Is a fridge cooling fan kit worthwhile in terms of power usage.

[Two on Tour]

Hi

Sorry if this sounds stupid..
Do you suck warm/hot air out from the rear of fridge OR blow air into the rear of fridge??
Thanks

The fans in the top grille vent are sucking cool air in through the bottom grille vent up the back of the fridge and over the cooling fins on the condensing pipe at the top of the fridge the resultant air that has passed over cooling fins on the condensing pipe has now heated up and is blown out of the top grille vent.

 

[MisterB]

Our 3 way really struggled in hot weather until I installed fridge fans. It made a big difference but even then the freezer wasn't always frozen solid, but cold enough to stop well frozen stuff thawing out.

 

[Oisin]

Thanks for reply Lenny
can you buy a kit for this upgrade or is it do it yourself?

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks for reply Lenny
can you buy a kit for this upgrade or is it do it yourself?

I did mine myself but there are kits avaliable. CBE do one.
My install is on my Modding thread, bottom link in my signature.

 

[Stealaway]

Suck it out you want to draw the hot air out of the top vents, also those type of fans are more efficient extracting.

As above -- I even disconnected one of my dual fans as one is enough for my destinations.
I have been moving the temperature sensor in the rear grill around to try and find the optimum position.

I have a Thetford fridge freezer with big vents.
I made my one from two Dell computer fans from EBay. The controller was made for me a Fun member FOC - Top man

I had to find a 12V supply inside the van - there was nothing available behind the fridge

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[IRHP]

Are the external fans only useful when using gas or are they also useful on 12v or ehu?

 

[Lenny HB]

Are the external fans only useful when using gas or are they also useful on 12v or ehu?

The power source is irrelevant it's the refrigerant condenser you are cooling so they work for all power sources.

 

[Two on Tour]

Are the external fans only useful when using gas or are they also useful on 12v or ehu?

They work on all the 3 options.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Without a doubt, one of the best mods you can do. For peanuts if you know how.

 

[Widge]

Hi, wrong thread I know, but thought one of you guys might point me in the right thread.

I have a solar installation and want to be able to run the fridge (at least some of the time) while parked up, nothing more annoying than stopping somewhere for lunch, opening and closing the fridge making it heat up, knowing that you have pleanty of power available.

I read on a different thread about having a timer to switch the fridge on and off to stop draining the battery, also having a low battery cutoff and possibly switching between battery and gas. But cannot find the thread

This is all within my capability to do but dont want to reinvent the wheel.

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[Lenny HB]

Hi, wrong thread I know, but thought one of you guys might point me in the right thread.

I have a solar installation and want to be able to run the fridge (at least some of the time) while parked up, nothing more annoying than stopping somewhere for lunch, opening and closing the fridge making it heat up, knowing that you have pleanty of power available.

I read on a different thread about having a timer to switch the fridge on and off to stop draining the battery, also having a low battery cutoff and possibly switching between battery and gas. But cannot find the thread

This is all within my capability to do but dont want to reinvent the wheel.

I have a Votronic solar regulator that has an AES output which sends a signal to the fridge S+ terminal. When the batteries are charged and there is plenty of solar the fridge switches to 12v, it does it in ½ hour blocks so as not to flatten the batteries.
Your fridge needs to be a Dometic with AES & the S+ connection and needs a permanent 12v supply from the leisure battery.

 

[Widge]

I have a Votronic solar regulator that has an AES output which sends a signal to the fridge S+ terminal. When the batteries are charged and there is plenty of solar the fridge switches to 12v, it does it in ½ hour blocks so as not to flatten the batteries.
Your fridge needs to be a Dometic with AES & the S+ connection and needs a permanent 12v supply from the leisure battery.

Thanks, i didn't think about solar regulators having that function, i am not sure what we have, only got the van earlier in the year, i haven't even looked at the solar system yet, there have been pleanty of other things to do first.

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks, i didn't think about solar regulators having that function, i am not sure what we have, only got the van earlier in the year, i haven't even looked at the solar system yet, there have been pleanty of other things to do first.

The Votronic MPP 250 Duo Dig and the 350 & 430 versions have the function.

 

[Widge]

The Votronic MPP 250 Duo Dig and the 350 & 430 versions have the function.

I have a MPPT T20, I will have a look at the manual later to see what it does.

 

[Lenny HB]

I have a MPPT T20, I will have a look at the manual later to see what it does.

Bin it and buy a decent one, at the price those are there is no way they are an MPPT controller.
The Votronic is the only one I know of with that function, before anyone says Buttner they are a rebranded Votronic.

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