I disconnected all three 3/8 lines at the propane mandifold, put a piece of masking tape over each end, then used some compressed air and an an air gun at the fridge bay to blow through the line. The tape blew off at the other end, and I now knew which line went to the fridge. I put a plug in the line and capped the manifold, and tie-wrapped the two ends together to secure them. The other two lines were reconnected. Soap bubble leak test to follow.

Back soon with more.
Steve

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #41 – October 24, 2011, 08:40:42 pm

So, finally.. the fridge is installed. Apologies for the lousy pics.

Just clears the side entry door of my 91 U225 going in. The fridge doors had to be removed to get it in place - the aisle is too narrow otherwise. Relative to the enlarged opening, it's a good fit, with about an inch of clearance in the back at the top where the coils stick out the most, and about an 1/8 inch on each side. Found that the doors just swing clear of the cabinets on the opposite side.

All that remains now is turn the space above the fridge into a storage area. Shouldn't be too much more work. Worth the time and effort. Few more pics when it's completed.

Steve

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #42 – October 25, 2011, 10:52:55 am

Had a flash this morning - they seem to be happening with less frequency as I get older...

I've been trying to come up with a good spot for the inverter I plan to install. Needed to be near the batteries, but not in the same compartment, and needed ventilation as they can get pretty hot with sustained use. Ding, ding! How about raising the fridge up and using the space below? Already vented, and right on top of the battery bank. Probably the best place in the coach for this.

Glad I haven't started finishing the space yet. Sometimes being slow to get to things is good.

Steve

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #43 – October 25, 2011, 09:25:43 pm

This AM I was going to ask why you did not raise the frig....Now, what a wonderful idea,,,a heater under the frig to keep it warm.....Lil humor,,very little.

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #44 – October 25, 2011, 09:37:24 pm

Quote from: Merle Hench – October 25, 2011, 10:52:55 am

Had a flash this morning - they seem to be happening with less frequency as I get older...

I wish they were less frequent! Oops, wrong kind of flash

Ahem... back on topic....Even if you don't use the space for an inverter, raising the fridge would give you some useful storage space for pots, pans, small appliances, etc. Our '03 has 2 pull outs below the fridge. I keep the toaster oven in one and almost all my bakeware in the other.

Michelle

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #45 – October 25, 2011, 09:59:22 pm

Starr had me bookmark that one for a future order!

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #46 – October 26, 2011, 06:34:53 am

Quote from: sgkarnes – October 25, 2011, 09:25:43 pm

This AM I was going to ask why you did not raise the frig....Now, what a wonderful idea,,,a heater under the frig to keep it warm.....Lil humor,,very little.

It's ok Gary - I got it.

Fridge seemed ok on the ground, although you need to bend down low to get to the bottom. At the time it seemed easier to build a storage space above with whatever room was left, rather than build a raised floor leaving just enough room to slide the fridge in.

With the side vent and roof vent airflow will be good, which is why this spot seemed ideal. Might get warm in there in peak summer - if need be, I'll add some muffin fans to help keep things cool.

Steve

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #47 – October 26, 2011, 06:43:26 am

Quote from: Steve & Michelle – October 25, 2011, 09:37:24 pm

Quote from: Merle Hench – October 25, 2011, 10:52:55 am
Had a flash this morning - they seem to be happening with less frequency as I get older...

I wish they were less frequent! Oops, wrong kind of flash

Ahem... back on topic....Even if you don't use the space for an inverter, raising the fridge would give you some useful storage space for pots, pans, small appliances, etc. Our '03 has 2 pull outs below the fridge. I keep the toaster oven in one and almost all my bakeware in the other.

Michelle

Love the t-shirt.

The more I consider it, the more I like the idea of the inverter in there. Not only is it close to the batteries, and the space vented, the wiring for the bedroom gen start switch runs through there, so I can tap it to connect the inverter gen start module. Might even be some space left for some odds and ends. Just need to fabricate an insulated cover panel for the opening.

Steve

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #48 – November 14, 2011, 06:28:12 pm

No one could attempt DIY projects without your fabulous Forum help. Thank you.
Two questions -
First - our coach has three 8D batteries and a Freedom 25 Inverter / Battery Charger whose output is 'modified sine wave' - will this configuration handle the intransit refrigerator running with the compressor starting and stopping? Is anyone using this with their new fridge?

Second - to keep from running the inverter full time while on shore power am planning to install a switch that will allow using the 120v plug that is supplied by the inverter while driving and then switching to the shore power 120v plug while camped. Has anyone used this method?

Thanks for the great help. Bill

Re: Residential fridge

Reply #49 – November 14, 2011, 06:55:27 pm

Bill,

Check, but I suspect your Freedom 25 has a "pass through" feature (basically a build in transfer switch). When your inverter is supplied with 120 VAC from shore power or generator it merely "passes that 120 VAC through" to circuits supplied by the inverter. So the inverter is not using battery power and inverting it to supply those outlets, it is using shore or generator power.

If you do have this feature, one less thing you need to do.

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