3way fridge thermal gel replacement ?

[Chris51]

As previously discussed have received the tube of thermal gel and dismantled the fridge cooling fins which shows no sign of the old gel.Where does the gel (copper paste ) go.. between the screws or where it goes around the black tubes? Also does it go on tubes before the freezer plate slides back on ?

 

[tonyidle]

Wherever the cooling fins touch the tubes.

 

[Spriddler]

Useful info, as I've read several recent posts on here about replacing that thermal paste.
However, it has made me twitchy that I ought to check mine. (Sigh).

(Oh, how I long for my early days in ignorant bliss).

 

[tonyidle]

Useful info, as I've read several recent posts on here about replacing that thermal paste.
However, it has made me twitchy that I ought to check mine. (Sigh).

(Oh, how I long for my early days in ignorant bliss).

I've only done it once and on a 10 years old fridge. It was well worth it though. The old stuff was hard and crumbly and not doing much at all.

 

[TerryL]

Spread liberally around where the cooling pipe appears out of the insulation then across the rest of the rear of the fin plate. I think any fridge over 10 years would benefit and it's a quick and straightforward job - unlike anything else on the bloody thing!

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[Landy Andy]

If anybody has a link to a good supplier that would be appreciated.

Andy.

 

[tonka]

If anybody has a link to a good supplier that would be appreciated.

Andy.

Thermal paste also known as heatsink compound.
Lots on eBay BUT check the volume amounts as the package sizes and prices vary a lot. Ordering via China will be best value but means you have to wait a while.
Also places like farnell, CPC and rs components.

 

[Chris51]

Had mine of eBay with information of here...Hainziye.. only about £3 ....Seems different options as to how to apply it ?

 

[Figaro]

I just spread it all over the back of the fins plate with extra dollops along the route of the cooling pipe, made a big difference.
When i first removed the plate there was very little evidence of the old stuff, but what there was had dried up.

 

[tonyidle]

Had mine of eBay with information of here...Hainziye.. only about £3 ....Seems different options as to how to apply it ?

The stuff is designed to bridge microscopic gaps between two flat surfaces clamped together. It enables heat transfer where the two surfaces don't actually touch. In our application the gaps are neither microscopic nor between flat surfaces. However the principle is the same: wherever the two surfaces (the finned heatsink and the pipe mounting) are designed to make contact a film of thermal paste, thick enough to bridge any gaps, should be applied. Too much does no harm other than wasting whatever is squeezed out when the heatsink mounting screws are tightened.

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[Chris51]

Mine had nothing on it when I took it apart
...
the paste I bought is like a copper paste have put it where the two fins screw together and a bit in freezer where plate pushes on.

 

[Shrimp]

We did ours couple of years ago, it also needed a couple of parts, now it performs well.
In France and had that heatwave of 30+ everyday and the little darling kept everything cool and the ice cubes, peas and fish frozen solid and it’s only on 3 on the dial! We have put one fan on it’s exhaust on a thermostat.

 

[Chris51]

Update on fridge ...put it on for 3 hrs (empty) on gas and frost on freezer box plate and fridge down to 9 c... will try for longer next time.

 

[tonka]

Finally my Thermal grease has arrived from China... £1.30 for 30gm tubes, bought 2 just in case.

Just done mine, used 1 tube. Old stuff was quite dried on so scraped it all off and put on new..
Fridge now hooked up to the gas and lets see how it goes..

Pics attached if they help anyone to understand it more..

 

[Speve]

Pics attached if they help anyone to understand it more..

Thanks tonka really useful

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[Lenny HB]

Finally my Thermal grease has arrived from China... £1.30 for 30gm tubes, bought 2 just in case.

Just done mine, used 1 tube. Old stuff was quite dried on so scraped it all off and put on new..
Fridge now hooked up to the gas and lets see how it goes..

Pics attached if they help anyone to understand it more..



View attachment 420269View attachment 420270View attachment 420271View attachment 420272View attachment 420273View attachment 420274View attachment 420275

The paste on yours looks exactly the same as when I took the fins off mine (to get at the cable entry hole) when the fridge was brand new.
I wouldn't put it past Dometic using the cheapest stuff they can get away with. I might replace mine and see if it makes any difference.

