3way fridge thermal gel replacement ?

[Reallyretired]

My fridge is 14 years old and although the freezer gets cold quickly, the fridge takes ages. As the gd900 paste is pretty cheap I have a couple of syringes on a slow boat from China and will replace it when it gets here.

 

[Lenny HB]

My fridge is 14 years old and although the freezer gets cold quickly, the fridge takes ages. As the gd900 paste is pretty cheap I have a couple of syringes on a slow boat from China and will replace it when it gets here.

That is the usual symptoms of the paste having dried out.
Mine was less than 5 years old the paste was dry and crumbly.

 

[Biker chic]

Having now done mine, which was very easy but even easier if you have a magnetic screwdriver and slender fingers to replace the screws

 

[DavidG58]

I have read these comments previously but thought my newish fridge freezer (4 years) wouldn’t need it yet

But fridge seems much less cold than it used to be

Just done a check on power consumption and my MH fridge seems to be drawing 280W constantly (2 hour check)

I have just ordered 2 30g tubes and hoping I will get improved performance and much lower running costs

I will report back when done

 

[Hettie's Crew]

I have read these comments previously but thought my newish (4 years) wouldn’t need it yet

But fridge seems much less cold than it used to be

Just done a check on power consumption and my MH fridge seems to be drawing 280W constantly (2 hour check)

I have just ordered 2 30g tubes and hoping I will get improved performance and much lower running costs

I will report back when done

I don’t think age has much to do with it, though it obviously dries out with age. When I did mine the paste wasn’t actually in the right place from new, missing a lot of the black pipe and no sign it had had good contact with the aluminium finned plate. I just needed a tube and a little bit to ensure contact for the full length. Much better performance since.

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[DavidG58]

Supplementary question, when away on gas only, we do hear the gas burner on the fridge cutting in every so often, does this suggest this might not be our problem and the fault is something else

 

[Two on Tour]

Supplementary question, when away on gas only, we do hear the gas burner on the fridge cutting in every so often, does this suggest this might not be our problem and the fault is something else

Ours does the same, the gas flame level is a constant and does not vary to control the temperature, so it switches the gas on and off to maintain the temperature required.

 

[kevenh]

In preparation for adding new thermal paste I had a look at our 14yo fridge.
The top of the fridge’s cooling fins have plastic bits stuck on.

Looking back at pics in posts from Feltwell & Widge that’s to be expected, but do we leave them on? Is it easier to work on this area of the fridge with them off?
The temperature probe goes on on side of the plastic.

Just lining up all the potential snags & gotchas.
Mrskevenh is reluctant for me to touch something that is working.
I see it as maintenance task with a gain in efficiency in cooling. Rather than a repair.

 

[Spriddler]

Mrs kevenh is reluctant for me to touch something that is working.

Got previous form have you?
Never dismiss a woman's intuition or you're on a hiding to nothing.

 

[Landy Andy]

Supplementary question, when away on gas only, we do hear the gas burner on the fridge cutting in every so often, does this suggest this might not be our problem and the fault is something else

The fact your fridge is cutting in, then stopping, before firing again later shows your fridge is working well. A fridge that constantly has flame running is a fridge that can’t achieve the requested temperature.

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[Biker chic]

In preparation for adding new thermal paste I had a look at our 14yo fridge.
The top of the fridge’s cooling fins have plastic bits stuck on.
View attachment 658473View attachment 658474
Looking back at pics in posts from Feltwell & Widge that’s to be expected, but do we leave them on? Is it easier to work on this area of the fridge with them off?
The temperature probe goes on on side of the plastic.

Just lining up all the potential snags & gotchas.
Mrskevenh is reluctant for me to touch something that is working.
I see it as maintenance task with a gain in efficiency in cooling. Rather than a repair.

