Fan options for cooling absorption refrigerator

[sbslider]

I'm just beginning to troubleshoot a report from my wife that the refrigerator in our 2006 RT Popular 190 wasn't working well toward the end of a recent trip. I had this thread open in my browser for some time per chance I would need some of the info there.

After a couple of hours being on, and the sun beating on the refrigerator side of the van (not optimal I know) I do feel the freezer getting cold, the fridge is so far lagging behind (normal for sure).

Here's what prompted me to post this. I an attempt to see if/what a fan blowing over the coils would do to help cooling, I discovered that the refrigerator plugs into 120 VAC. I have a 120VAC fan I wanted to use for this experiment. Thinking longer term, I'm wondering if folks have used 120 VAC fans in that area long term? I know the disadvantage over a 12V fan is the inverter needs to be running, dropping overall efficiency. Not sure if a 12V fan or 120 VAC fan is more efficient in terms of actually moving air though. If so, a simple plug expander would allow me to plug in 120 VAC fans and the refrigerator into the same outlet, greatly simplifying wiring.

 

[Bud-ClassB]

I'm just beginning to troubleshoot a report from my wife that the refrigerator in our 2006 RT Popular 190 wasn't working well toward the end of a recent trip. I had this thread open in my browser for some time per chance I would need some of the info there.

After a couple of hours being on, and the sun beating on the refrigerator side of the van (not optimal I know) I do feel the freezer getting cold, the fridge is so far lagging behind (normal for sure).

Here's what prompted me to post this. I an attempt to see if/what a fan blowing over the coils would do to help cooling, I discovered that the refrigerator plugs into 120 VAC. I have a 120VAC fan I wanted to use for this experiment. Thinking longer term, I'm wondering if folks have used 120 VAC fans in that area long term? I know the disadvantage over a 12V fan is the inverter needs to be running, dropping overall efficiency. Not sure if a 12V fan or 120 VAC fan is more efficient in terms of actually moving air though. If so, a simple plug expander would allow me to plug in 120 VAC fans and the refrigerator into the same outlet, greatly simplifying wiring.

As I recall a 140mm 12 volt computer fan is the right size? The size of the 4 tops vents with the refrigerator. You have 12 volts at the connecting block next to the refrigerator. To use the fans inside the fridge has to be pulled.

I mounted 2 fans outside the van and taped over the other 2 vents which must be done. The fans will obtain the air from the path of least resistance which is not from the bottom vents.

I run on a/c or propane, never dc. With my weather the fans are a must!

 

[avanti]

I strongly suggest that you use 12VDC computer muffin fans, controlled by proportional temperature sensors, such as these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0992JRNL4

The fans will only run when they are actually needed, and at the slowest speed that does the job. In addition to being power efficient, it also keeps the noise to an absolute minimum. I use these in a number of locations. They are great.

 

[mkguitar]

look at fans, look at a baffle to make sure the air has to go through the fins ( rather than around).


park fridge side shaded or put the awning out or drape a space blanket over that side ( don;t inhibit air flow.)


propane works better than 120 volt if you are trying to drop the temp

 

[sbslider]

this thread has morphed a bit, but that's fine. seems like folks responding don't use 120V fans.

I do find it interesting that while the freezer is getting very cold (10F), the fridge is just muddling along at 71F

I have a small AC fan now in the fridge in an attempt to move the air around inside, as if the warm air doesn't go over the cold fins, then no heat gets exchanged. When we bought the fan it seemed like after 4 hours the fridge and freezer were cool, but I'm sure the outside air temp was cooler that day than it is today.

There is a baffle over 2/3 - 3/4 of the coils. I put a small 12V fan in the baffled area 1/2 hour before making the last temp measurements. I imagine overnight everything will cool down.

I am running off of AC only presently, and like stated above the freezer is pretty cold. But I guess the heat load on the refrigerator outside is keeping the air inside around 70F, even with a fan circulating the air over the freezer fins.

Hoping overnight, when temps drop down into the 50s, (85F now) that things will cool down, and we'll but our cold items in then.

 

[sbslider]

as I imagined, the air cooled off to 50s overnight, and this morning the fridge is down to 35F.

 

[engnrsrule]

Long thread on Absorption fudge & fans

Check out this discussion. Long but there is much worthwhile information.

https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5/dometic-3-way-fridge-10436.html

In a nutshell it chronicles my journey with my domestic 3- way including replacement with newer model.

On fans, in the back of the fridge I use 4 "computer fans" positioned to exhaust and mounted to the upper exterior grill. They can be run on a thermostat (normal setting) or manually on all the time. I also added a baffle to direct drawn/rising air over the condenser coil. On the interior I added a 12v interior circ fan that has 2 computer fans. The 12v power for the interior fan was fished in thru the condensate drain.

 

[DaveBad]

We have used a small Valterra fan inside our fridge. 3 volt runs on two C cell batteries. Without any air movement it takes a very long time to cool down the fridge. It's not a very strong fan but it creates an ever so slight movement of air that pushes the cooler air around. The batteries last quite a long time.

VALTERRA A10-2606 - Valterra Fridge Cool Fan

 

[sbslider]

Check out this discussion. Long but there is much worthwhile information.

https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5/dometic-3-way-fridge-10436.html

I also added a baffle to direct drawn/rising air over the condenser coil.

Thanks for linking to that thread above. I also have a 2006 RT, and don't see how one removes the top grill to install the baffle you showed. Any tips for this, as well as reinstalling it with the water tight seal and no visual clue it's been removed?

 

[engnrsrule]

My grill has a 90° clip you turn to pull the grill off. Some grills have a release between the slots.

 

[booster]

Thanks for linking to that thread above. I also have a 2006 RT, and don't see how one removes the top grill to install the baffle you showed. Any tips for this, as well as reinstalling it with the water tight seal and no visual clue it's been removed?

A 2006 Chevy 190P will have the upper frig grill built into the window frame above the sink and you can't remove it from the outside. The only way to work in the grille area is to pull the frig out into the aisle so you can get into the area under the counter top to do what you need to do.

A horizontal baffle across the midheight are to keep the warm are off the condenser from looping back through the condenser is a good idea, but needs to be fairly small gaps or it will still loop. Hard to do with frig out so you don't know how wide to make it.

 

[engnrsrule]

The 4 fans that exhaust out my upper grill aid the air flow across the fins

 

[sbslider]

Well, last August I installed a single fan from below because I cannot remove the upper grill. I did not want to remove my refrigerator to access the upper grill area. Single fan mounted below provides a reasonable amount of boost to the cooling. I can plug in the fan to 12V if I think I will need that boost, otherwise it just goes along for the ride.