12 volt fan for fridge

[Bobby A]

A couple years ago I put a 4 inch 12volt fan in the outside top vent for my fridge to help with the cooling and remove the heat and it sure does help. It was long over due for a replacement as I could hear it getting loud. I had bought a Radio Shack 4 inch fan to replace it when it became time. I just replaced it yesterday with the Radio Shack fan and it was a easy swap out, just a little hard to get to. I was just reading on the packaging of the Radio Shack fan that the life expectancy of the fan is 10,000 hour of continuous use, that is a little over a year as mine does run 24/7. My question is does anyone know of a replacement fan that gets more continuous use ?? Its kinda a pain in the butt to replace the fan every year but it sure does help with the performance of my fridge. Thanks everyone,
Bobby

 

[rxbristol]

I used a 120 volt fan that I plugged into the same socket as the fridge (used an extension cord from the fan to the plug)--it's supposed to run for 67,000 hours. Here is a link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YTSB7C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[mlpeloquin]

I just put a jumper across the thermocouple at the top of the fridge and let the installed fans run. When I turn on the refrigerator, the fans turn on.

 

[Power247]

I really want to add fans to help our fridge in these hot summers. I am just nervous pulling the roof vent off to install the fans. They make it look so easy on youtube

Greg
2012 | RAM 2500 | CCSB | Custom tuned by Double R Diesel
2016 | Heartland Pioneer | DS310

 

[Bob&Patty]

Power, your fridge vents through the roof??

 

[Lynn1130]

They do make fans that fit over/in the roof vents and pull air up thus cooling the condenser. I think that is what he is talking about.

After using the internal fan in my fridge for a number of trips, I found that it might even out the temp some but does not do much more. In a few cases I found the temp when up a few degrees when it was running (motor heat?).

 

[mlpeloquin]

Rigs with refrigerators in slides do not have roof vents. The air is forced out through the top vent opening. Not very effect to do so. Running the fans at the top of the cooling fins has helped tremendously. My fridge is set on 2 or 3. Instead of 8 or 9. The fridge was 48* to 56* and the freezer was 28* and 26*. The fridge is now between 32* and 34* with the freezers at -16* and -12*. I have also installed fans in the refrigerator to keep the air moving inside it as well so no freeze up inside.

 

[ksucats]

I'm assuming you are all talking about the non-residential models. On my past coach I installed a computer fan similar to that starting the thread. It lasted many years but it did not run 24/7 as we are still not fortunate enough to get out that much. There is a thermo-coupler ( I believe that is the correct name for them) somewhere in the back of the box near the chimney where it could get ambient air temperature - on mine it was designed to turn the fan on at 90 degrees or so. I went to Radio Shack and bought one that would close the circuit at about 80 so that the refrigerator would get that extra oomph earlier and be able to keep the cool. On cool nights the fan would shut off, warm nights like what we have been experiencing locally this past week it would run 24/7. You might want to look for this and make the modification - don't know that I've helped much though to answer your question.

 

[Bobby A]

I used a 120 volt fan that I plugged into the same socket as the fridge (used an extension cord from the fan to the plug)--it's supposed to run for 67,000 hours. Here is a link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YTSB7C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks Rex, that looks just like my 12 volt fan, my only worry is it does not come with a power cord, I'm no electrician on how to wire a chord in. Did your come with a power chord ??

 

[rxbristol]

Thanks Rex, that looks just like my 12 volt fan, my only worry is it does not come with a power cord, I'm no electrician on how to wire a chord in. Did your come with a power chord ??

Sorry, I should have included a link to the power cord that easily attaches to the fan.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YUUAJS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[mlpeloquin]

I'm assuming you are all talking about the non-residential models. On my past coach I installed a computer fan similar to that starting the thread. It lasted many years but it did not run 24/7 as we are still not fortunate enough to get out that much. There is a thermo-coupler ( I believe that is the correct name for them) somewhere in the back of the box near the chimney where it could get ambient air temperature - on mine it was designed to turn the fan on at 90 degrees or so. I went to Radio Shack and bought one that would close the circuit at about 80 so that the refrigerator would get that extra oomph earlier and be able to keep the cool. On cool nights the fan would shut off, warm nights like what we have been experiencing locally this past week it would run 24/7. You might want to look for this and make the modification - don't know that I've helped much though to answer your question.

