Refrigerator Fan
RV refrigerators are not the same as the ones in our
homes. They don’t have compressors, and they don’t have fans. We can’t do
anything about the compressor, but we can supply a fan.
We have had problems with our frige freezing the veggies in
the bottom drawers. Linda used a thin piece of plastic on the lowest shelf to
block the cold air that falls to the bottom, and also bought a fan from Camping
World, # 6675 that
takes 2 D cell batteries and does a great job of moving that cold air around.
The batteries last a long time.
You may want to consider such a fan if you find parts of
your refrigerator are too warm or too cold.
Linda
linda@rexhalltips.com
John Grubka
jgrubka@earthlink.net had
a slightly different problem, also solved by a fan.
Living
in AZ. we have trouble keep our refer cold especially 110 plus weather. We are
preparing to go fulltime and have to stay down here in the Summer for the next
year or so. I added a 12 volt Radio Shack Box Fan ( About $8.00) to the rear of
the refer, in the chimney. This runs 24/7 on DC of course. My wife is fussy
about having thing done professionally so She purchased another switch at
Rexhall to match the original one and I installed it above that. It gives me two
extra circuits for a step light and exterior light I am planning.
I have tried
refer fan kits offered thru camping stores, however they are more expensive and
do not produce enough air movement.
This fan produces a
steady updraft in the chimney area that allows the coils to heat & cool
properly. Limited
access behind here makes this a tough installation any higher than where I
located the fan. Fan draws 5 amps. It has been running for six months trouble
free. It will not be necessary to run the cooler climates but does allow us run
refer at lower settings. In the past we had it set to Max and could not keep the
box cool enough. Radio Shack no longer offers a printed catalog but you can find
details on the fan on the web.
Jim Brooks put it all together.
While on the frig, I have added a small computer type fan to my frig inside.
It is a 2"-3" fan. The power comes from the frig light. The fan always runs and
I have a small micro size switch mounted on the fan, so I can turn the fan off
if necessary. Thus I do not have to keep putting D cell batteries in a
frig fan.
I have also added a 4" fan in the back of the frig in the coil area. It
is connected to a thermal switch that is set to turn on at 110 degrees and off
at 90 degrees. The fan is also 12vdc and is like the one in your tips (above),
except I have mine on a thermostat. Both fans were bought at computer
surplus type stores for about 2-3 bucks each.
Jim Brooks
jandlbrooks@yahoo.com
At the
Rexhall Rally we recently learned that refrigerator fan placement is more
complex than it might seem. So if your chimney fan is not effective you
may need to consult the frige manufacturer. There are available chimney
fans that have a solar generator, which is placed on top of the chimney cap.
Doug
doug@rexhalltips.com
I am always paranoid that the fridge is running too warm. I
added an indoor/ outdoor electronic thermometer. The remote sensor is placed
inside the fridge. Total cost was $8.00. This also provides me with the inside
temperature of the motorhome.
Gordon Cato
gordoncato@yahoo.com