Caravan fridge vent fan upgrade
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- čas přidán 30. 07. 2018
- In this video I add some fans to the back of the caravan Thetford fridge to help with cooling during hot weather. This is a temporary fix while the caravan is being used in very warm conditions. This would also work with a Dometic fridge or any camping fridge that struggles during heatwave conditions.
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Timely posting. We were away last week in the heat and the thunderstorms and certainly on propane our fridge struggled to get the heat down. I was thinking of trying fans and now you've convinced me. Now you've just got to convince my wife that I can do it.
Hi Dan, I fitted a 2 fan system to the upper deflector and placed the control switch under the end of the counter top. Power from the battery with 5amp fuse. This made such a difference, the fridge runs a lot cooler at a lower setting. Dan, if it ain't broke don't fix it. 3 fans good, no fans bad. Well done mate.
Oh Dan, how I've missed these types of video's, I loved a lot of your early day vlogs, can't wait for the follow up footage.
Thanks Dan, came at the just right time! Just got van back from the dealers for that exact problem. Will definitely be giving this a try!
Did this with one fan and a switch on a pennine pathfinder, works a treat. Great vid.
Nice work Dan
The power bank looks great
Stay cool and happy caravaning.
Hi Dan coming back to this video. I remembered that you like me had problems with the fridge cooling in very hot weather. So I did what I could and I took off the vents covers. And used a 12 inch fan from Tesco 😁👍 worked a treat. So thank you for the idea. And my ice was kept lovely and cold in the freezer so we could have ice in our Gin. Thanks again. 😁👍🍸
@Paul, with the Tesco fan, did you blow air in the bottom vent instead of extract from he top?
Great to see you back doing projects Dan, wish that I could think things through like you. But what the heck if you keep doing projects, which I hope you do, I will keep tuning in👍😊😎
Interesting, equally Angela is very understanding about sawing on the drainer 😊
Hi Dan brilliant idea, I have used two fans with the thermostat lead built into them so switch on at 30 degrees, also supplied through a CBE dimmer switch to vary voltage inside van thus varying fan speed.
Great project Dan and can't wait to hear the outcome of the test 👍
Great video Dan. You always seem to come up with a practical solution. Keep these sort of vids going!
Nice one Dan, look forward to see if it does the job. Think I’ll wait to see the next permanent prototype. 👍🏼👍🏼
Hi there 👋
Good video very informative.
I have also done this to my caravan and I found if you place a thin wooden vent behind the fans this directs the airflow better towards the fridge increasing the cooling effect.
Great job Dan. Might have to have a go at that. Might do in and outlet too. Thanks for great tip.
Great project, have a lovely holiday all of you.
That idea blew me away!
Great video Dan. These are my favourite type of video you do.please do more
Great idea Dan. We’re off to France next week in our caravan. It’s been in the 30’s (and I hope it stays in the 30’s!). I’d better get building!
Fantastic job Dan
Where would we be with out you Dan and your ingenious fixes? Cracking idea 👍
Nice job Dan, just hope we get some more warm weather!! 👍
Great idea Dan could help a poor working fridge, which there are many into a good one. Circulating the air and drawing the heat out will help. 👍
Brilliant idea, not the first to think of the 'fan assisted fridge', when we used to go caravanning with our Lynton years ago the fridge really struggled in hot weather so as the fridge vents were in the awning, we made up a wooden stand and fixed a 8 inch clip on desk fan to blow air into the lower vent, it made a huge difference,( btw the fridge was always used on electric,) as you say it looked a bit funny but the important thing is that it kept the milk & beers cold. 😉
And you actually managed to find some B&Q stripwood that was not warped!
What a cool video I'm a true fan now :-)
I've now brought all the bits and started the install. Hope this helps keep my beers cold
Brilliant idea Dan
Hi Dan hope you and your family are well I'm a big fan of your videos. Although I'm in Australia and our vans are setup a fair bit different I find your videos very helpful and very well made thanks for all the tips.
Well done! Thank you.
First class Dan...... enjoy your holiday
Our Dometic fridge has a freezer box at the top which can be easily be removed by releasing two clips.
We did this giving more room in the fridge and you can turn the fridge right down and it chills and runs very well
(We now have a tabletop freezer in awning)
It's like you knew I was testing this out too, I have some old fans from loft and brought a rocker switch and fan controller off ebay for about £3 so I can mount it inside van and switch it on as and when I need it. I am thinking of connecting to the back of the 12v socket in the van as this should supply the correct power for it if I'm correct
Useful video Dan. Clever boy. Shame manufacturers don’t fit them as standard 👍👏👏👏
Paul pringle I wonder if this was his secret idea he mentioned a few day ago?
