Norcold computer fan install

Voyager35L wrote:
I know I saw directions how to wire a computer fan to the inside light and bypass the switch so that it is always on in my refrigerator. Does anyone know where the directions are? I just don't want to cut into the wires.

If you don't want to cut wires, you can use something called a vampire tap aka quick-splice. You open it, slide it over the wire you want to use, close it a little, slide in your new wire and then squeeze it shut.

You'll need to find the battery-voltage wires that power the circuit board in the fridge, they should be always-on. I'm sure someone will have more details about where those wires are, as I have not done this mod yet. You don't want to mess with the AC voltage wires that go to the shore-power heating element.

I installed two such fans. I used small alligator clips on the end of the fan's two wires. The positive wire clips to the refrigerator's light holder the negative clips to a cooling fin. This has my fans go on when the door is closed and the fans go off when the door is opened. These fans have worked faithfully for five years now.

I ran mine thru the drain hose, then tapped into the back of the Norcold into the 12v wires. then ran a wire to a switch mounted on the wall beside the unit, which lets me turn it on and off as needed.

On the refrigerator light, one side will be powered whenever the refrig is on. Connect to that terminal. (The other terminal on the light will be powered only when the door is open and the light is on. Check by holding light switch in and see if the terminal still has power.) The other wire for the fan needs ground. Clip it to one of the cooling fins. I bought a commercially available computer fan setup (eBay) and that was how it said to wire it. Works fine. On whenever the refrigerator power is on.

And if there's no light in the fridge?

Run two wires down the drain tube to the outside of the refrigerator and pick up power off the connections to the control board.