I took the plastic bits off carefully, an out and slightly upward motion I found worked and took before pics like you to help with which way round they went!
We have just been away over bank holiday admittedly on EHU but fridge was much colder than it ever has been on EHU before, I had to adjust thermostat from half to a quarter (warmer) We even had ice cream in the freezer!
My top tip is a magnetic screwdriver for reassembly!!!
Good luck

 

[Wonders]

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

Tonka and others.
Thanks for your posts and pictures on fridge thermal grease replacement.
Gave me the confidence to do it on my Thretford N150.
All went well it even works after I had tinkered with it. Relief.! works well and very hopeful it will when we get to Spain in the spring Summer.

 

[Two on Tour]

Tonka and others.
Thanks for your posts and pictures on fridge thermal grease replacement.
Gave me the confidence to do it on my Thretford N150.
All went well it even works after I had tinkered with it. Relief.! works well and very hopeful it will when we get to Spain in the spring Summer.

Now you're on a roll, how about cooling fans for the top vent?

 

[Wonders]

Electric !!
Need to investigate where to get power from.
Saw the threads on here in and out of fridge . Got them bookmarked so I am temped
Cheers
Chris

 

[Brian123]

Hi Paul....can i ask what tubing you used for the chimney extension?

thanks
Brian

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[Brian123]

Okay Lenny, the chimney mod has been through a few changes of length to see what effects it had, hence the changes of tubing material in the photos.

The original Dometic angled chimney was fitted as the chimney exited the insulated chimney cover.
The top section is an old silicone radiator top hose that I had laying about and the curves suited getting the outlet close to the inside of the top fridge vent.
I think that the extra length of the chimney is holding the heat for a longer time against the boiler rather than it being drawn up the chimney quickly, so needing less heat input.
Would be interested in your views.

One of the other things I did not like about our F/F installation was the excessive gap between the condenser and evaporator fins and the wall of our van as the air being drawn up from the bottom vent would in my view not be drawn onto the condenser fins as we as if the gap was narrower, so I made and fitted an aluminum and styrofoam arrangement to reduce the gap.
I also found that the best position for the thermistor for the digital extractor fans controller was about 2/3rds along the condenser fins touching the pipe.


Orginal Dometic chimney top
View attachment 612379


View attachment 612380

View attachment 612381

View attachment 612382

View attachment 612383


Top vent with 3 x 140mm high CFM fans that can be each indevidually switch on or off if needed.

View attachment 612384


Another 140mm high CFM fan sucking in air in the bottom vent that can be switched on or off and this has
a 5 second delay in starting after the top vent fans have started.

View attachment 612385

Hi Paul....can i ask what tubing you used for the chimney extension? I can’t find anything suitable

thanks
Brian

 

[JockandRita]

Hi Paul....can i ask what tubing you used for the chimney extension?

thanks
Brian

Hi Paul....can i ask what tubing you used for the chimney extension? I can’t find anything suitable

thanks
Brian

Two on Tour. Paul?

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Two on Tour]

Hi Paul....can i ask what tubing you used for the chimney extension? I can’t find anything suitable

thanks
Brian

Hi Brian, I found some aluminium tube on eBay with an internal size that was a nice tight fit over the stub on the chimney when you remove to original angled chimney extension.
The top black section in my photos in my earlier post is a car silicone top radiator hose with an angle cut on it to meet with the grille on the top vent. Doing this seems to hold the heat longer in the lower section of the chimney which is helping our fridge to cool to lower temperatures.

 

[tonka]

Hi Paul....can i ask what tubing you used for the chimney extension?

thanks
Brian

Brian123 Just a note... if you put the @ symbol and then the forum name, they will get a notification that they have been mentioned..
Otherwise pot luck they read the post, especially on older posts....

 

[kevenh]

Brian123 Just a note... if you put the @ symbol and then the forum name, they will get a notification that they have been mentioned..
Otherwise pot luck they read the post, especially on older posts....

