Community Forums

jeanluc001 · 11-07-2019, 11:54 AM

any good circulating type fans for inside a dometic absorption refrigerator??

carl.swoyer · 11-07-2019, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanluc001

any good circulating type fans for inside a dometic absorption refrigerator??

I used two 6"x 6" computer fans. Both were salvaged from a magnum inverter charger the was not working.
Being 12vdc I simply wired them in with the factory wiring on my norcold.
They cycle on and off with the built in thermostat.
This made a huge difference.
I also had to put a cap on the flu as it was not there. My norcold is in the slide and the top vent had an aluminum baffle which I removed permanently and this is where the new fans are mounted facing out.

Jlo11111 · 11-07-2019, 03:09 PM

You're probably aware that the battery powered ones from camco or valterra are useless. I finally bought a hard wired one from RV Cooling unit warehouse (https://rvcoolingunit.com/Default.aspx). I like that it has an led light and separate switches to turn off the light and the fan.

ARP (https://www.arprv.com/rv-fix-fridge-circulation-fan.php) is another popular one.

I went with the former because it seemed a little more straight forward to install than the ARP one. I simply cut the wires to my internal fridge light since it didn't work anyway and wired them to the fan wires. That was it. You can also just buy a computer blower fan (not a computer fan), wire it to the internal fridge light and Velcro it to the bottom of the freezer compartment. This will cost you only 10 bucks, but make sure you find a very efficient one.

Dcbenny · 11-07-2019, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanluc001

any good circulating type fans for inside a dometic absorption refrigerator??

If you have time YouTube rvhabit he has 2 great videos on a mod he has done. I did the same and traveling this year a month thru Texas in 106* days my fridge stayed at 38 degrees with no issues.

l1v3fr33ord1 · 11-07-2019, 04:05 PM

I installed two of the ARP interior fans in our Norcold N841. They work well to keep the frig cool inside.

Ran the 12VDC plus and minus wires through the drain tube. During testing, I hooked them to a 120VAC-to-12VDC power supply. After I installed the ARP unit I moved the 12VDC wires to the unit. The fans are attached to the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment with Velcro.

Here are links to the interior ARP fans:

https://www.arprv.com/purchase.php#number-five-b
https://www.arprv.com/rv-fix-fridge-circulation-fan.php

MSHappyCampers · 11-08-2019, 08:29 AM

We use the FridgeFix fan bar!

bobmar · 11-08-2019, 09:13 AM

[QUOTE=Jlo11111;5028696]You're probably aware that the battery powered ones from camco or valterra are useless.

FWIW- We had problems with stratified air temps on our fridge resulting in freezing in some locations. Bought a battery powered circulating fan and problem solved. Temps now even throughout. Cheap try. Just sayin’

Fred and Bonnie · 11-08-2019, 01:19 PM

[QUOTE=bobmar;5029768]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jlo11111

You're probably aware that the battery powered ones from camco or valterra are useless.

FWIW- We had problems with stratified air temps on our fridge resulting in freezing in some locations. Bought a battery powered circulating fan and problem solved. Temps now even throughout. Cheap try. Just sayin’

Used battery powered fans for over 10 years, I prefer them as they can be moved as the refrig is loaded.

Fred

Isaac-1 · 11-09-2019, 09:31 PM

There are lots of people with DIY fans out there, this is what I did, simply tapped into the power wire for the refrigerator light using a spade terminal piggy back splitter like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Glarks-Semi-I...dp/B01E5TXX8C/

and a low speed computer fan similar to this one https://smile.amazon.com/ARCTIC-Sile.../dp/B0119SG8X4 (only draws about 1/2 watt) mounted so it blows up through the fins on the right side, that air has to come down somewhere so it also moves air over the other fins. Note many similar size high speed computer fans will make more noise and draw up to 2 watts which is heat going into the refrigerator.

p.s. correction the fan I used was a 120mm not a 92 mm, and consumed a little more power, and had a little more airflow than the one linked to, but was still a 1000 rpm low speed model. So more like https://smile.amazon.com/ARCTIC-F12-...dp/B0119T0D4I/

jeanluc001 · 11-10-2019, 05:10 AM

thanxs to all for the great advice. this forum has taught me so much about all things rv. i found rv cooling warehouse on line and bought one of their small double fans that clip to the fins in back and just splice into the reefers light. looked simple and at 30 couple bucks we'll see how it works.
thank you to all respondents.

Jlo11111 · 11-18-2019, 02:36 PM

[QUOTE=bobmar;5029768]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jlo11111

You're probably aware that the battery powered ones from camco or valterra are useless.

FWIW- We had problems with stratified air temps on our fridge resulting in freezing in some locations. Bought a battery powered circulating fan and problem solved. Temps now even throughout. Cheap try. Just sayin’

Well,... it's really not that cheap when you think about what you're getting. It's an ultra cheap fan that should cost 5 bucks, but it costs $15. Add batteries and it's $20. I tried both the camco and valterra, but my fins still over iced over in a few days. $40 wasted. Bought a computer blower fan and a strip of Velcro for $10. No more ice. Plus, I can reposition the fan accross the Velcro strip as needed. Costs less, not in the way and actually works.

Don Juane · 11-22-2019, 08:37 PM

Two 3" 12V computer fans with alligator clips and if there's steady 12V on the light harness, power them via that source. I wire them in series, you don't need the full 12V high speed out of these; only a slow continuous whisper to get the chill on. Cold beer in 8 hrs instead of 3 days. Not bad. (Cost $3 x 2 = $6)

georgelesley · 11-23-2019, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

We use the FridgeFix fan bar!

+1. Love it!

astrnmrtom · 11-26-2019, 11:03 AM

I built my own. I removed the light and in its place installed a full width U channel of aluminum with a 90mm computer fan blowing into the wide side of the channel. On the side of the channel facing the fins I drilled a bunch of holes. Then I put a full length strip of white LEDs on it for light. It gently blew air across the fins and the LED strip did a much better job of illuminating the interior.

For better top to bottom circulation, I zip tied a small computer CPU fan to the lowest shelf blowing upward. Between the two, my fridge temps are much more even. For overall better performance I installed 2-120mm computer case fans above the condenser coils in the roof vent and powered them off my solar panels so they ran during the day when ambient temps were the hottest. My refrigerator was not baffled properly from the factory and had a large open gap between the back of the refrigerator and the ceiling of the compartment giving a place for hot air to pool and stagnate. I closed that up forming a proper chimney which improved the draft. All these changed made a big difference in my refrigerator's ability to cool in hot weather.