Couple things. Based on experience, I'd recommend using Titebond on screws if screwed into wood products or similar. If holes are stripped out, toss a toothpick in the hole with glue and problem solved.

I added the reflectix stuff to the fridge and it made a difference in noise. The thing used to hum loudly and is now a bit quieter. The main problem was one screw vibrating against the cabinet. At certain angles it sounded like orbital sander running and drove me nutz. As far as heat the cycle rates dropped at lower temps but when its hot (100+) it still runs quite a bit. Maybe I expected more and was biased. I never really did a test to see before and after results. I still think it's worth adding it. Deminimis, didn't you find the door might be poorly insulated? BTW done the tooth pic thing and it is a good trick.

Insert Jage's "Quality Control" poster here ...



Brent

I put Reflectix around my fridge on Sunday because I thought it worked well for some of you. I used Super77 Spray Mount to affix it. I liked how easy it was to cut the Reflectix and easily attach it. I hope the adhesive stays tight.

I will be heading to Utah for a week so I will see how the fridge cycles compared to before. It was so loud coming on every few minutes. I will report back.

steve

Thanks to everybody for the posts on this subject. I am a new SMB owner (bought used in January) and new to the forum. After reading about the cost and dubious value of the Dynamat, I also just used Reflectix on my fridge. I have a 2006 EB50 with the 2.7 CF fridge. Once I pulled the fridge, I noticed that the fridge already had 1/2" of closed-cell foam insulation already taped to the top, bottom and rear, but not the sides. I added an additional layer of the Reflectix all around (except for the bottom, for air movement) using adhesive-backed foil tape which can be bought at Home Depot for HVAC applications, and it fit like a glove back into the enclosure (I hope that I haven't closed-off necessary air movement at the sides). There was still plenty of air-movement room at the top. It was easy and the total cost of materials is probably less than $20. It took about 1 1/2 hours total. The fridge came out easily: there are four drywall screws that you must remove on the front face of the fridge; on a black steel flange on the RH and LHS of the fridge face (with door open). Also, there is one screw on either side of the fridge where the heads are accessed inside the adjacent cabinets. These side-screws were a bit tricky to get lined-up to go back into the holes once I re-installed the fridge, but all-in-all, it was easy.
I also noticed that like Jage's case, there was evidence of a contact between the enclosure L-bracket bolt/nut and the bottom of the fridge. I can see this causing quite a rattle. It appears that the SMB installers had already ground-down the nut-head to reduce this, but apparently not enough. I ground it down about another 1/8" using an angle-grinder, and wedged a thin slice of firm foam between the two to reduce contact further.
I am a light sleeper and any noise from the fridge in the enclosed space of the van can wake me up so I am quite eager to reduce the fridge noise (as it is, we either turn the fridge off, or keep it at 1 at night). After some experimenting, I found that the majority of the noise was coming from not the fridge body/compressor, but rattling of the internal shelves. There is a plastic-coated steel shelf that has a folding tray that you can swing-up to allow for tall bottles, etc; this rattled quite a bit; I secured it using two strips of that double-sided Velcro tape (used to secure a roll of extension-cord, for example, found at HD). Also, the two flimsy clear-plastic door-shelves are loose in their slots and rattled. I affixed a couple of those fuzzy Velcro-dots (in many Velcro kits, they will have pre-cut, adhesive-backed circles of both the fuzzy (loop) and hook sides) to the back of each tray on each side. That let them slide firmly into the slots with no rattle. In the past I have also noticed that various hard food-items in these trays will rattle (like beer bottles, mustard bottles, etc.). I cut-out some of that cross-hatch pattern foam kitchen shelf-liner for the bottom of each tray to help mute this rattling, yet the cross-hatching still allows air movement through the tray slots.
The net of all this is that the fridge is much, much quieter now. I can't say objectively that the Reflectix actually quieted the rattling or reduces the cycling, but it probably does somewhat, and probably can't hurt either. I think it was well worth the overall ~2 hrs of time invested. For those that don't want to mess with the Reflectix and removing the fridge, the 10-minute fix which eliminates 80% of the noise is Velcroing that swing-up tray and securing the door-trays. If you don't want to bother with the shelf-liner, you could use a few sheets of folded-up paper-towel in the trays, which convey the added benefit of absorbing spills as well.

vwteleman-
This is totally off topic But I just had to tell you that every time I see your avitar, I just start salivating like Pavlov's dog.
That is one compelling photo!!
Bill

For your viewing - and salivating - pleasure ...




Santé!
Brent

vwteleman-
I see you're from N. Van. We have a place in Pender Harbour where we spend the Summer
We'll be going up next week.
Bill

Bill,

Pender Harbour is certainly a beautiful part of the world. My Mom is from Powell River, and we still have family up there, so I know that road quite well. Do you have a boat in the water up there?

I now spend my ferry trips heading to another Pender, though. My inlaws live on Pender Island.

Enjoy your summer. Maybe we'll see you on the road some time (we'll be getting our van back in about three weeks!).

Brent

Brent-
Yes to boats: rowing, kayaks, skiff, and overnight. (About the comfort equivalent of a SMB)
E-mail if you're coming this way.
Bill