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Advice needed re Vitrifrigo 230 litre fridge


Big Mike

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Hi



We're doing some maintenance on a 2005 model ATV which we recently purchased, getting it ready for an extended trip.



I'm not confident the Vitrifrigo is working as well as it should and, based on the forum listings I've already read on these fridges, it looks like many others have had some challenges getting their fridges to work well.



Would appreciate if an experienced owner, could help me with answers to these questions:



We can hear the fan running on the fridge constantly. It doesn't stop as the fridge cycles (if it's cycling). Is that the way it's supposed to work?



The operations manual advises to vacuum dust off the condenser at least every twelve months. Do I have to remove the fridge from the front of the cabinet to do that? When I open the external vent on the van, I only seem to have access to the compressor.



The fridge seems to be getting down to a good operating temperature. On a setting of 4, it's getting down to about 2 degrees, but the freezer is frosting up after about three days with very little door opening.



Thanks very much for your help.



Cheers



Mike


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Sorry.



After looking at the Vitrifrigo manual, I was looking for the condenser expecting to find something the size of a small car radiator.



I didn't realize the condenser was the small 5" x 5" panel beside the compressor until my wife pointed inside the side vent and asked, very gently so as not to damage my ego, "What's that thing there?" ...



I can be a knucklehead!



I'll see how the fridge runs now that I've given the little condenser a good clean.



Cheers



Mike

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Don't you just hate that?????? I hope you lied to her and told her it was something different as you will start a very bad trend if you let her think she knows more then you


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Hi Mike



To make mine more efficient I install two computer fans. One that blows onto the compressor and coils and one that extract hot air at the top. Also put in a switch so that I can turn on and off. With the icing up you need to ensure that the termastat under the freezer is ice free.



Leon


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Hi Mal,

We found that by using ice block trays with lids, we reduced icing up the freezer by a huge amount.

It appears the fridge creates ice by drawing moisture from water/food etc.

We had our fridge serviced by the Frdge Whisperer at Kedron last year and it is running as good as the day we bought the van in '07.

Cheers,

Ian

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Mike, we have a 2006 ATV with a 230 litre like yours. We arranged to call into Andrew the Fridge Whisperer on our way to Elliott Heads in December 2013 because the fridge was cooling but the fan was not running. Andrew replaced the fan (Requiring removal of the fridge, a two person job but quite easy). The fridge then, and has continued to cool/freeze very well but the fan runs continuously. We called in to see him again January this year because of the fan running, and he replaced the temperature control unit as it was very difficult to turn the knob. He thought it might have been affecting the fridge operation. During the very high temperatures at Elliott Heads in January, the fridge coped without difficulty but the fan ran continuously. I rang Andrew and he is quite puzzled as to why this should happen. I had purchased a temperature gauge at Jaycar which has an internal sender, and the display outside, to be aware of what the fridge was doing.

The ice build up is par for the course with these fridges and Andrew advises to defrost regularly.

This has probably not been much help other than yours is not an isolated condition. If you find a solution, I would be pleased to hear.

Regards, Barry

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We no longer have the Vitrofrigo but when we did we were given a tip not to push the defrost tray all the way back as it may block the circulation of air to the freezer area. No experience with the compressor running all the time ... maybe needs re-gassing.

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