Differences between revisions 1 and 33 (spanning 32 versions)

Samsung Refrigerator

Samsung RT18M 6213 WW/AA
- Compressor MSV4A1AL1R/TT3
- 0F364DBKB00391P

Problem

Even at "5 bars", refrigerator compartment won't cool more than 40 degrees below room temperature (can be 85F in August)
- "Power Cool" temporarily lowers temperature more

More information

In wooden kitchen compartment 33 inches wide, 68 inches high, 27 inches deep, with 3 inch space in back
- Hot garage behind back wall - aluminum foil on wall minimizes radiant heat.
- Extra open space inside the back of the refrigerator compartment surrounding the round black vent
Refrigerator very quiet. I expected some compressor noise
Draws 3 to 100 watts, monitored with "Kill-a-Watt" digital meter
Freezer compartment works fine at "two bars", opened twice per day, mostly to access "power cool"
Added a 300 cubic/foot per minute floor vent blowing air at lower back left side, see pictures below.
- Floor vent reduces maximum temperature excursion by 4F, but vent fan is noisy and consumes 40 more watts

Usage

Mostly use refrigerator for fresh food, dairy and lots of vegetables
Don't use ice or icemaker, not many frozen foods

Purchase and Warranty

Purchased 2019 July 9 for $648 from Home Depot 4401 SW 110th Ave Beaverton OR 97005
delivered 2019 July 22
added 3 year protection plan $90 ... but Home Depot doesn't answer phone within 40 minutes

Photos taken on 80 fahrenheit July morning - Click for larger view

	Thermocouple temperatures, top is left compartment wall, bottom is interior upper glass shelf
	Inside of compartment. Thermocouple on "stovetop wall", 300 cfm vent at bottom, power routed through Kill-A-Watt meter, foil radiant barrier and 3 inch styrofoam ball spacer in back
	Kill-A-Watt meter feeding power to refrigerator. Can exceed 100 watts during "Power Cool". Usually runs below 3 watts.
	Basement: AC Infinity fan and sound baffle to floor vent above. Thermocouple attached to sheet metal duct. Currently running at full speed, about 40 watts. Much quieter at partial speed, but refrigerator runs too hot.
	Basement: Duct connection to refrigerator floor vent. FYI Samsung engineers: Not relevant to the refrigerator, but the blue device on the lower right is a medical grade isolation transformer for my electronics workbench, isolating line voltage hot and neutral for workbench safety. Thermally isolated from the vent above, with cooling air blown towards the far right, away from the refrigerator vent intake. Your workbench should have this.
	Vents at back bottom of refrigerator. No detectable sound, no air blows in or out
	Close-up of left back vent. What's that strange bit of light brown foam just inside the vent?

Note 1: I have a rope taped around the back for rolling the refrigerator out of the compartment. The force bears on the edges of side panels, not the back panel or the door. Much safer than the hand truck used by the delivery people; I don't know what might be damaged underneath.

Note 2: COVID-19 is rampant in the United States in July 2020. I hope to get warranty service, but I will require technicians to wear face masks and shields. We can provide face masks and shields, and "clean-room" style isolation clothing, worn before entering the house.

