Adding cooling fan to refrigerator?

[Cummins12V98]

Our Dometic frig is the two door stile. It is in a slide out so it has a outside vent high and low. Inside the exterior wall and behind the frig at mid heigth are two cooling fans that come on when the computer tells them to. I made it to where the two fans run all the time. We stay in some really hot weather at times so I am wondering if it would help if I added a small cooling fan behind the top vent on a switch that I can turn on when it starts getting hot?

[efiguero]

bigcitypopo wrote:
Here is the link to my thread...

clicky right hee-a

bigcitypopo awesome, just what I was looking for. Thanks, I will check it out.

[bigcitypopo]

Here is the link to my thread...

clicky right hee-a

[BarneyS]

You want the air to flow from the bottom to the top. I have a fan mounted in the bottom that blows upwards and "sucks it in" and blows the air over the coils. If I were to mount additional fans, I would put them on the top and "suck it out".:W

My fan has a temperature controlled thermostat switch mounted on the tube of the fridge and turns the fan on when the temp in the compartment gets too high. Don't remember just what that temp is.
Fridge fan
Barney

[efiguero]

Ok, so I'm thinking of tackling this mod, so if I'm understanding the mod you can have Fans at the top and at the bottom where the main removable vent is at. So I'm assuming the fans at the top are sucking the air out the vent at the top correct? The vent at the bottom would be sucking air in or would it be sucking air out? I guess I'm just need to know which direction I need to be installing the fans, do I want them to be blowing air in or out? Has anyone done a write up on this? My particular Dometic Fridge does not seem to have any stock fans, I know for sure at the bottom main vent/hatch, I have not checked at the top vent yet but don't think it does as it's the original fridge from 98. When wiring, I'd be tapping into the power from the backside of the fridge, would I need to add a fuse for them in addition to the switch or could I just add a switch?

[Road-Trekker]

I upgraded the stock fans on our Dometic fridge and also added a bypass switch for the fans.







More pictures here: Clicky here.

[bigcitypopo]

I,m just getting ready to install. I have to pull the fridge... 😕

[efiguero]

bigcitypopo wrote:
I just ordered the Snyders RV kit. I will post pics of install.

How did this work out?

[Raften]

My situation is different but same idea. I think I'll make a vent plate that will mount two fans right at the top. It can be removed quickly if it does not work out. Just the air getting thru the still fans in the winter should be enough. This summer if I can get out I intend to get better cooling.

[Cummins12V98]

Raften wrote:
So a question about putting a fan on top of the stack. Close off the opening except for a hole the size of the fan or fans?? I have one fan mounted up there and that only fills half or less of the stack opening. I have always felt it could pull better than it does.

Look at the pic I have a few posts up on this page. It is looking down from the top vent hole and I have since filled the hole between the two fans. With the outside temp right now near 90 the frig set on 4 is at 36 degrees. This is with the small fan I added at the top running 24/7 and the two factory fans only coming on occasionally.

Close off any gaps around the fans and it will help pull the air thru more efficiently.

[Raften]

So a question about putting a fan on top of the stack. Close off the opening except for a hole the size of the fan or fans?? I have one fan mounted up there and that only fills half or less of the stack opening. I have always felt it could pull better than it does.

[bigcitypopo]

I just ordered the Snyders RV kit. I will post pics of install.

[Cummins12V98]

beemerphile1 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
...With the temps in the 90's and the frig on 4 the frig temp has ranged from 36 to 38!

The factory fans have only come on when the temps are in the mid to upper 90's.

With the continuous fan running the temp has stayed at a steady 36 when the temps are in the 80's or lower.

I had a similar situation with my pop up. See the cooling fins behind the single fan? Your problem is the air goes around those fins rather than through them.

I bent some aluminum stock to make baffles at the lower opening and the upper opening. Now all the air is forced to travel through the cooling fins and over the tubes rather than around them. I also installed two fans but have found them unneeded except for in the very hottest weather. Previously the refrigerator was about useless even in mild temperatures.

Yes diverting the air closer to the finns would be even better. By closing off the voids around the two factory fans the air comes up thru the two fan openings and does pass the fins then out the fan I added. I could have accomplished the same thing by just having the factory fans run all the time but they are noiser than the fan I added.

Bottom line it really works great!

[beemerphile1]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
...With the temps in the 90's and the frig on 4 the frig temp has ranged from 36 to 38!

The factory fans have only come on when the temps are in the mid to upper 90's.

With the continuous fan running the temp has stayed at a steady 36 when the temps are in the 80's or lower.

I had a similar situation with my pop up. See the cooling fins behind the single fan? Your problem is the air goes around those fins rather than through them.

I bent some aluminum stock to make baffles at the lower opening and the upper opening. Now all the air is forced to travel through the cooling fins and over the tubes rather than around them. I also installed two fans but have found them unneeded except for in the very hottest weather. Previously the refrigerator was about useless even in mild temperatures.

[Cummins12V98]

wantabe351 wrote:
You need to install a 12v computer fan inside the frig to move the air over the cooling fins.....

I bought a Camco small fan that uses two D batteries.

Without the outside fan I added right now the frig temp on 5 would be in the mid 40's. With the outside temp in the mid 80's the frig is 36 on 4.