Residential Refrigerator in RV - RV Enthusiast Magazine

Residential Refrigerator in RV

by | Oct 11, 2021 | Pro Tip, RVEXPERT

Photo by Tom Dougherty
Let’s face it, dust is a fact of life no matter where you live, and some places are worse than others.
But RVs can suffer far more than a stationary home because of the road travel, camping in varying locations with varying climates, which can be additionally dusty. The fact that an RV is a confined space allows debris and dirt to be more concentrated than in a fixed-base home.
Inside of a dirty refrigerator
This image of the rear of a one-year-old fifth-wheel’s residential refrigerator is full of thick dust, which is suffocating the air flow around the compressor and condenser coils. This not only compromises the efficiency of the unit, but can cause premature cooling system failure. Remember, a clean machine is a happy machine!

Dust accumulates thickly in many spots inside an RV including the air-conditioner, furnace, ceiling fans and roof fans. Residential refrigerators are especially susceptible to dust attraction, as you can see in the attached image, when operating inside an RV that is used for extended travel or full time living.

Removing a residential refrigerator from the cabinet can be a challenge. Tom Dougherty, whose filthy fridge is pictured here, fabricated a ramp that aided in removing the unit from the slideout cabinet (not shown). Before removing, turn off the water supply to the fridge if you have an icemaker, and determine where and how it is plugged in, connected to the water source, and how it is secured in the cabinet.

Use your onboard vac or a shop or canister vac with decent suction to clean the back and underside of the fridge. Clean the cabinet thoroughly also, and check connections in the back before replacing the unit. Note that it may help to remove the service panel in the rear to clean more thoroughly. Unplug the power before attempting this.

When your filthy fridge is freshened up, be sure to secure it back in the cabinet the way it came out and test everything to make sure all is working as expected.

TIP:
Does the inside need cleaning? Clorox Wipes work very well for cleaning and sanitizing inside the refrigerator. If it’s going to be off and in storage, leave the doors to the fridge open after cleaning, and turn the power off to the fridge. This way it will dry and no mold or mildew will form.
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