 

[Simon Meadwell]

Excuse my ignorance are these fins on the back of the fridge or inside and do you have to fo the freezer aswell.

 

[Lenny HB]

Excuse my ignorance are these fins on the back of the fridge or inside and do you have to fo the freezer aswell.

Yep, inside a the top of the fridge if doing the fridge might as well do the freezer as well as it will propably be in the same state.

 

[Chris51]

On my old RM212 the fins are inside and have 3 screws holding them together,,there was no paste on mine completely dry, The paste I bought was a "copper" one and have put it around where the fins meet the black cooling pipe and screwed them back together.

 

[Chris51]

Has anyone "re-pasted " a RM 212 3 way fridge as all the info shown seems to apply to more modern models ?

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[tonyidle]

Has anyone "re-pasted " a RM 212 3 way fridge as all the info shown seems to apply to more modern models ?

That's the only one I've done so far. It worked a treat.

 

[Chris51]

Did you put the paste where it screws together as well as on the black tubes and freezer tubes ?

 

[Richard n Ann]

Did you put the paste where it screws together as well as on the black tubes and freezer tubes ?

You don't need it there just on the black tubes

 

[Gaston aires]

I’ve never done this to a fridge before in my life. Never seem to have problems though.
You live and learn.
Phil

 

[kevenh]

I’ve never done this to a fridge before in my life. Never seem to have problems though.

There must be a performance issue that makes people take off the fins & check the compound.
Our fridge could be untouched in its 14yr life.
I wonder if I need to replace the compound but not if it’s working well
At the moment it’s e z to get a double figure minus number in the freezer & ~4deg in the fridge section. E z in that we’re not winding the thermostat to beyond about 1/2 way.

Hmm. Probably should just store this knowledge for later.

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[tonka]

There must be a performance issue that makes people take off the fins & check the compound.
Our fridge could be untouched in its 14yr life.
I wonder if I need to replace the compound but not if it’s working well
At the moment it’s e z to get a double figure minus number in the freezer & ~4deg in the fridge section. E z in that we’re not winding the thermostat to beyond about 1/2 way.

Hmm. Probably should just store this knowledge for later.

Mine has been fine but for the sake of £1.30 and 10 mins work I thought i would do it.
Have to admit part of the exercise was to learn how it was done and even if there is a slight improvement that should save on a little gas. My freezer is the best we have ever had so i'm not going to mess with that.

 

[TerryL]

My motto is if it ain't broke don't fix it - so if it's working well, leave it alone! Renewing the thermal paste IS an easy job but it's only part of the diagnosis on a failing fridge.

Incidentally where are the "fins" for the freezer, can't see any on mine. External round the back maybe? I hope it doesn't mean taking it out again?

 

[Simon Meadwell]

My fridge works perfect in normal conditions ie english summer just struggling in Mediterranean heat. So if the paste helps along with fans etc im giving it ago.

 

[Richard n Ann]

There must be a performance issue that makes people take off the fins & check the compound.
Our fridge could be untouched in its 14yr life.
I wonder if I need to replace the compound but not if it’s working well
At the moment it’s e z to get a double figure minus number in the freezer & ~4deg in the fridge section. E z in that we’re not winding the thermostat to beyond about 1/2 way.

Hmm. Probably should just store this knowledge for later.

This was our performance issue, and I think the first thread on it as far as I know...

Our 3 way fridge saga

My story just might help someone with 3 way fridge trouble so here goes; We've had our motorhome 3 years now and the fridge was always ok even in Spain's high ambient temperatures, until suddenly about a year ago we were in Spain, temperatures were the usual high twenties and I noticed the...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Chris51]

My motto is if it ain't broke don't fix it - so if it's working well, leave it alone! Renewing the thermal paste IS an easy job but it's only part of the diagnosis on a failing fridge.

Incidentally where are the "fins" for the freezer, can't see any on mine. External round the back maybe? I hope it doesn't mean taking it out again?

No fins in freezer on the 212 just a flat alloy plate that slides off (I put a bit of paste on before sliding it back on ).

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