Flawless Refrigeration Installations

So how’d the refrigeration install go?

I’m so glad you asked and I am thrilled to report that Installation #1 went surprisingly well.  It took us all day and there was a lot of getting in and out of tight spaces, but the only snafu we ran into was having to drill mounting holes in the bottom of the evaporator bin so that, once mounted, the lid opened down instead of up.

Initially, I’m thinking I am not going to have anything to blog about.  But you’re reading a blog called Flawless Refrigeration Installations so, clearly, I am mistaken.

After the almost flawless Installation #1, we have to get used to NOT getting ice every day. We go from filling a 2 ½ gallon Ziploc bag on a daily basis to filling a gallon Ziploc bag every other day or so. We didn’t realize it but the old refrigerator needed that big bag of ice to keep things cold. With the new refrigerator, our drinks are the only things that need ice. Since the evaporator bin doubles as a freezer, we can make our own ice but we haven’t gotten around to that yet. It’s just easier to walk up to the Holiday Inn and fill up our gallon Ziploc bag. Side note…you know you’re retired when you haven’t gotten around to filling up ice trays and putting them in your new evaporator bin freezer.

Another side note…since the Ziploc ice bag goes in the evaporator bin freezer and the bin is mounted toward the top of the box, there is MORE room in the actual refrigerator part of the box. I’m not buying more food though. I plan a weeks’ worth of menus and buy a weeks’ worth of food at a time. The extra room makes it easier to organize all of that food. I now have a fridge bin for condiments, one for fruits and veggies and one for meats and cheeses. Yep, in our new refrigerator, there’s a place for everything and room for everything to be in its place!

A few days after Installation #1, I am making coffee and notice that the countertop is wet.

M: Hmmmm, the Keurig must be leaking.

S: Why do you say that?

M: The countertop is wet. Will you please hand me a towel?

M (wiping the countertop): Hmmmm, this countertop is really cold.

M (pushing down on the refrigerator doors):  Hmmmm, the doors are closed. Why do you think the countertop is so cold?

S: I think it’s because the evaporator bin is too close to the underside of the counter. It’s cooling the counter all the way through and since it’s warmer out here, condensation is forming on the countertop.

M: Why did you mount the evaporator bin so close to the underside of the counter?

S: I wondered if this would be an issue but I mounted it the way the manufacturer recommended. The manufacturer probably assumes that your box is adequately insulated. Obviously, our box is not. I also mounted it that way to give you as much room in the box as possible.

M: So, we’re just going to have to wipe the countertop when it gets wet?

S: Yeah, we’ll have to keep it dry. Otherwise, the counter could rot and we might have problems with mildew.  I guess we could try adding some insulation to the box.

MILDEW???  We can’t get to Lowe’s fast enough. Steve un-mounts the evaporator bin, attaches some foam board insulation to the top of the box and remounts the evaporator bin.  Flawless Installation #2.

No more wet countertop, but the box is not cooling the way it should be.  We’re back to needing to put ice in the box to keep things cold.  Steve thinks it’s because the insulation is pushing the capillary sensing tubing up against the evaporator bin resulting in an erratic cooling cycle.

So…Steve un-mounts the evaporator bin AGAIN, relocates the capillary sensing tubing and remounts the evaporator bin AGAIN.  While he’s in there, he repositions the fan that circulates the air so that the air flows directly across the top of the evaporator bin.  Flawless Installation #3.

Oh, refrigeration installs.  As easy as one, two, three…