Jeff Erbele
12-04-2013, 6:25 AM
I have a secondary fridge in the garage. The garage is insulated but unheated. We are having a cold snap and the garage temperature will drop, maybe even freezing. In past winters when it gets really cold, the refrigerator runs non-stop. That sort of does not make sense. It should not have to run because the air outside the fridge is about the same temperature or maybe lower than the temperature inside the fridge.
My question is why does it run more when the ambient temperature is near freezing or below freezing than when the ambient temp is hot, may in the 90's F or higher?
I know a lot about a lot of things, but HVAC is not my strong suite. I suspect the answer lies in the principles of refrigeration. My guess is the refrigerant is not converting from vapor to liquid or liquid to vapor, or not as much as it should.
There is either liquid where there should be vapor, or vapor where there should be liquid inside the system or in the refrigeration cycle. Is this the problem? If so which one? Is this called vapor locked?
My guess to "why?" is there is not enough of a temperature differential or the condenser is frozen.
As you can see, I know just enough to be dangerous :)
What could I do, or should do about the fridge running non-stop?
Just Turn it off for a while, or leave it off until the I need to augment the cooling inside the fridge?
My question is why does it run more when the ambient temperature is near freezing or below freezing than when the ambient temp is hot, may in the 90's F or higher?
I know a lot about a lot of things, but HVAC is not my strong suite. I suspect the answer lies in the principles of refrigeration. My guess is the refrigerant is not converting from vapor to liquid or liquid to vapor, or not as much as it should.
There is either liquid where there should be vapor, or vapor where there should be liquid inside the system or in the refrigeration cycle. Is this the problem? If so which one? Is this called vapor locked?
My guess to "why?" is there is not enough of a temperature differential or the condenser is frozen.
As you can see, I know just enough to be dangerous :)
What could I do, or should do about the fridge running non-stop?
Just Turn it off for a while, or leave it off until the I need to augment the cooling inside the fridge?