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07-03-2020, 12:06 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Denver
Posts: 4,217
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DIY Fridge Cooler...
Ehhhhhhhhh, I'm not happy with Prototype #1. The good news is that it's extremely quiet, it's temperature adjustable and it was cheap (less than $5 USD).
What I think needs to change are,the PC fans I had l lying around don't move a ton of air. I'm not sure they're pushing air up past the coils or if it's just coming back out the grate when the grate's installed.
So I'm not sure how effective it is as accomplishing what the commercial fans do.
Fans that move more air start to get pricey. $20, give or take. That closes the gap between DIY and just buying something.
I'm not a good enough engineer to determine if I'm affecting airflow or not. Seems to me putting them up high, at the top of the vent and seeing if they'd pull air out and past the coils might be more effective.
Regardless it was a fun way to kill a couple of hours.
Prototype #1 is just hot glued in place, it will be easy to remove.
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2016 Greyhawk 31FK
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07-03-2020, 12:23 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 1,588
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I think that putting them up at the top would be more effective as well. The idea of that chimney area is to have convective upward flow of air, and adding fans to the top would increase the upward draw.
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2013 F-150 EcoBoost MaxTow, Roush tuned (415hp 506tq), lifted on 33s, R.A.S.
2013 Jay Flight 28BHS Elite (Equalizer 10K hitch)
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07-03-2020, 12:33 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: RV
Posts: 892
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There are kits available on eBay for cooling the rv refrigerators, less than $50 with two fans and details on where to mount them. Lots of good reading on the fan sizes and where to mount them even if you don't buy.
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Full Time RVing
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07-03-2020, 01:39 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Denver
Posts: 4,217
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riverman
There are kits available on eBay for cooling the rv refrigerators, less than $50 with two fans and details on where to mount them. Lots of good reading on the fan sizes and where to mount them even if you don't buy.
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Yeah, when I saw these postings - that's when I said "I can do that..."
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Two-DOMETIC....c100005.m1851
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dometic-Nor...QAAOSwhl1e14e5
That fan says 58CFM which strikes me initially as high.
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2016 Greyhawk 31FK
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07-03-2020, 03:38 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,880
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Here is what I did.
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2012 Ford Expedition EL
2016 28BHBE, Elite and Thermal Packages.
Equal-i-zer 4-point Sway Control, Southwire 34930 Surge Guard 30A, Tire Minder TPMS A1A
(2) Yamaha EF2000iS Generators, Micro-Air EasyStart™ 364 (3-ton) Soft Start, Garmin RV 890, GoodYear Endurance ST225/75-15 Load Range E
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07-03-2020, 07:44 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Denver
Posts: 4,217
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I like that better - direct the flow as much up as possible. I may modify prototype #2 to see if I can mount the fans the same direction.
If 120mm won't fit, I know I have some 80mm fans here too.
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2016 Greyhawk 31FK
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07-03-2020, 08:30 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Inland Empire, California
Posts: 1,986
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Heat rises which is why these things are vented at the top. My fridge has 2 built in fans up top to draw the hot air up and out. If I were to install another fan, which I am considering, I would have it toward the bottom pointed upward.
Your setup may help some but I would think it would be much better aimed up. You want to get the hot air off those coils in back. Blowing directly on them may just spread the heat around in the cavity. Much better to aim it somewhere.
Just my opinion. I am not a fridge specialist but it seems to make sense.
__________________
Jim
Retired electronic technician (45 years in the field)
2017 Greyhawk 29W (solar & many other mods)
wife (maybe I should have given her top billing)
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07-04-2020, 01:07 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Denver
Posts: 4,217
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimD
Just my opinion. I am not a fridge specialist but it seems to make sense.
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Me neither but I agree that makes sense too!
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2016 Greyhawk 31FK
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07-05-2020, 01:34 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: College Station
Posts: 63
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I installed one I scavenged from an old computer in the same location as RAurand, but it wasn't a very strong fan, so I added two 120mm fans up top. The combination of those three fans gets the job done, at least in my initial testing. We have been awaiting our first voyage with them running, but in the driveway it brought temps in the fridge and freezer down to where they should be with the thermometer in the sweet spot in both compartments. I'll report back in a few weeks when we hit the road. FWIW, I got the 120mm fans from Amazon and they're rated at roughly 83cfm each.
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07-05-2020, 01:41 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: RV
Posts: 892
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My two year old dometic refrigerator has a very noisy fan that I can hear well inside the trailer and even standing outside of it. I'm told it's somewhere in the back that I can not see.
I'm just going to unplug it rather than remove the refrigerator and install two fans up top.
Hope I can find two real quiet fans.
