Fridge Vent Fan

JohnM20
JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
1000 Comments
edited March 2017 in Caravans #1

In the hope of some hot weather later this year in the south of France I've considered putting an auxiliary fan at the back of the fridge to assist with cooling. Has anyone done this?

I've had a look behind the external fridge vents but can't see where I can pick up a 12v supply from and there is no convenient terminals anywhere near. I don't really want to break into a cable. Because of this I've considered just putting a plug into the 12v socket by the TV aerial socket. The cable can be routed pretty well out of sight and the whole lot can be removed easily if necessary. It also means I can switch it off easily if required.

I've already got a 3" dia 12v computer fan but wondered whether a 4" would be better. I'd also put a thermostat in-line also mounted in the space behind the fridge. Somewhere I've got a new but unused house room-stat. It is for a 240v circuit but believe this should work OK on 12v, unless anyone knows better.

Does the scheme sound do-able?

Comments

  • Stejane
    Stejane Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited March 2017 #2

    The one year we had a scorching Italian holiday I simply took out the heating element from a fan heater and suspended the fan in the lower outside fridge aperture and switched it on during the day. It cooled everything down brilliantly. At night I disconnected it all and brought it inside in case of rain.

  • retiredbeep
    retiredbeep Forum Participant Posts: 51
    edited March 2017 #3

    I put a 12v fan behind a motorhome fridge and it dropped the temp in the fridge by about 8 degrees it was worth a bit of trouble.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2017 #4
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • Vicmallows
    Vicmallows Forum Participant Posts: 580
    500 Comments
    edited March 2017 #5

    Yes, a fan can help massively with an absorption fridge. You want to try to "pull" or "push" the heat away from the condenser coil....which will be hotter at the top. If you just mount the fan in the vent, a lot of the air will just bypass the condenser.   A 3-way absorption portable fridge I use on my boat actually has a 12v fan built in - but stupidly it originally only functioned when the fridge was on 12v. (I modified it so it can run whichever source I am using).

    A 12v computer type fan uses so little current that it will be fine to use a regular 230v thermostat if you really feel the need.  The thermostat must of course have a contact which makes on temperature RISE .... the opposite to what is normally required! ... many do, but not all.  (I would simply switch the fan manually as needed).

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2017 #6

    I found that low level 'Lunar' light handy if I wanted the Loo at night without disturbing OH smile

    I sleep on the front bunk as a single and that is handy to reach

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2017 #7
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited March 2017 #8

    Hi retiredbeep, What diameter fan did you use?

  • charlieboy2608
    charlieboy2608 Forum Participant Posts: 25
    edited March 2017 #9

    We used two 120mm pc fans from ebay.Picked up a 12-volt supply behind the fridge vent included a 1amp in line fuse wired via a matching rocker switch in the kitchen and viola.All neat and tidy no thermostat but fans really quiet.Mounted fans on a bracket and used Velcro to secure in place behind the top vent.

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #10

    I did it years ago too on a self converted panel van. I used a car heating/fresh air fan in the cavity behind the fridge mounted on the back of the vent. This I wired in using the original stepped control so I had three 'power' settings. It did work but only pulled the fridge temp down by about 5 degrees when on full, that was enough mind in the south of France in mid summer to make a reasonable difference to the beer!

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2017 #11

    Thanks, all, for your replies and ideas.

    I note, charlieboy, that you mounted your fan on the top vent. Is this better than the bottom vent or doesn't it really matter which? There is more room behind the bottom vent in my caravan.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2017 #12

    If you put the fan at the bottom it needs to push air in ..... a fan at the top would suck air out 

  • JCB4X4
    JCB4X4 Forum Participant Posts: 466
    100 Comments
    edited March 2017 #13

    But only if the fan blades are rotating in the right direction!!

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited March 2017 #14

    On one of our motor caravans ,we had a fan kit fitted with a control panel mounted inside the M/van (it gave a manual over ride)and the dual fans were fitted were fitted behind the top fridge vent

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited March 2017 #15

    Which is my point....... tongue-out

  • JCB4X4
    JCB4X4 Forum Participant Posts: 466
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    edited March 2017 #16

    Quote: "If you put the fan at the bottom it needs to push air in".

    Unquote -   I agree cool

    Quote: " ... a fan at the top would suck air out"   Unquote

    But only if the fan blades are rotating in the right direction!!

    Which is my point ......  cool

    Perhaps you meant to say -  "a fan at the top would need to suck air out" 

    coolcoolcool

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited March 2017 #17

    But does it make any functional difference assuming the fan is mounted the correct way round?

  • JCB4X4
    JCB4X4 Forum Participant Posts: 466
    100 Comments
    edited March 2017 #18

    It would probably be best to mount it at the top to induce negative pressure inside the fridge cabinet housing but if that is going to make fitting difficult I would just go for a bottom fit, as I doubt it will make a great deal of difference.

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