Many times we get calls from customers with a complaint of the refrigerator workinggreat for awhile. They pack up the fridge once it gets to temperature. Everything is great until the afternoon sun gets it nice and hot outside.
Food Spoils, and Ice Cream melts
Very Frustrating.
Do they have a bad cooling unit? Is it a faulty Power Board?
Nope… It’s ventilation problems most likely.
An ammonia refrigerator requires a lot of air flow to keep the top of the cooling unit cool. When the temperatures outside rise, fans don’t run as well, or you have a blockage in the chimney you will see the exact behavior described above, Running the refrigerator on propane will make it even worse due to the exhaust of the flue heating up the chimney air as well. So how to prevent it… or at least save a camping trip temporarily?
You need additional airflow. Put a box fan on the ground outside the access cover blowing up into the chimney. Take off those access covers and run it on electricity if possible. If it’s already at the “too hot at the top” stage, turn it off for 2 hours while you set up your fans and then turn it back on. This will allow the ammonia to return to a more appropriate temperature
