Thetford Compressor fridge icing up regularly

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ADRIA Twin 640SLB
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Since 2012
I have a small T290C fridge in our 22 Adria Twin, which has the internal drip tray which needs emptying regularly, and the rear plate is freezing up quickly. I have no experience of this type of fridge, which seems to work really well apart from the icing up.

I am using it on 2*out of 5* and the internal temps are -10C in the freezer box and around 5-10C in salad box, which I think is pretty good. I did have it in 3* but that wasn’t condensing at all. The canned beers/coke are really cold on the middle shelf. The outside temps have ranged from 18-28C max and as low as 9C at night on rare occasions with almost entirely full sun for the past 4 weeks in Spain.

The manual talks about it icing up and the need to defrost when it exceeds 3mm. I am removing the ice as it builds up and emptying the drip tray regularly.

Can anyone who has experience of such a fridge give any advice to reduce the freezing up time or is thus about normal for the weather conditions?
 
Sorry, misspelled the model its a T2090C, not that it would make a difference I suspect 😜
 
The manual talks about it icing up and the need to defrost when it exceeds 3mm. I am removing the ice as it builds up and emptying the drip tray regularly.

Can anyone who has experience of such a fridge give any advice to reduce the freezing up time or is thus about normal for the weather conditions?
Where is all the ice coming from?
Are they any open bottles/containers inside?
Is the door on the catch that keeps it slightly open when not in use?
 
I believe we have the same model in our Adria Compact and not as yet experienced any issues. I removed it from the housing, when I was trying to locate the routing of the cable for the solar panel, and noticed that it is already connected to a drain tube for the drip tray. Could you install a similar tube to remove the source of excess moisture from the compartment?

IMG_8975.png
 
No problems with ours - I think it is a great fridge.
If you are having to empty the drip tray that means that the ice is melting.
Perhaps you need to run the fridge at a colder setting.
We normally just leave ours on setting 3 (out of 5)
Ours also has the drain pipe fitted but you need to remove the drip tray and bung for it to work.

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No problems with ours - I think it is a great fridge.
If you are having to empty the drip tray that means that the ice is melting.
Perhaps you need to run the fridge at a colder setting.
We normally just leave ours on setting 3 (out of 5)
Ours also has the drain pipe fitted but you need to remove the drip tray and bung for it to work.
I think ours is not connected for the drain pipe at all, hence having to use the tray and bung where the pipe could be fitted.
 
I believe we have the same model in our Adria Compact and not as yet experienced any issues. I removed it from the housing, when I was trying to locate the routing of the cable for the solar panel, and noticed that it is already connected to a drain tube for the drip tray. Could you install a similar tube to remove the source of excess moisture from the compartment?

View attachment 735703
I think that would be an option, I may discuss this with the dealer at service after making sure it isn’t already fitted but there is no visible tube coming out from under the van.
 
Where is all the ice coming from?
Are they any open bottles/containers inside?
Is the door on the catch that keeps it slightly open when not in use?
I’m guessing it’s just icing up, as fridges do unless they are frost free, even then you do get a little bit of ice. There is nothing open in the fridge to allow moisture to increase and the door is catches closed rather than vented.
 
Since clearing all the ice yesterday there has been no condensation in the drip tray today so perhaps I just need to remove the ice more frequently

Thanks for the replies.
 
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Since clearing all the ice yesterday there has been no condensation in the drip tray today so perhaps I just need to remove the ice more frequently

Thanks for the replies.
Not exactly something you should have to do regularly surely? It would annoy me to have to keep 'maintaining' a fridge in the motorhome.

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When air is cooled it condenses out it's moisture content onto the cold surface, in this case the cooling plates where it then freezes. If this air is not replaced no more moisture can condense out - simple physics.

So if there is a constant buildup of ice, i.e. condensed moisture content, outside air is getting in. Whether this is from opening of the door too often or a faulty seal, it's getting in from somewhere.

I'm always having a go at the wife for leaving the fridge door wide open while she's "sorting it out"!
 
Ice box refrigerators need regular defrosting. Once the moisture becomes frost, then ice, the ice becomes insulation. Think Igloos !

So the surface temperature of the evaporator will have a Air or Surface temperature difference of around 12-15c in order to cool the fridge. If ice forms more than the suggested 3mm, this means the ice formation prevents heat being removed from products.

Its more about the humidity rather than ambient temperature.

I would check there are no splits in the seal, gaps in door or openings in the cabinet.

Also, the more products you have fridge the better, as there will be less volume of air changing. When you open the door, the cold, dry heavier air falls out. This is replaced with warm moist air and its the moisture that freezes onto the evaporator(s),
 

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