Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

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Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

January 14, 2021, 09:30:28 pm

I am thinking about changing my Norcold frig for a residential fridge to have the added capacity. However the 10 cubic feet residential frigs that I have looked at are freestanding fridges that say they should not be in enclosed spaces and that they need anywhere for 2 to 5 inches of room on the sides of the frig. I have no way of getting that much room on the sides. I can remove the blue foam board to get a little more room for air circulation but not 2 to 5 inches. How did you all get around this issue? Did you just put it in anyway cause it fit in the opening, and if you did, how has it run? Did it get hot or was it less efficient? Does having the rear and top vent negate the need for the side clearances?
Thanks for input in advance.
John

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #1 – January 14, 2021, 09:40:52 pm

John, install per manufacturer's requirements or don't use this type of refrigerator. If it has inadequate ventilation and clear ce it will run hot, use more power and probably fail sooner.

Most refrigerators use about the same amount of power to run. An earlier example today said their 10 cu ft one used 1800 watts per day. Our 19 cu ft Samsung uses less than that. It is 32" wide. We had 36". Installed with recommended clearance and added a pantry cabinet next to it. Side vent and roof vent are still functional. We appreciate the bigger refrig.

Your space may be different from ours, measure carefully, shop carefully, keep asking questions.

Good luck with this project. It is worth doing if it fits your lifestyle.

Another Samsung installed

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #2 – January 14, 2021, 09:51:22 pm

Roger thanks for the speedy reply. How did you have 36" of room for your fridge? Your rig is 36' same as mine and only one year older. It would be interesting to see your kitchen layout to see how Foretravel was able to give so much room for the frig.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #3 – January 14, 2021, 09:55:45 pm

Roger looked at your pics for install and it looks like where your fridge is where my frig and washer/dryer is located. Where did they put your washer/dryer or do you not have one?

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #4 – January 14, 2021, 10:02:19 pm

This is where the OEM Dometic was. We do not have the WD which would have used up 1/2 of one of our Bathroom closets.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #5 – January 14, 2021, 10:36:08 pm

I choose a 13 cubic foot Frigidaire and now out of your topic I might be a little little close to the roof. The frig could have been
put in a little lower with some modification but it works good. I will check it for ventilation when I get home. I closed in the roof
vent with insulation wood and fiber glass and filled behind the vent door with 2 inches of insulation.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #6 – January 14, 2021, 11:27:28 pm

Did a lot more research and was able to find two contenders that might work if you close one eye and don't read too much into the details. The first is Haier 9.8 cubic foot refidge. The owners manual states

Quote

PROPER AIR CIRCULATION• To ensure your refrigerator works at the maximum efficiency it was designed for, you should install it in a location where there is proper air circulation, plumbing and electrical connections. Your refrigerator is not designed to operate in temperatures below 55 ̊F (12 ̊C ) or above 95 ̊F (35 ̊C).• Do not install your refrigerator in any location not properly insulated or heated, e.g. garage, etc. Keep out of direct sunlight and away from heating sources such as radiators, heaters, and cooking appliances.• The following are recommended clearances around the refrigerator: Sides...............1" (25 mm) Top....................1" (25 mm)Back..................2" (50mm

When I remove the blue foam insulation I will probably have about an inch on each side; however, this particular fridge doesn't have the best reviews on longevity probably due to their smaller clearances.
The next contender is the Danby 9.2 cubic foot bottom freezer. The manual says

Quote

Avoid placing the unit in a narrow recess or near any heat source, direct sunlight, or moisture. Let air circulate freely around the unit. Keep the rear of the refrigerator 2 inches away from the wall. Location1)Select a place with a strong, level floor.2)Allow 2 inches of space between the back of the refrigerator and any adjacent wall.

It doesn't mention side clearances, but it does say not to put in narrow recess.
Looked at built in fridge and the prices were ridiculous (2000 to 4500 dollars) but some only needed an 1/8 inch clearance. At those prices I might as well buy the 12v Furrion or Dometic fridge, but the Furrion ($1200) has horrible reviews and Forrest River has stopped installing Furrion because they have had so many problems. The Dometic is $1500 dollars and is so new that I can't find real use reviews, but surprisingly is available in my area with a one day delivery window. Neither fridge mentions additional clearances needed for sides and are designed to fit into the same size openings as the propane type fridge.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #7 – January 15, 2021, 12:01:41 am

I plan to be working in Yellowstone this April through November (thus the need for a larger fridge as it is over a 2 hr drive to get groceries, so would like to load up frig in order to go 3 to 4 weeks between trips) and temps will often be in the 30s or lower even in August. This brings me to another question for those with a residential or 12v compressor fridge. Ever manual I have looked at states that the fridge should not be expose to temps below 50 degrees F as it will not work correctly (in April it could be as low as 0 degrees F with high for the day in the low 30s). What do you all do when it gets cold? Do you close up the back vents or does it stay warm enough back there that it isn't affected?

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #8 – January 15, 2021, 12:31:24 am

Make sure the refrig door clears the sliding door track.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #9 – January 15, 2021, 08:48:28 am

Quote

Make sure the refrig door clears the sliding door track.

Not a problem with the layout Foretravel put in the 2002 U270. The washer/dryer is between the frig and the pocket door for bathroom and the heater is below frig. That is why I have nowhere near the room you do for a frig.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #10 – January 15, 2021, 09:18:32 am

Quote from: jbeem – January 15, 2021, 12:01:41 am

Ever manual I have looked at states that the frig should not be expose to temps below 50 degrees F as it will not work correctly (in April it could be as low as 0 degrees F with high for the day in the low 30s). What do you all do when it gets cold?

