scottrod31
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Fridge not working in the heat
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bullfrog !
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Additional air flow usually helps! Sometimes an additional fan helps as well.
Wow that really was packed with dust!
The cover design on that Alpicool is part of the issue, compared to my Engel it is a hideous design that allows a very minimal air flow and way too much dust and heat build up inside the cover.
Compare the photos, my compressor coils have vastly more free air movement on them. If that fridge is no longer under warranty and it was mine I would get to work and remove some of the plastic shroud material to improve air flow on the coils.
I built a custom full extension roll out of a ventilated cabinet support tray for my fridge. It is constructed with T 6061 aluminum angle. As you can see in the photo with it partly extended there is lots of air movement allowed at the compressor area. When extended out of the cabinets on the really hot afternoons it provides great airflow on the compressor coils on all sides including underneath while still providing very good support for the fridge. I thought that all out as part of my build design before I started my custom build as I knew I was going to be in Arizona and elsewhere and some weeks the temps would potentially be in the upper 90s.
A can of compressed air does a good job of removing dust from coils as ongoing maintenance a couple of times a year. That is how I clean mine. My second hand Engel fridge is 20 years old and still running great! I have been using it full time since I got it 3 years ago.
The cover design on that Alpicool is part of the issue, compared to my Engel it is a hideous design that allows a very minimal air flow and way too much dust and heat build up inside the cover.
Compare the photos, my compressor coils have vastly more free air movement on them. If that fridge is no longer under warranty and it was mine I would get to work and remove some of the plastic shroud material to improve air flow on the coils.
I built a custom full extension roll out of a ventilated cabinet support tray for my fridge. It is constructed with T 6061 aluminum angle. As you can see in the photo with it partly extended there is lots of air movement allowed at the compressor area. When extended out of the cabinets on the really hot afternoons it provides great airflow on the compressor coils on all sides including underneath while still providing very good support for the fridge. I thought that all out as part of my build design before I started my custom build as I knew I was going to be in Arizona and elsewhere and some weeks the temps would potentially be in the upper 90s.
A can of compressed air does a good job of removing dust from coils as ongoing maintenance a couple of times a year. That is how I clean mine. My second hand Engel fridge is 20 years old and still running great! I have been using it full time since I got it 3 years ago.
Last edited:
eDJ_
Well-known member
If it were mine........I'd get a cheap white bristle paintbrush at a dollar store (possibly a 1 inch up to a 3 inch width) and get to a car wash that has a decent Vacuum machine.
Get the machine going and using the brush, clean off as much as you can while holding the vacuum hose to the area you are working to clean. Get it as clean as you can before putting the cover back on it and try to clean it every couple of weeks. Keep an eye on it so you will get the full measure of your cooling.
I wouldn't suggest an air compressor with hose and nozzle to blow thru the coil unless the fridge was outside the rig. (you'd have dust all over everything inside the rig)
Get the machine going and using the brush, clean off as much as you can while holding the vacuum hose to the area you are working to clean. Get it as clean as you can before putting the cover back on it and try to clean it every couple of weeks. Keep an eye on it so you will get the full measure of your cooling.
I wouldn't suggest an air compressor with hose and nozzle to blow thru the coil unless the fridge was outside the rig. (you'd have dust all over everything inside the rig)
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