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Old 13-02-2020, 04:52   #1
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Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

I am tired of always having to defrost my freezer. It used to be 7-10 days, but now it is getting tp every 2-3 days (and it hasn’t been hot or humid).

You of course think “seals”. But i have replaced the seals now like 3 times trying different types and feel they are sealing. Yet the system keeps acting like there is an air leak and moisture getting in.

Could it be something else?

Btw - this a spillover system with a fan between boxes if it matters somehow.
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Old 13-02-2020, 04:56   #2
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

Pop a torch in it at night time and turn all the other boat lights off. Can you see any light coming out?

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Old 13-02-2020, 04:57   #3
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete7 View Post
Pop a torch in it at night time and turn all the other boat lights off. Can you see any light coming out?

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I will try it tonight.
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Old 13-02-2020, 05:27   #4
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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I will try it tonight.
I like digital a thermostat ..... many have an automatic defrost cycle that is user programmed
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Old 13-02-2020, 05:29   #5
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

It has to be moisture coming in from outside, or maybe the fridge side, are you now placing a lot of produce in the fridge side you didn’t use to?
We defrost every three weeks, but should every two.
How do you defrost?
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Old 13-02-2020, 06:11   #6
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
It has to be moisture coming in from outside, or maybe the fridge side, are you now placing a lot of produce in the fridge side you didn’t use to?
We defrost every three weeks, but should every two.
How do you defrost?
Not doing anything different than the past.

I defrost with a hairdryer to make the ice loose enough to push off the evaporator and scoop it out and sponge out the water.
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Old 13-02-2020, 06:17   #7
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
Not doing anything different than the past.

I defrost with a hairdryer to make the ice loose enough to push off the evaporator and scoop it out and sponge out the water.
I asked as I hadn’t noticed Slug’s response, but if you did by turning it off and letting it melt, then you could use a timer. Thin plate evaporators only of course, cold plates would take too long.
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Old 13-02-2020, 06:30   #8
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

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Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
It has to be moisture

Pete's idea for the light test to check the seals is an excellent simple idea to check seals. Please tell us what you find.
Obviously it is moisture getting into the box, but how? Are you going in/out more often? Is the relative humidity rising and letting in more moisture as you go in/out? Or as suggested by A64, are you adding more respiring green veges?
If the compressor is cycling normally, doubt its the thermostat. If you ever wanted/needed to switch to a digital thermostat, check out these inkbird controllers. Much cheaper than the controller associated w/your fridge unit and IMO as good or better than those controllers. Lots of how to vids out there for set up.

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Old 13-02-2020, 07:03   #9
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

I had a lot of frost in my Nova Kool fridge in a very short time after a thermostat and refill in Italy by a young good willing technician. After the summer an old experienced and nearly retired airco/fridge guy took the fridge with him and tested it for a couple of days. The thermostat installed in Italy was for a freezer he told me, the evaporator gaz was to cold creating the frost.
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Old 13-02-2020, 08:06   #10
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

I keep an insulated cover over the freezer section of my fridge/freezer so if I only need to access the fridge, the freezer isn't so exposed to the air. I just cut one to fit from insulating aluminum sided bubblewrap.
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Old 13-02-2020, 08:21   #11
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

We struggled with this as well. Here's two things to check out-

1. Is there a drain plug at the bottom? Moisture can intrude if it doesn't have a valve. We plugged ours.

2. Is the temp set too low? Our problem dramatically decreased when we raised the freezer temp to 15f and fridge to 40f per manufacturer.

BTW, if you don't have a digital thermostat I highly recommend adding one, which allows you to set the temp and control cycling more precisely, which will pay for itself in energy efficiency.
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Old 13-02-2020, 08:26   #12
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

The plug is in tight

Ive tried with the freezer set at different temps and it makes difference.

The frig side has a digital thermometer, but all this runs is the spillover fan
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Old 13-02-2020, 09:00   #13
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

Does that play-dough stuff they use to seal the holes in the walls that the lines pass through go bad?
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Old 13-02-2020, 09:03   #14
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

[QUOTE=sailorboy1;3073751]

Ive tried with the freezer set at different temps and it makes difference.

QUOTE]

Makes NO difference
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Old 13-02-2020, 10:34   #15
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Re: Freezer Frosting Up Too Fast

Another source of moisture is the food in the freezer. If freezing produce or meats that are not wrapped moisture tight the moisture can draw out of the food and will condense and frost on the evaporator coils.

And of course if a spill over system, moisture can come from any unwrapped food items in the cool box section and then frost in the freezer.
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