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egh33's avatar
egh33
Explorer
Dec 16, 2013

fan placement

I have read in my MH book that you should put a fan in the refrigerator to help circulate the cooling. I have placed a battery fan in there before, but as it gets cold the fan stops as the battery goes dead real fast. I got a 12 volt fan to place in there but I am not sure of the correct placement of the fan. Should it blow towards the fins, or away from the fins, or maybe on a lower shelf. Any one know where the best place for it?
I have it wired so it can run all the time the refrigerator is on.
Thanks

16 Replies

  • I have a fan that I bought on Ebay for less than $15. It clips on th fins which also provide the neg battery source. The hot wire goes to the permanent 12v ahead of the frig light switch. Mine has been humming along for about 3 years.
  • Here is a post from a thread a couple of years old showing how he used computer fans. If you scroll to the first post in that thread you will see another member used a fan assembly he purchased, but to me it seems to take up more room.

    http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/25282708/gotomsg/25283909.cfm#25283909

    I recently emailed the member that did his own thing and he provided some additional useful info:

    ==========================================
    The fans I have came in a four pack, they're called Z-Quiet Fan, 80mm x 80mm x 25mm size.

    Airflow: 31.50 CFM per unit
    Speed: 2700rpm
    Current: 0.16a per unit
    Life: 30,000 hours
    Bearing Type: sleeve

    As to wiring, my fridge had a removable cap on the thermostatic sensor wires that went out through the back of the unit (These are part of the fridge and control the heating element, nothing to do with the fans).

    I simply snaked a pair of wires through the same path as the thermostat wires and put sleeved blade connectors on the inside so that I could easily remove the fans later for servicing.

    I wired them into an existing fused circuit and added two switches on a face plate with colored LED to indicate that they were on or off.

    Blue for the fans inside the fridge, red for the four fans outside in the vent duct I built that sit directly above the cooling fins on the outside and draw air over them.


    ========================================================

    I have not done this myself as yet, but may consider it in the future.
  • Get a computer muffin fan and after some serious research drill a small hole to run the wires and run that inside.
  • 2oldman wrote:
    I've used a 2-D cell battery fan for years without the problem you describe.

    I only had a little fan with 2 AA batteries. I was not surprised they didn't last long.
  • I've used a 2-D cell battery fan for years without the problem you describe.
  • I've found placement in the lower rear shelf blowing up is best.
    Merry Christmas.
    Ray