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Old 13-02-2020, 23:22   #31
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

Could it be the temperature if its not a leak? I had similar problems with my freezer on board, but once I lowered the temperature to -16 degrees c, problem solved. Could also be the case that your element need to be replaced. Might be old?
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Old 14-02-2020, 03:53   #32
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
Does that play-dough stuff they use to seal the holes in the walls that the lines pass through go bad?
No - typical "duct seal" putty remains permanently soft/pliable.
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Old 14-02-2020, 08:06   #33
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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You know Richard, i understand you have lots of experience. But i don't think you read what i have already written.
The refrigeration industry standard for when defrosting is required is when frost exceeds ¼ inch thick on evaporator surface. In a live aboard boat’s refrigerator daily use especially in Boot Key harbor Latitude 25N increased daily energy consumption do to frost cover will determine when to defrost. The release of moisture from Sensible heat cooling of fruit and vestibules even open water ice cube trays are not likely to cause the frequency of defrosting you are describing. If water shows up in bottom of box there may be moisture leaking in from wet insulation.

If I had the amount of evaporator frost you described I would concentrate on door or lid seals and opening in box liners. Holes in liner can be plugged refrigeration white cork putty or the black cork putty used for auto AC air leaks.

To check the complete lid or door seals condition around the complete opening service technicians carry a cloth ribbon no more than one inch wide to check seal compression all the way around the opening. A replacement seal generally has a smooth exterior with compressible foam inside.

It is easy to test air infiltration causing frost build up by placing an air tight seal over the top of lid areas when lid is closed. I have seen small rugs used for this purpose.
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Old 14-02-2020, 08:11   #34
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

This may or may not be relevant but...


If you have a condensate drain in the bottom of the boxes that remains open, you may be loosing your "cool" and admitting more warm/humid air. On our boat the freezer and refrigerator boxes are entirely separate but both are fitted with drain holes that, once plugged, reduced the frequency of frost formation.


Further, we do not put any foodstuffs in the refrigerator that are not themselves within closed Tupperware like sealed boxes or zip-lock freezer bags. The only exception is fresh lettuce which is, however, stored in wire tied "Green Bags" taht seems to reduce wilting/wastage.


Lastly, we have insulated covers made of Reflectix adheared to a thin layer of neoprene that lays over the tops of the evaporator plates and the contents of the boxes so that the "empty" air space above the contents is not being cooled so much as the contents themselves. The foregoing seems to work for us.


FWIW...
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Old 14-02-2020, 14:01   #35
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

To me there is a difference between “frost” and “ice” on the evaporator. I e is solid, while frost is “fuzzy”. Frost is my problem.

So is frost more from an air leak, something in the boxes, or from water getting into the boxes?

To be honest the problem got worst after my wife got back on the boat. She normally does the dishes (I do most of the cooking) and she splashes water all over doing it so water could be running into the seal area and getting into the freezer.
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Old 14-02-2020, 14:47   #36
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

Did you do the light test yet? If so, did it reveal any gaps in the seals?
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Old 14-02-2020, 15:14   #37
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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Did you do the light test yet? If so, did it reveal any gaps in the seals?
No gaps
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Old 14-02-2020, 15:21   #38
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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To me there is a difference between “frost” and “ice” on the evaporator. I e is solid, while frost is “fuzzy”. Frost is my problem.

So is frost more from an air leak, something in the boxes, or from water getting into the boxes?

To be honest the problem got worst after my wife got back on the boat. She normally does the dishes (I do most of the cooking) and she splashes water all over doing it so water could be running into the seal area and getting into the freezer.
The main difference between Frost and Ice is that the Frost is a coating or deposit of air and ice that may form in humid air in filtrating box towards a low temperature object. As fluffy minute frost thickens it becomes a non conductor of heat, then it become solid ice.

Sailorboy, the solution to your frost problem is in one or more posts in this thread.
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Old 14-02-2020, 15:57   #39
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

Moisture is getting in from the outside, that’s obvious, it’s not “making” water.
It’s either from being opened more, or I still believe it’s coming in with the food, maybe produce, like lettuce, etc.

Our Engle as an example gets very little frost and can easily go a month or two more before defrosting, but it’s because it’s rarely opened, it may go several days between openings, where our spillover is opened many times a day.
We still get three weeks out of it and it’s still cooling good then, but it’s obvious it needs it, or likely past needing it.
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Old 14-02-2020, 16:27   #40
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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Originally Posted by Richard Kollmann View Post

Sailorboy, the solution to your frost problem is in one or more posts in this thread.



Gee how could i have missed this valuable, useful, secret item

Reminds of me of one of my wife’s new favorite answers to a question - “maybe”

If i only were not just so hopelessly stupid (of course I am massively stupid)
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Old 15-02-2020, 07:21   #41
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post



Gee how could i have missed this valuable, useful, secret item

Reminds of me of one of my wife’s new favorite answers to a question - “maybe”

If i only were not just so hopelessly stupid (of course I am massively stupid)
Maybe you do need help. Write one of the humid air solutions listed on your White Board and give it to your wife to solve the excessive frost build up problem.https://www.cruisersforum.com/images...dhorsebeat.gif
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Old 15-02-2020, 08:03   #42
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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Originally Posted by Richard Kollmann View Post
Write one of the humid air solutions listed on your White Board and give it to your wife to solve the excessive frost build up problem.
she says she doesn't read white board items
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Old 16-02-2020, 05:08   #43
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

Well i haven't found anything wrong.

I defrosted yesterday and did it more throughly than i have been lately and got all ice/frost/water out. It has been been 24 hours and the temps and build up on the evaporation look “normal”. My system has never in its life gone 3 weeks without needing defrosting and i am happy if it goes 1 week of live aboard time.

Thanks to those who helped
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Old 16-02-2020, 05:53   #44
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
Well i haven't found anything wrong.

I defrosted yesterday and did it more throughly than i have been lately and got all ice/frost/water out. It has been been 24 hours and the temps and build up on the evaporation look “normal”. My system has never in its life gone 3 weeks without needing defrosting and i am happy if it goes 1 week of live aboard time.

Thanks to those who helped
I don’t think anything is “wrong” I think now that your Wife is back aboard its being opened more often, and maybe there is more fresh produce being put into the fridge more often, and fresh produce of course brings in a lot of water vapor, and any water vapor will condense due to the lower temp and it’s going to condense of course on the evaporator and freeze.

Or maybe it’s just more humid where you are than it’s been lately?

We go three weeks, but our system isn’t yours, and well maybe for whatever reason mine will tolerate more ice build up than yours.

Remembering way back when we were younger and didn’t have frost free freezers, I believe defrosts were still every few months.
But then of course an air conditioned house’s relative humidity is much lower than air on a boat.
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Old 16-02-2020, 06:32   #45
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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Well i haven't found anything wrong.

I defrosted yesterday and did it more throughly than i have been lately and got all ice/frost/water out. It has been been 24 hours and the temps and build up on the evaporation look “normal”. My system has never in its life gone 3 weeks without needing defrosting and i am happy if it goes 1 week of live aboard time.

Thanks to those who helped
Hint to everybody else who has been following this for the entertainment:

if you defrost your fridge and do NOT "get all the ice/water/frost out" it just goes right back onto the evaporator again!

You'd think this would have been obvious.
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