Refrigerator Venting

[i4110peter]

I have seen where people have added additional fans to help with the refrigerator vent system. I need to do the same. I was parked in a way that the wind was blowing against that side of the trailer and could feel air being push into the trailer at the refrigerator edges. Actually set of the gas detector! Please point me into the right direction for this modification. I will be searching the forum as well Thanks in advance.

 

[Hollandt]

I have seen where people have added additional fans to help with the refrigerator vent system. I need to do the same. I was parked in a way that the wind was blowing against that side of the trailer and could feel air being push into the trailer at the refrigerator edges. Actually set of the gas detector! Please point me into the right direction for this modification. I will be searching the forum as well Thanks in advance.

https://www.arprv.com/dometic-fan.php
https://www.arprv.com/rm3862.php#dometic-8-9-cuft

 

[i4110peter]

https://www.arprv.com/dometic-fan.php
https://www.arprv.com/rm3862.php#dometic-8-9-cuft

I have a Norcold, but I imagine the principle is the same. I have look at the top vent and determined that if it was turned upside down, it works much better. Would need to fabricate eye brows to keep rain out but it evaluates the heat much better. Thoughts????

 

[danemayer]

Here's a Norcold diagram (side view) showing fans approximately 2/3 way up.
View attachment Norcold baffle.pdf
Also note the baffle that directs incoming air so it flows through the fins, and the baffle above that directs air out the upper vent.

The top and sides of the fridge cabinet need to be packed with insulation, but not the back. If you can feel air coming into the living space, the insulation may be missing.

 

[i4110peter]

Here's a Norcold diagram (side view) showing fans approximately 2/3 way up.
View attachment 64330
Also note the baffle that directs incoming air so it flows through the fins, and the baffle above that directs air out the upper vent.

The top and sides of the fridge cabinet need to be packed with insulation, but not the back. If you can feel air coming into the living space, the insulation may be missing.

--------------------------------------
I have repacked the sides with insulation. I noticed that the aluminum sheet that directs the air over the fins also covers half of the vent plate ports. I ran the refer and could not feel much air flow from the vent. I then turned the vent plate upside down and got a much greater air flow. I understand the reason for the original orientation to keep rain out, but it's not the best for airflow. As I said in an earlier post, I'm going to try to fabricate some eye brows to help with the rain issue. Thoughts?????

 

[danemayer]

--------------------------------------
I have repacked the sides with insulation. I noticed that the aluminum sheet that directs the air over the fins also covers half of the vent plate ports. I ran the refer and could not feel much air flow from the vent. I then turned the vent plate upside down and got a much greater air flow. I understand the reason for the original orientation to keep rain out, but it's not the best for airflow. As I said in an earlier post, I'm going to try to fabricate some eye brows to help with the rain issue. Thoughts?????

Keep in mind that Norcolds can shut down if the backside gets wet.

 

[i4110peter]

Keep in mind that Norcolds can shut down if the backside gets wet.

-------------------------------
Yes I am aware of the importance of keeping moisture out. I'm just disappointed in the vent design!

 

[Hollandt]

I have a Norcold, but I imagine the principle is the same. I have look at the top vent and determined that if it was turned upside down, it works much better. Would need to fabricate eye brows to keep rain out but it evaluates the heat much better. Thoughts????

- - - Updated - - -



I have a Norcold, but I imagine the principle is the same. I have look at the top vent and determined that if it was turned upside down, it works much better. Would need to fabricate eye brows to keep rain out but it evaluates the heat much better. Thoughts????

Norcold info same company
https://www.arprv.com/rv-fan-vent.php
https://www.arprv.com/norcold-ez-install.php

 

[SNOKING]

I put two of these on the back side of the top access grill blowing air out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XERK6G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[i4110peter]

I put two of these on the back side of the top access grill blowing air out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XERK6G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

-------------------------------------------------
How did you connect them, on/off switch or temp/controlled?

 

[i4110peter]

Norcold info same company
https://www.arprv.com/rv-fan-vent.php
https://www.arprv.com/norcold-ez-install.php

-------------------------------------------
After much investigation and advice from repair facilities, I have decided to leave the vent grill in the original position, added additional insulation, and will install fans to help with venting. 'nuf said. Thanks to all.

