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Old 05-27-2022, 08:26 AM   #1
Foldbak
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Refrigerator Fan Upgrade

I've been reading about the issues with LPG Refrigerators not cooling in hot weather, catching fire etc. I've not had a problem in 25 years but I saw a Montana at a campground with a house fan blowing on the refrigerator vent and thought I should see whats out there.


I found this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...QROUNPT13&th=1


What's your thoughts?
 
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Old 05-27-2022, 08:38 AM   #2
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That's the idea. I added fans and thermistor to mine a couple years ago. They definitely help keep the fins cooler. The side vent systems (because they are in a slide) just don't move enough air through. There are several YouTube videos on the subject.
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Old 05-27-2022, 09:54 AM   #3
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I bought two fans to put on the inside of the fridge. The temperature swings was a bit much for my liking. After I installed one inside the fridge temp is consistently around 36⁰F with the fridge set on #4.
I'm going to install the other fan on the top outside vent to draw hot air out.
Looking through the wiring schematic for the fridge, the factory installed outside fans don't come on until its 130⁰F.
I believe that's too warm. Hopefully after I install this additional fan I will have hard ice cream lol
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Old 05-27-2022, 10:18 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryles View Post
...Hopefully after I install this additional fan I will have hard ice cream lol
It's sad that that's really the issue, isn't it? I find that the ice cream stays much more firm on the bottom shelf of the freezer
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Old 05-27-2022, 10:57 AM   #5
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I want to start with the vent fan and see what kind of difference it makes. My understanding is it's mounted to the upper vent blowing out. Is that correct?
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Old 05-27-2022, 11:36 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Foldbak View Post
I want to start with the vent fan and see what kind of difference it makes. My understanding is it's mounted to the upper vent blowing out. Is that correct?
That's the way I did it. Most YouTube's I found did it that way as well. It makes sense to me since the issue seems that more heat gathers in the space above the fridge. The fans move that out and help draw more air from the bottom and across/through the fins for better cooling.
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Old 05-27-2022, 12:23 PM   #7
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If you go to the ARP site, there are pictures how they suggest mounting the fans, which you can purchase on Amazon separately if you don’t want to install an ARP device. I have the ARP device and it has made a huge difference. The fridge is working great, and I haven’t needed to replace the cooling unit since the second one was installed in 2015, and with the two extra fans, the temps in the fridge and freezer are very good. It’s 100 degrees outside here as I type this, and the freezer is at 13 degrees and the fridge is 40, which works for us. www.arprv.com
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Old 06-13-2022, 08:08 AM   #8
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Not for nothing, that amazon price of $88 for two muffin fans seems a little ridiculous. I bought this for $14 and hooked it together myself https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BLTW8RX/
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Old 06-13-2022, 08:24 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VagabondLove View Post
Not for nothing, that amazon price of $88 for two muffin fans seems a little ridiculous. I bought this for $14 and hooked it together myself https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BLTW8RX/
That all good and I'm a fan "no put intended" of saving money but for $88 I get an auto fan speed controller!
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Old 06-13-2022, 06:22 PM   #10
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Our Dometic RV refrigerator was not properly cooling properly, we did a few things to improve it. 1.) installed 2 additional cooling fans. 2.) made sure we had the 1" gap behind the fridge. 3.) insulated the refrigerator cabinet. We live in AZ and can now pull our refrigerator down in 24 hours in the summer in our covered storage lot. Numbers 1 & 2 shared above are based upon the refrigerator manuals. #3 was the idea of our RV service company and seems to have helped as well.
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Old 06-13-2022, 06:35 PM   #11
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I have had good results with ARP fans and device for my RV reefer.
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Old 06-13-2022, 06:40 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VagabondLove View Post
Not for nothing, that amazon price of $88 for two muffin fans seems a little ridiculous. I bought this for $14 and hooked it together myself https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BLTW8RX/
Did you connect them to the OEM fans? You need some kind of controller/thermistor so the fans come on when needed.
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Old 07-17-2022, 10:36 PM   #13
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Can you share some pictures on the completed fan project?

Thanks in advance
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Old 07-18-2022, 04:28 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Husker92 View Post
Can you share some pictures on the completed fan project?

Thanks in advance
Lots of threads on this topic.
You would think Norcold would fix this before they go out of business...

Here's one with pictures

https://www.montanaowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87403
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Old 07-18-2022, 10:03 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryles View Post
Lots of threads on this topic.
You would think Norcold would fix this before they go out of business...

Here's one with pictures

https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...ad.php?t=87403
Thanks so much!!!
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Old 07-19-2022, 05:43 AM   #16
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My fan project was on the inside. Two muffin fans mounted on the cooling fins, powered by the door heater (which, unlike a light, runs when the door is closed). The cooling fins act as the ground. Tape and a foam button help keep the positive wire connected to the positive power. I originally had three muffin fans, but it was too much current for the door, and a little melting occurred.
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Old 07-19-2022, 10:53 AM   #17
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There is a little fan that goes in the refrigerator
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Old 07-19-2022, 05:31 PM   #18
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The fans are great, but still could have a fire. We also have the ARP system. It shuts down the boiler in an over temp situation then restarts it when it’s safe. They also have fans integrated into the system.
https://www.arprv.com/products.php
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Old 07-19-2022, 06:07 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by rames14 View Post
The fans are great, but still could have a fire. We also have the ARP system. It shuts down the boiler in an over temp situation then restarts it when it’s safe. They also have fans integrated into the system.
https://www.arprv.com/products.php

Ya but pricey. I have to wonder what percentage of these catch fire?
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Old 07-19-2022, 08:46 PM   #20
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The ARP device may seem pricey, but the protection of the cooling system will dramatically lengthen the life of the cooling unit. If the system gets too hot on a regular basis, corrosion inside the tubing will happen and you ultimately will develop a leak. Besides the protection, our fridge has worked better than ever before, and you will know it's doing its job when you see the power shut off for a short time and then power comes back on, which is the device keeping the fridge cooling unit from overheating.
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