Companies already manufacture ready made kits but they cost £35 for the two fans. www.mecatechnic.com/en-GB/vento-double-refrigerator-12v-fan_CF12765.htm?CF12765&gclid=CjwKCAjwtIXbBRBhEiwAWV-5njCdEo2O6KIZEQwgYWoMnOu3qigtKAlHQ-nL0ZDFqyupC6ITzXIp7hoCzjMQAvD_BwE
Well done Dan 👍
Very cleaver idea Dan, we have had to take the fridge grills off as the freezer just didn't seem to be making our ice cream solid. It does seem abit better now. Can't wait to see if it works for you
This is useful Dan. Had a problem this week as it was so hot. The problem we have, which I think you've mentioned before, our caravan door if left open on the latch covers the vents. Poor design that.
Very good video. Just a quick question. What switch would I be better looking For?
Hot air rises so you must use the fans to suck air from the top vent or blow air into the bottom vent. The idea is that air flow through the working parts of the fridge are improved. It is also a good idea to obtain manufacturers instructions on how the fridge has been installed and ensure it has been properly done to start with. A lot of the time the van manufacturer does not follow installation procedure and performance suffers as a result.
Great video, given me a project to do
Be nice to see a more permanent solution when you get the new caravan. Maybe wire the 12V into the caravan wiring, double adapter off the aerial 12V supply? Use a slimmer fan that could sit behind the factory vent, maybe a GPU fan or 2. Nice idea, I can see the tool kit coming out 😉
Great video Mr Bodgitt! Maybe the manufacturers should take your lead and install a fan as part of the grille...
A good addition is also to wire in a thermostat so that the fans will come on automatically at a preset temperature. I bought mine for under £4.00. Wire direct to 12v supply . If required you can place the thermostat inside the van with over-ride switch etc etc...
I did something similar this spring , and added a small 12v switch in a cupboard and a cheep £3.00 surface mounted digital box, temp controller, from eBay, so its switched on at 23C and off at 18C, this keeps the noise down over night, it worked well in France this summer in the heat. I used 2 X 120mm silent fans, so its hard wired to a supply, fused and switched. the cables were std add on 1m fan extension cables for a PC with the correct plugs on, We had a small amount of ice form on the freezer cooling fins inside the fridge (perfect proof it works). I kept the fans away from the gas flu end, as ours has a left hand gas flue and exhaust the air from the top, the sensor is in the bottom grill area, so monitoring incoming air temp, the mounting bracket was an L shaped piece of ally strip from B &Q just make sure the fridge box gas integrity is maintained from the inside of the van when drilling holes.
Hi dan did you ever make an update video on this project did it help and do you use it in your new van?
Thanks lee
I like where you are going with this, just need to make sure the air coming out of the fan is being drawn up past the fridge and not just round from the front of the top vent. I am sure you are thinking about this.
Nice one Dan, great idea. I have a similar problem with the motorhome and now I may have a fix..well done and thanks! As it is portable is it not possible to make a unit which clips external to existing grill contained in..say small light weight box, Tupperware ?? (Velcro fixing maybe) sealing round the perimeter of grill ? might create more direct suction/ pull if fans are contained and external. Just a thought but I will be watching. I also think 3 is better than 2 and cant do any harm
Nice one Dan. We found ours worked hope you are successful as well. We used a thermistor control on ours worked a treat :-)
Just a thought .. would 1 fan at the bottom vent sucking air in as well as the 2 at the top exhausting the air make for a better flow ?
Great idea,
Hi Dan, i use an 8inch silent ( you can still here it ) pc fan mounted using car radio brackets in the top vent. I went to Maplins and bought a temperature switch kit. Now Maplins are closed you can buy better switches on Ebay. Basically an adjustable switch to whatever temp you want the fans to come on. This was mounted by the back of the fridge. Works great. By the way hows the caravan buying going. Night mare eh. Compromise is a well used term. lol
Thanks for the video. Great idea. Tidy execution too.
Slight concern on the aft fan if running on gas (or 1 yr old has flicked switch to gas) as aft section of the top vent gets quite hot from the flue on our dometic which may cause a problem. So 2 fans at fwd end makes sense to me, or people in my position.
Thanks again, tempted to give it a go.
Hi , I should have added - were not using the Fridge on Gas, while im running these fans. I think if i were, id only use one single fan - away from the flume etc.
when switching to gas dont you have to ignite it too tho ? (like a push button plunger piezo ignition)?
lee mclaughlin . Not on my Dometic fridge, it's automatic. I actually try and avoid using gas, but the 1 year old loves to fiddle with the switch. No kiddy lock on the fridge.