-  ⇤ ← Revision 1 as of 2020-07-07 19:53:35 → 
  Size: 946
  Editor: KeithLofstrom
  Comment:
+   ← Revision 33 as of 2020-07-07 21:43:03 → ⇥
  Size: 3988
  Editor: KeithLofstrom
  Comment:
-Deletions are marked like this.
+Additions are marked like this.
 Line 2:
-Line 8:
+Line 7:
- . Even at "5 bars", refrigerator compartment won't cool more than 40 degrees below room temperature (can be 82F)
  . Power temporarily lowers temperature
 . Freezer compartment works fine at two bars
+ . Even at "5 bars", refrigerator compartment won't cool more than 40 degrees below room temperature (can be 85F in August)
  . "Power Cool" temporarily lowers temperature more
-Line 13:
+Line 11:
- . in wooden kitchen compartment 33 inches wide, 68 inches high, 27 inches deep, with 3 inch space in back
  . extra space left in back around round black fent
 . added a 300 cubic/foot per minute floor vent blowing air at back left side
  . floor vent fan reduces maximum temperature excursion by 4F, but fan is noisy and consumes 40 more watts.
+ . In wooden kitchen compartment 33 inches wide, 68 inches high, 27 inches deep, with 3 inch space in back
  . Hot garage behind back wall - aluminum foil on wall minimizes radiant heat.
  . Extra open space inside the back of the refrigerator compartment surrounding the round black vent
 . Refrigerator very quiet.  I expected some compressor noise
 . Draws 3 to 100 watts, monitored with "Kill-a-Watt" digital meter
 . Freezer compartment works fine at "two bars", opened twice per day, mostly to access "power cool"
 . Added a '''300 cubic/foot per minute floor vent''' blowing air at lower back left side, see pictures below.
  . Floor vent reduces maximum temperature excursion by 4F, but vent fan is noisy and consumes 40 more watts

=== Usage ===
 . Mostly use refrigerator for fresh food, dairy and lots of vegetables
 . Don't use ice or icemaker, not many frozen foods
-Line 21:
+Line 28:
- . added 3 year protection plan $90 ... but Home Depot doesn't answer the phone
+ . added 3 year protection plan $90 ... but Home Depot doesn't answer phone within 40 minutes

=== Photos taken on 80 fahrenheit July morning - Click for larger view ===
|| [[ attachment:IMG_0098.JPG  | {{ attachment:IMG_0098.JPG | | height=50 }} ]] || Thermocouple temperatures, top is left compartment wall, bottom is interior upper glass shelf ||
|| [[ attachment:IMG_0100.JPG  | {{ attachment:IMG_0100.JPG | | height=50 }} ]] || Inside of compartment.  Thermocouple on "stovetop wall", 300 cfm vent at bottom, power routed through Kill-A-Watt meter, foil radiant barrier and 3 inch styrofoam ball spacer in back  ||
|| [[ attachment:IMG_0102.JPG  | {{ attachment:IMG_0102.JPG | | height=50 }} ]] || Kill-A-Watt meter feeding power to refrigerator.  Can exceed 100 watts during "Power Cool".  Usually runs below 3 watts. ||
|| [[ attachment:IMG_0105.JPG  | {{ attachment:IMG_0105.JPG | | height=50 }} ]] || Basement: AC Infinity fan and sound baffle to floor vent above.  Thermocouple attached to sheet metal duct.  Currently running at full speed, about 40 watts. Much quieter at partial speed, but refrigerator runs too hot. ||
|| [[ attachment:IMG_0104.JPG  | {{ attachment:IMG_0104.JPG | | height=50 }} ]] || Basement: Duct connection to refrigerator floor vent. <<BR>><<BR>>~-''FYI Samsung engineers: Not relevant to the refrigerator, but the blue device on the lower right is a medical grade isolation transformer for my electronics workbench, isolating line voltage hot and neutral for workbench safety.  Thermally isolated from the vent above, with cooling air blown towards the far right, away from the refrigerator vent intake.  Your workbench should have this. ''-~ ||
|| [[ attachment:IMG_0106.JPG  | {{ attachment:IMG_0106.JPG | | height=50 }} ]] || Vents at back bottom of refrigerator.  No detectable sound, no air blows in or out  ||
|| [[ attachment:IMG_0107.JPG  | {{ attachment:IMG_0107.JPG | | height=50 }} ]] || Close-up of left back vent.  What's that strange bit of light brown foam just inside the vent? ||

Note 1:  I have a rope taped around the back for rolling the refrigerator out of the compartment. The force bears on the edges of side panels, not the back panel or the door.  Much safer than the hand truck used by the delivery people; I don't know what might be damaged underneath.

Note 2:  COVID-19 is rampant in the United States in July 2020.  I hope to get warranty service, but I will require technicians to wear face masks and shields.  We can provide face masks and shields, and "clean-room" style isolation clothing, worn before entering the house.