 

[SNOKING]

-------------------------------------------------
How did you connect them, on/off switch or temp/controlled?

Tied them to the existing fan circuit, and changed the temp sensor/switch to a 115 degree one, so they come on sooner. Still will not keep ice cream hard. But it is better. Trailer in not moving anymore, so may put in a residential one some day. They are called nevercold for a reason.

 

[Gary521]

The top sheet metal baffle is supposed to direct air from the existing back side fans to wash over the top coils. This is supposed to help cool them off. The "sensor" to turn on and turn off the fans is a thermometer switch. This thermometer turns the fans on at about 130 degrees on off and a lower temp. This is not air temperature but coil temperature. Because of the shape of the top vent, the added top fans are positioned so that it directs air directly at these openings or pointed slightly down at the opening. These fans are attached directly onto the top vent. The fan thermometer switch can be purchased on-line as a Dometic fan switch or a Norcold fan switch. You can also tie into the existing fan switch. Some of us have also added another fan on the bottom opening to help push more air up. To help you, there are several youtube videos that show people doing this modification.
I used a radiator hose clamp to attach the switch to the coil tube. The switch is a direct contact switch that must contact the coil fin or tube. I think that there is also a special attachment device that attaches the switch to the coil tube. I kept the existing switch and it turns on the existing fans. Some people have added an actual switch to turn on the added fans but this seems like a pain to have to do this and will defeat the whole purpose of these fans.

 

[wdk450]

RV Cooling Unit Warehouse also has these add-on fans. I got 2 of the high performance "sideways" fans and mounted the bottom vent one vertically blowing up, and the top vent one horizontally blowing out.

The square finned condenser at the top of the ammonia refrigerator outside cooling assembly is the most important part of the cooling tubing/fins to get additional airflow. This is where the vaporized refrigerant from the boiler tube is condensed into the cooling liquid refrigerant. Unfortunately, with tall refrigerators in our slide refrigerator mounts, the condenser fins can often be located ABOVE the top of the exhaust vent. This is where metal baffles and top exhaust fans are really needed to get this hot heat exchange air out of the refrigerator cabinet.

See: https://rvcoolingunit.com/-Cooling-Performance-Fans-items-C320215.aspx?sid=298

BTW, I ordered 8 40mm square minature 12 volt cpu fans on E-bay ( like this : https://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-2-Pin-...595864?hash=item5b76a5b798:g:oo8AAOSwirFbAitN ) , super glued them together side-to side, wired them up in parallel to a 12 vdc source (Interior light wiring), and secured them to the top of the refrigerator inside cooling fins assembly blowing down through the fins. This REALLY improved the refrigerator cooling performance. Before I did this I had noted droplets of condensate water freezing to the cooling fins. This told me that the cooling fins were getting cold enough to freeze things, but this cold was not getting efficiently transferred to the refrigerator interior. After the mini fan mod, no more freezing condensate drops.

 

[Seaulayter]

I put two of these on the back side of the top access grill blowing air out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XERK6G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Did you remove the sheet metal baffle that covers up half the access grill vents when you added these two fans? I measured the space and only half of the fan would draw air from the bottom. The sheet metal baffle would cover up half of the fan. I like the idea but the 200mm fan seems to big big.

 

[mlpeloquin]

Snoking has the correct answer. The Areo fans do a, not to be puny, fantastic job. Look at the top plenum. Hot air fills this space and has to fight its way back down to go out the top vent. I added the fans to the inside top vent and what a difference. I connected the wiring to a 12V source on full time. The fridge really cooled well after that. I tried a sot of things and until I put the fans in, nothing helped very much. The fans grab and push the hot air out and pull cooler air in through the bottom.

 

[Emma]

I think there are several tips you could employ to get your RV refrigerator to cool better. Some of them include shading the fridge side of your RV, maintaining 12 volts house power in your RV, loading or restocking with frozen products, monitoring your fridge’s temperature, checking the door seal of your refrigerator, and installing a refrigerator fan.

 

[brianlajoie]

We bought an ARP controller with 2 additional fans at a rally. We were able to lower the cooling setting several settings on the frig at the rally in Tucson. The fans help with air flow and the controller would prevent a failure (shuts off and resets a few minutes later) if the frig was out of level.