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Full Time RVing
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07-05-2020, 06:33 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Inland Empire, California
Posts: 1,986
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riverman
My two year old dometic refrigerator has a very noisy fan that I can hear well inside the trailer and even standing outside of it. I'm told it's somewhere in the back that I can not see.
I'm just going to unplug it rather than remove the refrigerator and install two fans up top.
Hope I can find two real quiet fans.
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Odds are your current fans are at the top. That is where my Norcold fans are. As I type this I can hear my fridge fans running and they are a bit noisy. High flow fans typically produce more noise so when you are looking for quiet fans be wary of how much air they move.
__________________
Jim
Retired electronic technician (45 years in the field)
2017 Greyhawk 29W (solar & many other mods)
wife (maybe I should have given her top billing)
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07-05-2020, 06:42 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: RV
Posts: 892
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I will take an LED flashlight and a mirror and try to see the fan. If not, will take the top off the roof vent and look downwards. I can hear it whining....
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Full Time RVing
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07-05-2020, 07:27 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Oregon Coast
Posts: 3,086
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IMO, it is better To install the fans in the upper vent to force the hot air out. Jayco does a HORRIBLE job a installing these fridges and I have yet to find one at was installed all to manufacturers specs. They usually have to much space around the body and poorly insulated so by using a fan at the bottom, you push hot air to fill the cavity. With fans at the top will help keep that heat buildup around the box and replenish it with cooler air being drawn in the lower vent.
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Brian & Jeannie
2018.5 Seneca 37RB with to many mods to list
2015 Jeep JKU Rubicon
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07-07-2020, 01:08 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Missouri City, The Republic of Texas
Posts: 5,063
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Like JimD suggests they're likely around the middle to upper middle in the back side. My Norcold is that way too. I was able to use the cell phone to see the fans from the upper vent (fridge is in a slide and has upper vent on the side). There's a baffle in the way with little clearance but I held the phone over the edge of the baffle and could see them.
Fridge quit cooling like it should and the fans (I have 2) were the culprit.
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Cheers,
T_
2013 F-350 CC SB 2WD 6.7PS
2013 Eagle Premier 351 RLTS
-SOLD- 2012 X23B
-SOLD- 2003 Ford Expedition 5.4, Bilstein shocks
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07-18-2020, 12:24 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Out there somewhere
Posts: 1,613
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Coolerguys 120mm (120X120X38) High Airflow Waterproof IP67 12v Fan https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P46D62Q..._rZZeFb7GFBE6R
Use 2 of these, lay them flat on top of the roof vent screening under your roof fridge vent, secure them with zip ties. This way you don’t have to cut the roof screening , (like all the other fridge roof fan kits). that protects it from bugs coming in
I also added a temp switch to the propane tube to make them automatically come on it operates @
90-130 Degrees, but they seem to always run as soon as flip the switch, it’s always hot back there!
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07-18-2020, 12:34 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Kingman AZ and where our Seneca is today.
Posts: 3,114
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnynorthland
Coolerguys 120mm (120X120X38) High Airflow Waterproof IP67 12v Fan https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P46D62Q..._rZZeFb7GFBE6R
Use 2 of these, lay them flat on top of the roof vent screening under your roof fridge vent, secure them with zip ties. This way you don’t have to cut the roof screening , (like all the other fridge roof fan kits). that protects it from bugs coming in
I also added a temp switch to the propane tube to make them automatically come on it operates @
90-130 Degrees, but they seem to always run as soon as flip the switch, it’s always hot back there!
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This is how we did it on our prior motorhome. The top cap of the fridge vent comes off easily and we ran the wires down the left side of the fridge away from the boiler flue.
It is easier to move hot air from the cabinet than push cold air in. (think the design of AC condensors- all of them pull the hot air out)
__________________
Steve & Stacy with Jasper (Australian Cattle dog)
2015 Seneca 36FK
Custom 27' flatbed trailer hauling:
07 Toyota FJC & Yamaha Kodiak 400 ATV
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07-18-2020, 01:33 PM
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#17
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Sonora
Posts: 27
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I used fans from cooler guys that are dust proof and waterproof. Connected them to back of fridge with an angle iron of aluminum. Also installed an arp unit to provide protection from boil over and to turn on fans based on temperature. It is 100 out today and set on level 3 she is at 40 degrees. It also cools well now at altitudes of up to 9,000 feet. Pulling out fridge was easier then you would think and also modified the venting enclosure as Jayco did not follow the Norcokd install/design instructions. Super happy now.
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07-18-2020, 01:34 PM
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#18
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Sonora
Posts: 27
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Want to share a picture but phone will not let me.
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07-18-2020, 01:42 PM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Sonora
Posts: 27
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fan install
Note the single fan they provided. It only went on when it was too hot and too late.
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07-18-2020, 01:44 PM
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#20
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Sonora
Posts: 27
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