We closed the vent in the side wall behind the fridge with a moveable sliding panel. We could open it if desired, but in actual fact we have always left it closed for 6 years, and our Samsung works just fine. If you don't let outside air in through the vent, then the fridge sees the same interior temps as you do. Set your heater(s) to keep it above 50 degrees in the coach and you are good to go.

Our Days Spent in Remodel Shop

PS: We did find the sliding vent cover handy when we had a solar install done on our coach. It was necessary to totally disconnect the inverter and shore power circuits for several days, and our fridge was stuffed with food. The techs simply opened the sliding vent panel and plugged the fridge directly into an extension cord to keep the food cold.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #11 – January 15, 2021, 09:38:29 am

If your clearance is less than required could you put in a muffin fan to improve the air moving? They use very little power and move a surprising amount of air for their size. It might be possible to wire it so it only runs when the compressor is running, if that wiring is accessible. Or put it on a switch so you can turn it on when needed.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #12 – January 15, 2021, 01:36:29 pm

I bought a residential refrigerator that had exposed rear coils/cooling tubes. Mounted it tight on the sides and top, and set the bottom on the existing platform. The rear of the refrigerator is basically open to the vented area that receives air flow from the side vent panel (in), then, exiting up through the top roof vent. Have had it installed and running for over three (3) years without any problems, Freezer @ -7, refrigerator @ 35 to 40 in any weather. I think exposed rear cooling coils is the key to proper cooling in our motorhome applications. ( hope I don't Junks myself with this post

)

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #13 – January 15, 2021, 02:23:38 pm

I've tried looking around for fridges with rear coils and except for 12v ones haven't been able to find any. Do you all know of some models with the rear coils? Whirlpool used to have one, but it has been discontinued.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #14 – January 15, 2021, 07:41:35 pm

JBEEM, we installed a LG, I think it is a 12 Cu ft but it may be smaller it has open real coils that are down low with a fan. I mounted an additional fan to blow outside air in coils during hot summer weather. I also put I vent cover in the roof vent that I can open from the inside and it has a muffin fan to help pull hot air out from behind refrigerator. The vent cover that is at the back of the refrigerator has a 1" thick sliding foam panel that can be closed in winter and opened in summer. LG was not my first choice but it was the only one that I could find that was the size I wanted. We put. pull out pantry shelving beside the refrigerator
good luck on your install
Chris

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #15 – January 15, 2021, 07:55:41 pm

I went out and check the back of my frig and didn't find any excess heat but I will pull it out anyway and pull the stereophone out
on the front side. The rear side is the pantry so it's really cool. Thanks again for this post as I learnt something new.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #16 – January 15, 2021, 08:36:21 pm

Mine is a 9.3 and I have vent room up the rear and air enters from the bottom. As it sits up about 8 in on a platform.
Look up "What fridge fits through the door" 24 in wide, bottom freezer. Love it . 3 yrs now.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #17 – January 15, 2021, 09:43:16 pm

We put in a Whirlpool (I think) several years ago. It does have the exposed coils on the back. FOT did the install. Ours is ~10 cu. ft. We chose it mainly because, with the doors off, it could come in the coach door. It is not as wide as the old RV unit that died, so we ended up with extra cupboards next to the fridge.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #18 – January 16, 2021, 10:07:35 am

We put in a Liebherr. Fit through the door, has awesome hinges that allow it to be flushed to the cabinets and (if I remember correctly) venting was an inch on each side with more needed on top if venting/air flow into your room.

https://youtu.be/T1LOVKPgvCw]

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #19 – January 18, 2021, 08:07:03 am

we replaced an old fridge with a new samsung fridge and only have about 3/4" on the sides but have 1.5" under , 3" at the back and 3 "above so I installed a muffin fan (120 v ) at the top of the opening at the rear of the fridge that I have on a switch to bring hot air out of the cavity . If you can get a little more room at the bottom of the fridge to allow more fresh air to get under the fridge as on most fridges that is where the air is supplied to cool the fridge
crappy pic of the old fridge

Shared album - Google user - Google Photos

dave

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #20 – June 21, 2021, 10:43:20 pm

For those of you that have installed residential refrigerators and dedicated inverters....did you install a ATS to switch between inverter and shore/generator power or do you run on the inverter all the time?

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #21 – June 21, 2021, 11:56:01 pm

Ralph, my refrigerator and all of the front end electronics (tv etc) run on a dedicated sufficiently sized inverter all the time. I can switch that circuit to the bigger inverter or to the landline with a manual switch but normally don't do that. Solar is sufficient for daily recharge so no landline charging. Start batteries are also maintained by solar.

Bottom line for us is significantly less land line power use when we are plugged in, 50% or less.

A double pole double throw center off switch lets you select one inverter or the other. If you pick the main inverter nd connect to a land line or generator you will use that source. They are about $50.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #22 – June 22, 2021, 06:33:46 am

Quote from: Ralph – June 21, 2021, 10:43:20 pm

.did you install a ATS to switch between inverter and shore/generator power or do you run on the inverter all the time?

We installed a manual transfer switch.

Mike

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #23 – June 22, 2021, 08:36:12 am

Quote from: Ralph – June 21, 2021, 10:43:20 pm

For those of you that have installed residential refrigerators and dedicated inverters....did you install a ATS to switch between inverter and shore/generator power or do you run on the inverter all the time?

We've had ours since May and love it. We do not use a switch and the fridge-dedicated inverter is always on.

Re: Question for those who have installed a residential refrigerator

Reply #24 – June 22, 2021, 08:44:37 am

Jeff,

When you say your inverter is always on, does it have a 120 VAC feed from the breaker box and a built-in ATS so that when on shore power, the shore power is just "passed through" the inverter to power the refrigerator?

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