New compressor fridge - is this a weird noise?

[ianto999]

Hello
Day 1 of new thetford compressor fridge (Adria twin).
As well as usual ‘hum’ there is this strange ‘scrunching’ noise on left side, mid fridge.
Also seems to be present when other ‘hum’ presumably the compressor, turns off, but then stops after about 15s as well.
Any suggestions?
Hope it can be heard in video.

 

[Chris]

Sounds weird to me.

Hopefully someone knowledgeable can help

 

[hja]

our compressor fridge is with a front opening door - the picture suggests yours is top opening? Ours sounds nothing like that - the hum, yes but not the crunching noise.

 

[Orion]

Which model Thetford and does it have the drain tube attached or rely on the internal drip tray instead?

 

[ianto999]

Fridge seems to working ok, hoping it’s the coolant settling, or something similar…?

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[ianto999]

Will check the model tomorrow. Thanks for the interest.

Which model Thetford and does it have the drain tube attached or rely on the internal drip tray instead?

 

[gus-lopez]

Fridge seems to working ok, hoping it’s the coolant settling, or something similar…?

I was wondering whether it was the coolant gurgling also?

 

[Mark1965]

Hello
Day 1 of new thetford compressor fridge (Adria twin).
As well as usual ‘hum’ there is this strange ‘scrunching’ noise on left side, mid fridge.
Also seems to be present when other ‘hum’ presumably the compressor, turns off, but then stops after about 15s as well.
Any suggestions?
Hope it can be heard in video.

It might be a heating element to the freezer that stops ice forming inside the freezer box. We have a Smeg fridge freezer and when we first heard this crunching crackling noise I thought it was on its way out. I found out that this is perfectly normal.
Maybe it's the same with your compressor fridge?

 

[ianto999]

Thetford T2138, looks like a wee drip tray at the bottom.
The noise definitely continues after fridge turned off, so I don’t think it’s the fan.

 

[ianto999]

It’s a front opening door, freezer at the top.
When fridge turned off, it gets quieter for a bit and then eventually seems to stop.

our compressor fridge is with a front opening door - the picture suggests yours is top opening? Ours sounds nothing like that - the hum, yes but not the crunching noise.

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[RedFrame]

It’s a front opening door, freezer at the top.
When fridge turned off, it gets quieter for a bit and then eventually seems to stop.

We've been running a 2152 for the past year, it certainly doesn't make anything like that noise.

Is this a new fridge?

Cheers
Red.

 

[Richard n Ann]

The timing of the noise is spot on for refrigerant flowing through, if you can hear it, it usually stops a few seconds after the compressor stops. But it doesn't sound like any refrigerant I've heard, sounds like a paper label catching the condenser fan round the back

 

[Guigsy]

Could it be gas caught in the pump? Isn't the valve supposed to keep the gas on the evap side? So maybe some gas has leaked?

 

[Brize]

Ian, I hope you get on better with your Thetford than the Dometic compressor fridge that came with our new van - not had a compressor before.

Cannot run on gas; blows cold air into the van (not good in winter); freezer compartment ices up very quickly despite Dometic doing a 'fix' on this, and temperatures all over the place (we monitor them with permanent wireless probes). In one evening, the freezer temperature can vary between -19 and -2. Lastly, it's noisy, although we are starting to get used to that.

I don't know if this is supposed to be progress, but I'd rather have an absorption fridge!

 

[potwalloper]

We have an Adria Twin with the compressor fridge. It gurgles and sometimes sounds like a dog lapping water. I understand that these noises are from the refrigerant gassing in the coils - as it is supposed to. We have got used to the noise!

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[Richard n Ann]

one evening, the freezer temperature can vary between -19 and -2.

The plant is working well, it's just a control problem. Is it a digital thermostat? If so check the differential setting.

Another thing that springs to mind is when the freezer thermostat is in the fridge part, in a cold van the fridge won't cut in because the ambient temperature is close to the fridge temperature... and everything in the freezer defrosts

 

[Brize]

The plant is working well, it's just a control problem. Is it a digital thermostat? If so check the differential setting.

Another thing that springs to mind is when the freezer thermostat is in the fridge part, in a cold van the fridge won't cut in because the ambient temperature is close to the fridge temperature... and everything in the freezer defrosts

Trust me, we have gone into great detail on this, with the Dometic workshop at Tewkesbury as well.

One of the problems is that the freezer compartment comes as just a removable shelf with a door - no separate sides and back. It didn't fit that well so the cold freezer air was escaping into the fridge and the whole thing ices up. Dometic put a rubber seal around the shelf which made the seal slightly better, but still not good.

The fridge has 5 levels. Put it on level 3 and you get a great consistent fridge temperature (2 - 5 degrees), but lousy freezer temperatures. Put it on level 4 and you get better freezer temperatures, but the fridge temperatures go down to 0 to -3. It looks to me a fridge where the freezer compartment is an afterthought that wasn't designed well. Perhaps better to take it out and do without - we are considering this.

Perhaps Ian can do similar tests with his Thetford, and we can compare.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Trust me, we have gone into great detail on this, with the Dometic workshop at Tewkesbury as well.

One of the problems is that the freezer compartment comes as just a removable shelf with a door - no separate sides and back. It didn't fit that well so the cold freezer air was escaping into the fridge and the whole thing ices up. Dometic put a rubber seal around the shelf which made the seal slightly better, but still not good.

The fridge has 5 levels. Put it on level 3 and you get a great consistent fridge temperature (2 - 5 degrees), but lousy freezer temperatures. Put it on level 4 and you get better freezer temperatures, but the fridge temperatures go down to 0 to -3. It looks to me a fridge where the freezer compartment is an afterthought that wasn't designed well. Perhaps better to take it out and do without - we are considering this.

Perhaps Ian can do similar tests with his Thetford, and we can compare.

Yeah I converted my 3 way fridge to compressor and don't miss the freezer at all. You can always take a freezer box if you want

 

[RedFrame]

Trust me, we have gone into great detail on this, with the Dometic workshop at Tewkesbury as well.

One of the problems is that the freezer compartment comes as just a removable shelf with a door - no separate sides and back. It didn't fit that well so the cold freezer air was escaping into the fridge and the whole thing ices up. Dometic put a rubber seal around the shelf which made the seal slightly better, but still not good.

The fridge has 5 levels. Put it on level 3 and you get a great consistent fridge temperature (2 - 5 degrees), but lousy freezer temperatures. Put it on level 4 and you get better freezer temperatures, but the fridge temperatures go down to 0 to -3. It looks to me a fridge where the freezer compartment is an afterthought that wasn't designed well. Perhaps better to take it out and do without - we are considering this.

Perhaps Ian can do similar tests with his Thetford, and we can compare.

The Thetford has a dedicated fixed freezer compartment with separate temperature controls for freezer and fridge.

Cheers
Red.

 

[Peavy]

I have the same van and the same fridge as you. I have also the same gurgling sound.
I sleep in the fridge side and know very well the cycle
After the compressor stops, then the fan stays on for a while, with that gurgling in the background, then everything stops a few minutes untill the compressor fires again.
So, I'd say there's nothing wrong with your fridge.

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[BOWHOUSE52]

Have you thought it might be little mice running around trying to keep warm