I just finished my refrigerator modification. It took about 1 hour total to complete.I can't get good pics of the fans themselves. They are mounted at the top of the access panel cutout. I used two 12V computer fans and screwed them to the wood frame. I wired them through a 110V wall switch I had lying around.I drilled a hole through the switch handle, and put a stiff wire through it so it sticks out the access panel vent holes.I use the wire to turn the fans on/off.*I eventually plan to put a thermostat. Can someone point me in the direction of a thermostat to use?I hesitate to say the whole mod cost me zero dollars, but the fans came from a co-workers retired PC, the wire was scrap, and the switch was from a remodel we did a few years ago.Here is the switch. I may or may not clean it up! LOLHere is the wire sticking out of the vent. Yes the camper needs cleaning!

I did this ,but drilled a small hole on the front of frig panel installed a lighted switch. when the lights on the fans on , even my DW figured it out.

midnightsadie wrote:I did this ,but drilled a small hole on the front of frig panel installed a lighted switch. when the lights on the fans on , even my DW figured it out.I saw your post on that, and I wanted to do it, but I would have to take the fridge out to get the wire/switch fished. I do like yours better.

Hi,I put the thermostat in series with the switch--that way I can turn it on or off at will.

We used a Lowe's attic fan thermostat. It had a temperature adjustment, I mounted it to the right edge of the upper access hole. If either of the fans you used fail, we replaced our originals with Emermax magnetic bearing units. We can barely hear them inside.

For those of you that might not know why anyone would do this fan mod, it helps your frig significantly cool better when it's very hot outside. Most RV frigs can get to about 40-45 degrees below outside air temp. If you are camping somewhere it's 100 degrees, thats not what most of us would be happy with. Doing the mod above, helps the frig get even cooler on those hot days buy assisting with the heat exchange coming off the frig cooling fins by moving air through them, much like a radiator fan does on a car.I did the same mod on a popup trailer I had and made about a 15 degree difference in the temp I was able to get inside the fridge on those 90+ degree days. Went from having a 50 degree frig to having it turn it down from max to keep it in the high 30-low 40 degree area I like.

Refrigerator vent duct fans | Good Sam Community

Gjac
Explorer III
May 18, 2013
Pianotuna, what does "time to first cycle" mean?
pianotuna
Nomad III
May 17, 2013
Hi Gjac,

My time to "first cycle" went from 12 hours to 6 hours. Actual duty cycle of 2:3 remained very much the same. My fans are in a mask and suck from the top. They are set to cut in at 20 c (68 f). The thermostat is at the bottom of the compartment.

Another side benefit was cold weather operation. The run time for my electronic antifreeze protection dropped. Just exactly how much I'm not sure. It is controlled by a TC-3 thermocube and is a 25 rough service bulb (130 volts).
Gjac
Explorer III
May 17, 2013
I think a fan mounted at the top would create a more laminar flow across the coils, one mounted at the bottom would create a more turbulent flow which I think would cool better. Both work from all the posts that I have read. I mounted mine at the bottom and am waiting for some hot weather to try it and see how much difference it actually makes.
Ductape_Dave
Explorer
May 16, 2013
I just junked three cpu's and removed the fans, and I have stationary trailer where the frig panel faces west. This is a great idea and I'm glad I removed the fans, now on to another project!
jamnw
Explorer
May 16, 2013
austinjenna wrote:
I've yet to see a TV or DVR with a fan. Not to say there is not one. I just haven't seen it yet. And I don't have an Xbox. Our Wii does not have a fan.

We are nit picking here. Ok no fans on tv's..yes my DVR's, laptops, desktops, netbooks and xbox all have fans sucking out the air as does every desktop, and laptop ever made.

I did not mean for that to come off as "nit picking". My apologies.
austinjenna
Explorer
May 16, 2013
I've yet to see a TV or DVR with a fan. Not to say there is not one. I just haven't seen it yet. And I don't have an Xbox. Our Wii does not have a fan.

We are nit picking here. Ok no fans on tv's..yes my DVR's, laptops, desktops, netbooks and xbox all have fans sucking out the air as does every desktop, and laptop ever made.
Gene_Ginny
Explorer
May 16, 2013
austinjenna wrote:
....
All your electronic devices like computers, tv's, dvr's, xbox etc... all have the fans sucking the hot air out, not blowing air in because it is more efficient that way.
Most of the servers and fiber optic muxes we had in the telcom world had the fans sucking air IN. The fans pulled air in through filters that we had to change regularly.
Queens_Carriage
Explorer
May 15, 2013
According to the Refer. Gods you should place the fan in a spot so they pull the air across the hot coils ( or gray pipes) to do the most good.
Just saying.
jamnw
Explorer
May 15, 2013
austinjenna wrote:
jamnw wrote:

...
I would think for longevity of the fan, cooler air being pulled across the fan would be better than hot air. That's part of why I mounted my fans at the bottom.
Good logic. I wish more design engineers could think like that.

All your electronic devices like computers, tv's, dvr's, xbox etc... all have the fans sucking the hot air out, not blowing air in because it is more efficient that way.

Not to say pulling the hot air out is not more efficient or that the fans are not more efficient placed at the top vs. the bottom.
I don't really know, or have any concrete data to prove one way or the other.

I've yet to see a TV or DVR with a fan. Not to say there is not one. I just haven't seen it yet. And I don't have an Xbox. Our Wii does not have a fan.

I think the reason PC case fans are where they are is for space requirements.

As far as the fans being 90% more efficient: if you're pulling "X" amount of air in, does it not stand to reason that you are pushing that same amount out?

I can feel a pretty good breeze from these fans on the "blowing side" of the blades.

I believe that as long as your are getting airflow up the vent you are doing good.
I believe the fans will last longer pulling cooler outside air.

And I would rather stand on the ground to replace one of the fans than climb unnecessarily on my roof to replace one, possibly causing damage to my roof, or myself if I fall.
K.I.S.S
Keep It Simple Sailor :B

Thanks for all the input. I love discussions like this. I usually end up learning something.
JC2
Explorer
May 15, 2013
austinjenna wrote:
jamnw wrote:

...
I would think for longevity of the fan, cooler air being pulled across the fan would be better than hot air. That's part of why I mounted my fans at the bottom.
Good logic. I wish more design engineers could think like that.

All your electronic devices like computers, tv's, dvr's, xbox etc... all have the fans sucking the hot air out, not blowing air in because it is more efficient that way.

Exactly. Mount the fans close to the top of your fridge exhaust vent. We control ours with a rocker switch mounted inside a cabinet next to the fridge. The wimpy thermal disc have a tendency to go out resulting in maybe having to partially pull the fridge to replace.:C

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