Post #106 was their corrective action to achieve that sort of “heads up” yy

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[Brian123]

Brian123 Just a note... if you put the @ symbol and then the forum name, they will get a notification that they have been mentioned..
Otherwise pot luck they read the post, especially on older posts....

tonka thanks Tonka, you learn something new everyday

Hi Brian, I found some aluminium tube on eBay with an internal size that was a nice tight fit over the stub on the chimney when you remove to original angled chimney extension.
The top black section in my photos in my earlier post is a car silicone top radiator hose with an angle cut on it to meet with the grille on the top vent. Doing this seems to hold the heat longer in the lower section of the chimney which is helping our fridge to cool to lower temperatures.

Two on Tour thanks Paul much appreciated, these dometics are more like an oven than fridge!!

 

[Two on Tour]

these dometics are more like an oven than fridge!!

Have you fitted fans in your top vent to help with airflow over the condenser fins Brian?

 

[Brian123]

Have you fitted fans in your top vent to help with airflow over the condenser fins Brian?

Yes, i have 1 fan at the bottoms blowing up, 2 fans at the top vent extracting and internal fan to circulate within the fridge compartment, it was a bit tongue cheek when i said it more like an oven, however we need the fridge to be operating efficiently as my wife has to store eye drops in the fridge and freezer. So anything i can to help with the cooling keeps her happy and happy wife , happy life.

 

[MitchandJenny]

What i am trying to achieve is better thermal conductivity between the cooling pipes and the diffuser hence new paste and air circulation, hence fans. I have considered the position of the fans and decided they would be out of harms way under the top shelf. Also, sucking the air away would not compromise the working capability of the thermocouple.
It is all suck it and see. I can always change things if it is not effective as i would have liked. The main thing is getting cooler beer!

As ex Veh Tech ( many years ago ). I have been wondering if Copper Slip would be a replacement for the job ?? It is a copper paste used to apply to the threads of a bolt that needs to be removed in the future..
It never sets.
Mitch

 

[Mr Chrysalis]

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[JockandRita]

.

Whatever it was you said Mr Chrysalis , it didn't come through.

Jock.

 

[Widge]

As ex Veh Tech ( many years ago ). I have been wondering if Copper Slip would be a replacement for the job ?? It is a copper paste used to apply to the threads of a bolt that needs to be removed in the future..
It never sets.
Mitch

I cannot say if it would or not, but it is not designed to efficiently transfer heat and the cost of proper heatsink compound is so little, why do all the work without using the correct stuff.

 

[MitchandJenny]

I cannot say if it would or not, but it is not designed to efficiently transfer heat and the cost of proper heatsink compound is so little, why do all the work without using the correct stuff.

Because after looking on “tut tinternet” it has been used successfully and closely resembles the multitude of other pastes.
But no problem, I was just seeing if anyone else had used it.
I have plenty from my tech days so will use it soon.
Mitch

 

[Widge]

Because after looking on “tut tinternet” it has been used successfully and closely resembles the multitude of other pastes.
But no problem, I was just seeing if anyone else had used it.
I have plenty from my tech days so will use it soon.
Mitch

Good luck, I didn't realise you already had some.

 

[Mr Chrysalis]

It was my turn to do the job today.
I used this, 2 tubes. That was enough, but only just.

Pardon our interruption...

My top tips, a tiny drop of the grease is enough to hold the screws to the screwdriver when reassembling, but magnetic would have been better.
The finned plate tends to slide down under its own weight when trying to get the screws in, so better if you have someone to hold it for you, or place a couple of wedges under the fins. I am concerned that the sliding may have wiped the grease away from the contact area, so if I do it again I will have the wedges handy first
I didn’t use the spatulas provided with the paste but just put a lot with wiggly lines all over the exposed pard of the black pipe
After scraping the paste off the pipe and the plate, I used methylated spirit to better clean the plate, let that dry, then used the moistened cleaning pads provided to do a final clean

Testing it now on gas with a max/min thermometer

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