No Thermister. The resistance changes with temperature.

Thermocouple is a device that when heated produces an electric current. In a furnace and water heater it keep the gas valve open. They are used to detect a flame in water heaters, furnace, and the RV refrigerators. They are in the pilot flame or direct flame. The thermister is at the to of the chimney on the cooling fins. They very in resistance depending on temperature. The resistance used drops as the temperature goes up. When hot enough the circuit it is connected to turns the fans on. I simply jumpered across the thermistor to turn the fans on when the refrigerator on.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermocouple

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermistor

 

[Power247]

Power, your fridge vents through the roof??

It does. It's the big black plastic thing at the edge of the roof. Our previous SOB TT had the vent in the sidewall right about where the speaker is on our Pioneer. Thankful the 120v fridge in the outdoor kitchen get cold in a few hours. The Domestic inside takes a full day to get up to temp.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[mlpeloquin]

Your fridge is not in a slide so a roof vent fan is the ticket. At least the hot air is sucked into the fan and pushed straight out. On the slide side vent the air has to go up to the slide roof, build up some pressure and be forced down through the lower vent opening. Not efficient at all in removing the heat.

 

[Bobby A]

No Thermister. The resistance changes with temperature.

Thermocouple is a device that when heated produces an electric current. In a furnace and water heater it keep the gas valve open. They are used to detect a flame in water heaters, furnace, and the RV refrigerators. They are in the pilot flame or direct flame. The thermister is at the to of the chimney on the cooling fins. They very in resistance depending on temperature. The resistance used drops as the temperature goes up. When hot enough the circuit it is connected to turns the fans on. I simply jumpered across the thermistor to turn the fans on when the refrigerator on.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermocouple

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermistor

That's exactly what started my process a few years back, my thermistor ( a little round thing at the top of fridg on the outside) went bad so I read on this forum what people were doing to by pass it with a 12 volt fan. It really does help.

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry, I should have included a link to the power cord that easily attaches to the fan.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YUUAJS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks Rex, that's exactly what I'm looking for, thanks for the links, I will be ordering mine to have on hand for when the 12 volt fan I just installed needs replacing. I would assume there is no issues plugging it into the same outlet outside as the fridge is in ?? Thanks very much !! Bobby A

 

[rxbristol]

Thanks Rex, that's exactly what I'm looking for, thanks for the links, I will be ordering mine to have on hand for when the 12 volt fan I just installed needs replacing. I would assume there is no issues plugging it into the same outlet outside as the fridge is in ?? Thanks very much !! Bobby A

No problem...I used the following to plug both in to the same outlet because there is only one outlet to plug into.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UE7SC8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Bobby A]

No problem...I used the following to plug both in to the same outlet because there is only one outlet to plug into.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UE7SC8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yep, that's what I was thinking, now I'm not sure what to do with the 2 12 volt wires that was on the thermistor that now is on the 12 volt fan ?? do I need to put a new thermistor back on like it came from the factory and then put the new 110 fan on ?? Again I'm no electrician and get easily confused LOL

 

[rxbristol]

I would put the wires back into the thermistor. This is what runs the factory installed fans when the temperature gets above 100 degrees (I believe this is the set point) and will give you extra air flow.

 

[ksucats]

Marc: Thanks for putting the correct term out for everyone one - as I get older seems this ole brain doesn't remember some words so well.

 

[Bobby A]

I would put the wires back into the thermistor. This is what runs the factory installed fans when the temperature gets above 100 degrees (I believe this is the set point) and will give you extra air flow.

That's what I was thinking also Rex, thanks again for all your knowledge on the fan, I'm gonna order from your links.

 

[wdk450]

Maybe this is a little late for this thread, but RV Cooling Unit Warehouse has a webpage full of cooling fan items for both the outside venting areas and inside the cold box. Here is a link: http://rvcoolingunit.com/-Improve-your-Cooling-Items-C320215.aspx?sid=298