Refrig getting iced over

crash · 10-16-2014, 03:57 AM

Refrigerator keeps freezing over on the inside coils (they keep getting iced over)What is causing this ?We have to defrost it every time we come home from camping.

**JRTJH** · 10-16-2014, 04:51 AM

You may have the thermistor slide misadjusted. Try moving the thermistor up slightly on your coils. It could be that it's simply adjusted for "too cold" and the fins are icing up because of the setting. Once they freeze, less air flows over them, so the "level of cold air" is reduced, forcing the refrigerator to operate at a warmer temperature, even though it's actually "cranking out the cold as hard as it can".....

Turn it down a little (adjust the thermistor by sliding it up) and see if it helps your problem. If it does, but not enough, slide it up a tad bit more until you're satisfied.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your refrigerator, just not "set quite right".

Good Luck.

byrdr1 · 10-16-2014, 04:53 AM

NOt be smart but it is running too cold.
I had frig problems first of the year replaced my control board behind the fridge. so I have experienced lots of issues january till March with my frig this year.
I noticed that as the weather has cooled my fridge was icing up in the same place. Its not having to compete against the hotter weather anymore.
I turned the frid down to the 3rd light setting and it cleared up in about two days. It is running right at 33-34 degrees now based on the fridge thermometer We keep it during the season.
Hope this helps you,
randy

GaryWT · 10-16-2014, 05:09 AM

Mine ice up but I do have the temp at its low point. Everything stays cold so we are good. About mid year it was getting thick, almost roughing the next fin so I shut it down for an hour or two and it cleared up, just remember to put a towel in the freezer or you get a big puddle.

LuvsPalmTrees · 10-22-2014, 08:40 AM

The one and only time I had icing is when something was touching up against the fins (my bad). Moved the item but it stayed iced up for about 36 hours.

hankaye · 10-22-2014, 12:24 PM

Howdy All;

After all the 100+* days things have started to cool off and now
I find I'm having some icing (not the foul in hockey type), as well.
Will turn down the temp. (slide down for my unit), Thursday evening
and clean it out on Friday morning, before I go and fill it back up.
Just something I do each year about this time ...

hankaye

Bob Landry · 10-22-2014, 04:08 PM

Ice buildup is caused by air leaking into the box.. Replace your door seals and check the rear where anything goes into the box and seal up any leaks with plumbers putty.

crash · 10-23-2014, 02:15 AM

Took everything out,defrosted unit,moved thermister up just alittle now I will turn it back on transfer all the stuff from the garage icebox back to the camper and head out Saturday.Will see if this works this time on our trip to Cape Hatteras.

Bob Landry · 10-23-2014, 03:23 AM

I've been a Dometic & Norcold dealer for 15 years and I can assure you that until you stop the source of the air leak it's going to continue to ice up. Anything else is going to be an exercise in futility. Good luck.

ksbowman · 10-23-2014, 05:32 AM

Bob, Thanks for the valued info. I have an older 5th that I use for hunting and it has started to frost up some and your advise makes a lot of sense. I will replace the seals and look into any air leaks.

crash · 10-23-2014, 08:04 AM

This is a fairly new unit I have checked all the seal and they are fine it just started doing this on our last 2 trips.

**JRTJH** · 10-23-2014, 08:15 AM

Leaking seals CAN be a cause for cooling fin icing because it allows humidity to enter the refrigerator through the leak. That is not the only reason that icing could occur. Depending on the frequency of the door being opened, the amount of "water" that is introduced into the refrigerator can easily be much more than what would have leaked through a faulty door gasket. Dometic recommends using a sheet of paper, closing the door on it and if it has "little resistance' it's not tight enough. There have been some doors that were not aligned properly when the refrigerator was installed and "twisted" in the mounting space because the cabinet was not square with the refrigerator. If you've checked for alignment and seal integrity and they are good, maybe it's just opening the door too often coupled with a temperature adjustment?

From a service vantage point, there's not much you can do about how a customer uses his refrigerator, so all that can be done is to attempt to educate. Otherwise, a serviceman is essentially limited to changing out components and hoping the customer will modify habits.

I guess what I'm saying is that it COULD be the seals, but it also may simply be the temperature adjustment and the owner's frequency of introducing humidity into the refrigerator even if the seals are 100% air-tight. Even actions such as putting a bowl of "just washed grapes" on the shelf or leaving the milk container on the counter during breakfast (where it collects water droplets) then putting it back into the refrigerator without drying it off will introduce humidity that may not even be considered by many users.

I'd try the simple, less expensive ways to try to resolve the issue before heading to the Dometic website to buy door seals.

Just my opinion, others may vary.

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