Refrigerator Fan - Who'd have thought?

[10x]

Originally Posted by jkklops

you have to let the thing get cold before using it I live in ohio and camp all summer no probloms with just using the frig as it works to many people just can not live with what they have and are to smart for everything

If your happy so be it, I am willing to bet the fans keep everything cool evenly and colder. Also, they cool off quicker if you open door often.

RV fridges have been engineered the same for ever, doesn't mean it's right. If the design was perfect why does the fridge in your home have a fan?

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by 10x

If your happy so be it, I am willing to bet the fans keep everything cool evenly and colder. Also, they cool off quicker if you open door often.

RV fridges have been engineered the same for ever, doesn't mean it's right. If the design was perfect why does the fridge in your home have a fan?

Agree with everything but "they cool off quicker if you open door often." They will heat up faster with the door opening often.

[1surveyor]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Here are pictures of my homemade one that works great.

how did you make yours ?

[Witch Doctor]

I just read that add, what a load of you know what. The fan they caution you on is nothing short of misleading and BS. I have one installed for over a year and a half no problems at all. The 12 v computer fan is better for sure, Takes up more room. They all do the same thing. And as far as someone said that refers at home do not come with fans that's incorrect for sure. They now even install then to blow air over your draws that hold the veggies and meats. That's on the upper end units, you pay for what you get. The fins are what cools the unit without a fan installed put two thermostats in one at the fin and one at the bottom of the refer you will see the temp difference then put the fan on and check.

[Doctarie]

Home made guys how are you attaching you units to the fins ?

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by 1surveyor

how did you make yours ?

Just a pc of 0.032 alum with a flange bent and the holes drilled and fans mounted. Top flange has 2 ss cotter pins inserted to clip over fins to hold the unit. Less than 1" thick from fins to outside of fans.

[youroo]

2 fan type are still listed on Amazon for (16.50$) free ship. Plug & Play! Youroo!!

[RPAspey]

Originally Posted by 10x

If your happy so be it, I am willing to bet the fans keep everything cool evenly and colder. Also, they cool off quicker if you open door often.

RV fridges have been engineered the same for ever, doesn't mean it's right. If the design was perfect why does the fridge in your home have a fan?

I agree with you. And I would like to add one observation: when we go on long trIPs, the fridge is jammed full. Before installation of my fans, food near the top would not be cold enough. We would have to make sure anything we used hadn't spoiled. Since the fans, the good circulation keeps the temps even and sometimes icy.

[JLeising]

For those of us who dry camp a lot, not convinced this mod is a good idea. Website says this unit draws 0.5 amps. Over just a two day weekend without hookups or generator, this mod alone would use 24 ampere-hours. A two battery "size 27" house supply, following the recommendation to not run below 50% of capacity, has about 100 ampere-hours available. This fan unit would use about 1/4 of total available battery power. In their FAQs they recommend turning off for dry camping and only using as needed. Looks to me like the unit without the fans running would significantly impede normal convection air flow through the fins - the fridge would work worse with this unit installed and the fans "off" than without this unit because of this issue.
A smaller, less potential air flow inhibiting unit -like Turbs - might be a compromise (still, would want to turn "off" when dry camping). A "D-cell" powered unit would avoid any house battery drain.

[10x]

Originally Posted by JLeising

For those of us who dry camp a lot, not convinced this mod is a good idea. Website says this unit draws 0.5 amps. Over just a two day weekend without hookups or generator, this mod alone would use 24 ampere-hours. A two battery "size 27" house supply, following the recommendation to not run below 50% of capacity, has about 100 ampere-hours available. This fan unit would use about 1/4 of total available battery power. In their FAQs they recommend turning off for dry camping and only using as needed. Looks to me like the unit without the fans running would significantly impede normal convection air flow through the fins - the fridge would work worse with this unit installed and the fans "off" than without this unit because of this issue.
A smaller, less potential air flow inhibiting unit -like Turbs - might be a compromise (still, would want to turn "off" when dry camping). A "D-cell" powered unit would avoid any house battery drain.

You can install a toggle switch and turn them off when you dry camp. They even sell them with switches on them.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by JLeising

For those of us who dry camp a lot, not convinced this mod is a good idea. Website says this unit draws 0.5 amps. Over just a two day weekend without hookups or generator, this mod alone would use 24 ampere-hours. A two battery "size 27" house supply, following the recommendation to not run below 50% of capacity, has about 100 ampere-hours available. This fan unit would use about 1/4 of total available battery power. In their FAQs they recommend turning off for dry camping and only using as needed. Looks to me like the unit without the fans running would significantly impede normal convection air flow through the fins - the fridge would work worse with this unit installed and the fans "off" than without this unit because of this issue.
A smaller, less potential air flow inhibiting unit -like Turbs - might be a compromise (still, would want to turn "off" when dry camping). A "D-cell" powered unit would avoid any house battery drain.

That's what the toggle switches are for and they do not impede the function of the fins when not running. Believe the benefit of even cooling would more than offset the minute drain on the batteries, but to each his own.

[RPAspey]

I believe my 2.5" computer fans draw .07A each. So, those fans must be a larger.

I agree that blocking the fins even slightly would impinge on air flow. I have quick disconnects on my unit, and it's held up with HD Velcro. So I can remove for cleaning, maintenance, or in-the-field failures.

A switch doesn't help with the air flow issue. A means for quick removal would help. Those 2" or so that RV products fan takes up, means a lot in terms of air flow.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by RPAspey

I believe my 2.5" computer fans draw .07A each. So, those fans must be a larger.

I agree that blocking the fins even slightly would impinge on air flow. I have quick disconnects on my unit, and it's held up with HD Velcro. So I can remove for cleaning, maintenance, or in-the-field failures.

A switch doesn't help with the air flow issue. A means for quick removal would help. Those 2" or so that RV products fan takes up, means a lot in terms of air flow.

Easy fix, don't use fans or remove them. I don't boondock so will use the fans to even out the temperature. That's what makes the world go around, everyones different.

[Iggy]

Here is my fans and these two small ones is all you need.
No need to cover the fins. All it does is keeps air moving to reduce frost on fins.
These pans do drop temp at least 4 degrees for me.

[GlacierGus]

I'm with Iggy. I have the toggle switch because I do a lot of dry camping.
Works nicely.

[Hudlow]

Originally Posted by RobKat

Another idea was to put in a computer fan (on a switch - drawing 12V) that was fastened to the shelf (one model actually attached to the fins). Noise was tolerable unless something got into the blade. Again, not a keeper.

RobKat,

I'm interested to know if this application improved the cooling and icing. If it's all about air circulation is it necessary to mount the fan on the fins as most have done?

Thanks, Hud

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Hudlow

RobKat,

I'm interested to know if this application improved the cooling and icing. If it's all about air circulation is it necessary to mount the fan on the fins as most have done?

Thanks, Hud

Not Hudlow, but the fins are the most "out of the way" place to put them as opposed to hanging on a shelf. Fins act as ground for the power also.

[10x]

Kelly's Heroes Oddball - Negative Waves - YouTube

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Not Hudlow, but the fins are the most "out of the way" place to put them as opposed to hanging on a shelf. Fins act as ground for the power also.

My fans have a separate ground wire OldCoot.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Iggy

My fans have a separate ground wire OldCoot.

Mine do too, I just hooked the ground wire to the mounting screws for the fans the and the alum plate grounds to the fins.