Older fridge door gasket / sealing / insulation

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GaryWizard
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Older fridge door gasket / sealing / insulation

Post by GaryWizard »

My 36 LRC is a 1995 vintage with the refrigerator that had the lift-up door ('L' shaped). It seems that no matter what I try I can't get a good seal - especially along the back edge where the hinges are located. Also, while I added insulation on the top (under the small locker above the fridge) and along the side away from the bulkhead (as much as I could reach) the box doesn't seem to be very well insulated. As I live on the boat year-round this has important repercussions in terms of energy usage.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Gary
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PDQ 36 LRC #47
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GaryWizard
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Re: Older fridge door gasket / sealing / insulation

Post by GaryWizard »

I thought I'd try this again. This is a '95 PDQ 36 LRC with the horizontal refrigerator.

The L-shaped door on the refrigerator leaks cold air badly. If I replace the gaskets (with what I can find in the eastern Caribbean), they're better for a few days until they get compressed and fail to seal well again. I also have the feeling there's not much insulation on the forward side of the box as I get condensation on the bulkhead in the port forward cabin.

My first thought is trying to find a way to seal (& insulate?) the existing box.

The alternative is to tear out the existing installation & replace it with something that's got much better insulation all around. I see other cruisers with top-loading (& front-loading) refrigerators that have 3"-4" thick doors, compared to the <1" thick door on the PDQ. :(

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Gary
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PDQ 36 LRC #47
lauraj
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Older fridge door gasket / sealing / insulation

Post by lauraj »

wow..the crickets are deafening..... ANYONE?

we have the same fridge (1990) and it looks like the last time, the owner used the kind of foam gasket sealant that is used along the top of a truck bed to secure/waterproof a camper shell. It is sticky backed and they placed it along the lid (about an inch wide) it seems to hold pretty well, but I do get a little condensation in two spots.

My big problem is the condensation along the wall on the cabin side, next to the fridge and under the seat cushions at the back of the fridge.

Anyone else deal with this successfully? Any other options on gasket?
Marc Gershel
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Re: Older fridge door gasket / sealing / insulation

Post by Marc Gershel »

I sprayed the entire back of the box with expanding isulating foam. Seemed to do the job , along with additional rigid insulation inside the box.
Marc
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GaryWizard
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Re: Older fridge door gasket / sealing / insulation

Post by GaryWizard »

I believe that my major problem is that the insulation surrounding the box is bad. Maybe water-logged from condensation? If I run the unit colder than 50F, the bulkhead in the port, forward cabin sweats - damaging the bunk sheets, mattress & the bulkhead itself. I've wondered about adding insulation all around the inside of the box. The alternative is to tear it all out & rebuild it from scratch - not something I'm enthused about doing.
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