Freezer/Refrigerator Lid Seals

[sailorboy1]

I have been battling a freezer frost problem for almost a year. It just seems to be a seal issue and i have replaced the seals 3 times with different types to no improvement.

So looking for suggestions and source of good seals.

[tkeithlu]

SailorBoy, you are a very knowledgeable poster, so I hesitate, but.....

Back off for a minute. Take a more holistic look at it, because I know you have been installing good seals. If the seals are not really sealing, you can test them by temporary caulking on the outside, and in addition you should already have seen frost at the point where outside air is getting in.

With those two checks, then you know that moist air is getting in somewhere, but it's not your seal. Is it coming in at the copper pipes? Is the box itself leaking at a seam? Where do you first see frost if you run it sealed and empty? It may reveal itself by frosting up at the entrance.

Frustrating. Been there, but not for refrigeration. I most often solve the frustrating ones when I unfocus from hitting my head on a no-working solution and look at the broader picture.

Good luck with it. Thanks for all your help for people like me on this forum.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I have been battling a freezer frost problem for almost a year. It just seems to be a seal issue and i have replaced the seals 3 times with different types to no improvement.

So looking for suggestions and source of good seals.

Here are some sources for custom magnetic gaskets:

http://o-reps.com/id118.html

https://www.coolergaskets.com/custom...t-profile-016/

http://www.coldsupply.com/Custom-Door-Gaskets_c_64.html

These w/a 2 or 3 seal sets (staggered) on top lids for freezers should do fairly well.

[Happydrv]

See my suggestions on your first post for this subject.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

Back off for a minute. Take a more holistic look at it, because I know you have been installing good seals. If the seals are not really sealing, you can test them by temporary caulking on the outside, and in addition you should already have seen frost at the point where outside air is getting in.

With those two checks, then you know that moist air is getting in somewhere, but it's not your seal. Is it coming in at the copper pipes? Is the box itself leaking at a seam? Where do you first see frost if you run it sealed and empty? It may reveal itself by frosting up at the entrance

I actually feel the seals are sealing as no light passes across them. The freezer frosts up pretty much all over at same rate. Does go faster right at the holes into the frig (spillover system).

[sailorboy1]

Defrosted the freezer again. Took every screw and fitting off inside the boxes and sealed with caulk. Found a possible source, but it just doesn't seem big enough to be causing such a rapid problem. Wouldn't know for at least 3 days

[Richard Kollmann]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I have been battling a freezer frost problem for almost a year. It just seems to be a seal issue and i have replaced the seals 3 times with different types to no improvement.

So looking for suggestions and source of good seals.

McMaster Carr

United Refrigeration stores

RV Repair parts stores.

[CassidyNZ]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Does go faster right at the holes into the frig (spillover system).

Surely this is the issue?

My fridge/freezer used to be a spill-over system but I have now put separate units into each. Initially I thought the the spill-over holes would not be a problem but I was getting severe frosting covering the whole evaporator in the freezer.

I blocked the spill-over holes and voila! - no more frosting. The contents of the fridge in my case is moisture laden (veggies, salad stuff, bread) and that moisture must have been migrating to the freezer.

Sorry, I have no solution for the spill-over thing but you probably should stop spending time and money on door seals. I believe that while you have a spillover system you will have frosting.

Now I’ll probably get a host of folks saying “it doesn’t happen to my freezer”. As always, YMMV.

[sailorboy1]

Yes. But is has been the same spillover system for 19 years.

[CassidyNZ]

Mmmmm . . . . no answer for that. Good luck in your quest.

[bobty]

Sailorboys problem is not the seals, his refrigeration system is short of gas causing the coldplates to have extremely low temperatures in parts. Extremely low temperature causes rapid buildup of frost / ice. The system needs gas adding.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by CassidyNZ

Surely this is the issue?

My fridge/freezer used to be a spill-over system but I have now put separate units into each. Initially I thought the the spill-over holes would not be a problem but I was getting severe frosting covering the whole evaporator in the freezer.

I blocked the spill-over holes and voila! - no more frosting. The contents of the fridge in my case is moisture laden (veggies, salad stuff, bread) and that moisture must have been migrating to the freezer.

Sorry, I have no solution for the spill-over thing but you probably should stop spending time and money on door seals. I believe that while you have a spillover system you will have frosting.

Now I’ll probably get a host of folks saying “it doesn’t happen to my freezer”. As always, YMMV.

If you have a spillover system the freezer side is exposed to humidity every time you open the refrig side. If you then isolate the freezer side the top is opened so much less frequently that it will be exposed to less humidity and you'd get less frost.

[sailorboy1]

Will know more in a couple more days, but right now 2 days after last defrost the system is working great. The time before it was already not maintaining refrigerator side temp by this time.

This turn out to be an example of; doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results being a sign of insanity.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Defrosted the freezer again. Took every screw and fitting off inside the boxes and sealed with caulk. Found a possible source, but it just doesn't seem big enough to be causing such a rapid problem. Wouldn't know for at least 3 days

Well color me a fool maybe. It is looking that the above has “fixed” the problem. Now there were 8 screw holes in each lid and 4 on the the side of each box, so that must have really been adding up. I have been having to defrost very couple days and currently it has 2.5 days and there iapsnt an indication of the problem. The freezer has tight hard ice layer on the evaporator instead of an insulating fuzzy frost layer. The air temp in the top middle of the freezer is 12 degrees and the spillover fan is cyclng on/off having no problem maintaining frig side 35-36 degrees.

I will look at all the different seals later as either though the ones i have appear to be working i dont really consider them high quality.