Retro fit fridge fans

[kbrad]

Has anyone fitted fans for the fridge,was it worth it ? Did it make a significant difference? and was it easy

 

[otherclive]

Has anyone fitted fans for the fridge,was it worth it ? Did it make a significant difference? and was it easy

I did it for when we went to south of France. It improved its performance in the hotter weather. Easy to fit. I used a proprietary kit but others make their own up using pc fans and a thermostat

 

[Jcloughie]

A kit would be by far the easyist. But I chose to fit my own which was thermostatically controlled. It worked very very well in hot conditions. But not sure if it is worth the effort if staying in this country.

John

 

[trevormonty]

I fitted £5 120mm computer fan and hard wired with switch, straight forward installation. Mount it at top of vent cavity facing vent so it pushes hot air out through vent. Lucky there was already a screw there I could us for home made mounting bracket. Pushed wires through sealant around gas pipe through hole. Don't forget to reseal.
Definitely marked improvement in performance.
Wouldn't worry about thermostatically control, if its hot I'll be running it all day and maybe at night.

Other thing to consider is parking van so fridge side is shaded from afternoon sun, or place sun shade over it.

 

[IanB1485]

I fitted three on an aluminium plate, controlled by a thermal switch attached to the fridge pipe just out of the chimney.The aluminium plate was affixed to the rear of vent surround it works well .

 

[Mr Plodd]

I have fitted fans to about 6 various motorhomes and caravans over the years.

A couple of computer fans zip tied to the top vent to exhaust the hot air out, hard wired to 12v supply, I spliced into the lighting circuit as that was the closest/most convenient (so when caravan master switch is off the fans will not run and drain the battery.) small iluminated switch inside the caravan. A very simple DIY job and it makes a very noticeable difference when the ambient temperature is mid 20's or higher. Total cost about £15, the manufacturers fan kits are a lot more money, circa £50+.

There is no point in having fans on when the temperature I below the mid 20's.

 

[kbrad]

Thanks for replying,we go away for 5weeks every summer in uk and can get really hot(didn’t happen this year).Looks a good job Ian b but probably go down mr plod route as it suits my needs ,I don’t take the van abroad.

 

[Buckman]

Our fridge vents into the awning so in hot weather in southern France the fridge is not very effective. The last time we went to France we had a small desk fan which I placed near the bottom vent. It seemed to help.

 

[Hutch]

I must have the only fridge that worked fine at high temps, no problems at 30c, just don't over fill the fridge and icebox.

 

[borderbilly]

Thanks for replying,we go away for 5weeks every summer in uk and can get really hot(didn’t happen this year).Looks a good job Ian b but probably go down mr plod route as it suits my needs ,I don’t take the van abroad.

If only in UK I wouldn't bother.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I must have the only fridge that worked fine at high temps, no problems at 30c, just don't over fill the fridge and icebox.

Can you be more detailed as to what you mean by over filling as I can't see any logical reason why, once the fridge and content is down to its chilled temperature, how full the fridge is should make no differences with regards to the function.

I stress this is only true once the fridge and its content is chilled to its normal temperature, all th e fridge has to do is to remove any heat energy that creeps in through the walls of the fridge, how full the fridge is will not change the status quo.

Provided goods are pre chilled ( as purchased from the shops or loaded from your home), there should be no problem.

 

[Hutch]

By over filling I mean, make sure there is some air gaps between items stored in the fridge, not rammed in so that it seems to be one large lump where the cool air only gets to the edges
Opening and removing items from the fridge will drop the internal temp of the fridge,

 

[Buckman]

Am I correct in thinking that in hot temperatures the fridge ices up if not enough cooling over the fins? By ice up I mean thick layer of ice in the freezer part. I cannot remember why I needed the fan as a good couple of years ago when we had a Lunar caravan. No issues with our current fridge.

 

[Mr Plodd]

The icing up the fins is due to warm humid air entering the fridge and that moisture then condensing out onto the cold fins.

 

[Jcloughie]

To be most effective, absorption fridges require a good flow of air over the condenser. Fitting instructions recommend narrowing the gap at the rear of the fridge to around 25mm in order to provide a venturi effect and accelerate the air flow. Caravan manufacturers seem to fail when reading this and the gap is too big, therefore less effective. Adding fans can speed up the flow of air over the condenser.

With regards to the freezer compartment icing up. This would happen in high humidities. Not necessarily high temperatures.

John

 

[trevormonty]

To be most effective, absorption fridges require a good flow of air over the condenser. Fitting instructions recommend narrowing the gap at the rear of the fridge to around 25mm in order to provide a venturi effect and accelerate the air flow. Caravan manufacturers seem to fail when reading this and the gap is too big, therefore less effective. Adding fans can speed up the flow of air over the condenser.

With regards to the freezer compartment icing up. This would happen in high humidities. Not necessarily high temperatures.

John

Seen some mods on youtube where small fan is fitted to fins inside fridge to stop icing up. They ran 12v wires out through drain pipe.

 

[Buckman]

To be most effective, absorption fridges require a good flow of air over the condenser. Fitting instructions recommend narrowing the gap at the rear of the fridge to around 25mm in order to provide a venturi effect and accelerate the air flow. Caravan manufacturers seem to fail when reading this and the gap is too big, therefore less effective. Adding fans can speed up the flow of air over the condenser.

With regards to the freezer compartment icing up. This would happen in high humidities. Not necessarily high temperatures.

John

We were within spitting distance of the beach with temperatures exceeding 30C. Vendee region.