Cooling fan sounds like it's struggling

[1Riesen]

Hello,
I have a 2014 26BH and the cooling fan below the fridge and circuit panel sounds like it's struggling and changes volume and speed. Very intermittent. What could be wrong?

Trailer is plugged in.

[bikendan]

Usually that happens when battery is weak or has a dead cell.
You need to use a hydrometer to check each cell.

[klrobert]

On my trailer, the fan on the inverter will change speed depending on the load on the inverter. If very little 12v power is being used, it runs slow, but if the 12v load increases, the fan speed will increase.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by klrobert

On my trailer, the fan on the inverter will change speed depending on the load on the inverter. If very little 12v power is being used, it runs slow, but if the 12v load increases, the fan speed will increase.

Are you talking about a CONverter, not an INverter?
I think the OP has a Cherokee 26BH and I don't think they come with INverters, just CONverters.

[jimmoore13]

I think the advice of others is likely to be correct. Fan speed is likely to change with load on 12 volt circuits and the state of charge of the battery bank.

But there is another possibility, and that is that the fan bearings could be running "dry" of lubricant. A "muffin" fan is a pretty simple device, and in this application, they are usually cheap and easy to replace. But, if you're a DIY person, it's usually possible to lube the fan bearings with a simple technique.

Many muffin fans don't have "bearing covers/dust caps." Instead they use a foil or plastic label to cover the bearings. These labels aren't that easy to remove, but it's usually easy to use an Xacto knive to punch a small hole in the label, and then use a "needle (or syringe) oiler" to apply a couple of drops of "sewing machine oil" to the bearings. https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Shot-1-Ou...277524&sr=8-11

You won't get a label to stick to the dust cap, so it won't be protected, but remember that the fan was already on its last legs, and you're nursing another couple of years out of it. I've had great luck with this technique on everything from the cooling fan on my Direct TV box to the muffin fan cooling high end audio gear.

Why consider this? Sometimes it's just not that easy to R&R a muffin fan from it's installed location and surrounding mount...as was the case with the Direct TV box. Despite cleaning out the interior of the cabinet and all the ventilation grillwork, I kept getting overheating alerts. A couple of drops of oil fixed it.

[Larry-NC]

Fan speed variations also happen in perfectly normal operation. Kneel down in front of the CONverter with all the 12v appliances off. Ask your wife to successively turn on all the lights (12v), the range hood fan (12v), the furnace (12v) and all the fans. You will hear the fan speed increase accordingly.

[klrobert]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Are you talking about a CONverter, not an INverter?
I think the OP has a Cherokee 26BH and I don't think they come with INverters, just CONverters.

You are correct. Maybe I had one too many beers before writing that.

[1Riesen]

Thank you everyone.
Had a suspicious sewer smell around camper. Some sniffing around and it was sulfuric. Battery was fried. Lasted 8 years but didn't use much.


So, I am looking into a new 12v battery. I know it may be a new thread but what do you have for recommendations? I had an interstate HD 24 DP which the new model for that is an SRM 24. Should I stick with that or go with an AMG or Flooded?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by 1Riesen

Thank you everyone.
Had a suspicious sewer smell around camper. Some sniffing around and it was sulfuric. Battery was fried. Lasted 8 years but didn't use much.


So, I am looking into a new 12v battery. I know it may be a new thread but what do you have for recommendations? I had an interstate HD 24 DP which the new model for that is an SRM 24. Should I stick with that or go with an AMG or Flooded?

Glad to know that just the battery was the issue.
As far as a replacement, depends whether you always camp with shore power or you dry camp/boondock.
A cheap marine dual-purpose battery is fine if you always have shore power.
Otherwise an AGM might be a better choice. Or a pair of 6v golf cart batteries.

[mjf55]

Consider that old battery lasted 8 years. That's a long time for a battery. If your camping style is not changing, I would seriously think of getting the same one.

[MLJLC4473]

It could be that the fan is failing as this looks like a normal PC-style cooling fan running on 12 volts DC. I have taken apart hundreds of PC's for electronic recycling and have seen many of them that were full of dust/dirt that impacted their performance. If you could get it out of the enclosure to clean it up that might help too. Then you could do a self-test by running some jumper wires to a 12 volt DC supply and see if it does the same thing out of the enclosure. If it does replace it. Checking the input power status should also be part of the troubleshooting process too.

[Flybob]

It is a temperature controlled fan. As the convertor warms up with increased output the temp rises and the fan speeds up to cool it.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by MLJLC4473

It could be that the fan is failing as this looks like a normal PC-style cooling fan running on 12 volts DC. I have taken apart hundreds of PC's for electronic recycling and have seen many of them that were full of dust/dirt that impacted their performance. If you could get it out of the enclosure to clean it up that might help too. Then you could do a self-test by running some jumper wires to a 12 volt DC supply and see if it does the same thing out of the enclosure. If it does replace it. Checking the input power status should also be part of the troubleshooting process too.

The OP solved the problem, back in post #7.

[Chuck_S]

Get a Deep Cycle, not a "dual purpose", battery which is a waste of money since you don't need "starting amps" which is one half of the "dual" battery's intended use.

-- Chuck