Gray idea. 120mm computer fans shift a lot of air - let us know how it gets on! Good luck!
Good idea but looking into fitting one I can see that the way you done yours means you can't fit the cover on. Is it only intended to be use without the cover ?
“We’re going to be using this in a minute..... I think” 😂
Very good love to c if it works ps look forward to the next video
During the current heat wave our fridge has a very hard time. I would like to know if this works, if it does, i’ll build it.
Dan, I have now fitted two fans to the top grill to extract air,it was fairly easy to fit two but not three.Just thinking would fitting two fans to the bottom grill to push air in be any extra advantage.We visit Spain in the summer so it gets hot,Cheers malc
Hi dan I've heard of people doing this if it works why not make one to go at the bottom? Making the fridge run more efficient
Dan, Steve here from RV Living - from the Swannies down under. Stella the good lady said to ask Dan, so here I am. We're currently in Alice Springs, NT, Oz. doing a half lap and wonder if you can help me? When we are hooked up to mains and water in our Hitch Hika Caravan, no problems. When we free camp and use the water tanks, we turn the water pump on (with water in tanks) and water comes back out of the mains water inlet fitting. I've changed the one-way water pressure value today (which cost me AUD$76) but after fitting it the same thing happens. Any ideas?
So Dan, did it work and improve cooling performance? Great vid
Dan, I know you are selling but one mod I keep thinking about doing is adding a waterproof 12v socket under the ‘van which you could use to power you lights/fans and also good for running a compressor for pumping up the tyres..... you’ve probably already thought of it but worth a shot.
Should help with efficiency, just beware that the vacuum the fans make may suck the gas flame out.
Currently in France. ..temp 21C but fridge still not really cold. Freezer part us acting like a fridge 😀.So got 2 fans and have put them both at the top extracting and rhen at bottom blowing in. Grills also off but still not cooling. Have got table top fridge working fine. Is it more likely an electric issue supply here? TIA
Well after a bit of a boost on gas, followed by a cooler night and with fans placed on the bottom blowing cool air in it did actually work ok.
Was there a follow up video to this ??
Nice job never liked fridge vents
In the awning it gets so hot with
Little air flow I know you don't like
Toilet cassettes in the awning but
At least it still works ok
Ah! So this is why the weather broke! 😂 It is usually my fault for getting our garden swing seat out of the shed. 😉 A useful video, thanks. When we got out elderly Elddis we took our fridge vent off for a nose and a previous owner had stuffed the entire space with scrunched up newspaper, presumably to stop drafts to the inside through the cupboard unit. 😳
Oh blimey, good job you checked then, that could have been a nightmare.
I also cleaned the patio windows, hence the sudden down pour ;-)
hels bels73 surprised it hadn't burst into flames!
Richy, The Tinkerer & Wanderer. Me too! I wonder how much it had been used apart from as a spare bedroom. The newspaper was dated over 10 years ago so it had been there a while. 😳
hi 60 cfm fans minimum cheap 80/90mm fans are below this . 120mm fans are usually this as minimum .
Burner exhaust silver T piece can face outwards ,your inner vent holder glued to van tells me that , the rectangle on the RHS. When the fan switch off the current boiler exhaust still keeps pumping heat into cavity where your trying to cool .
Screw tape glue .5mm /less alloy sheet metal as duct work IE cavities hold hot air
Watch out for smaller fans - they make an awful lot more noise. It is quieter to use the biggest fan you can and then a controller to vary the speed... Watch out for the controllers though - they vary the speed of the fan with PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) and a small minority of them run at a low frequency which makes the fans whine. It is probably better (less prone to problems) to avoid varying the speed of the fans and, instead, drive them straight from a £1-or-so thermostat - search AliExpress for "12v thermostat".
I have tried to make sure that everything in the van can run from 12v as this means a) I don't clog main sockets up, and b) I can use everything in the van when we're off-grid. The fans I put in the last van exhausted through the top vent and were wired to the fridge loom hiding behind the bottom vent. Part of the problem with doing this is that you need to make sure your supply is regulated and a simple buck/boost converter set to 12v makes sure that whatever the battery state (up to 14.4v), nothing will be run over-voltage.
Finally - watch out for the glass transition temperature of the hot-melt glue - you may well find that the fans slowly start moving in the wooden frame!
Next project is to install data logging on temperatures (fridge/internal/external), battery voltages and charge state (leisure and mover) and get around to reverse-engineering the Alde communications so I can build a panel which controls and monitors everything.
Great mod-could do a paper test -turn the fans on and off whilst placing a piece of paper/tissue in front of the lower vent see if it increases suction and pulls the paper/tissue in.
HI Lee, Yes i did hold a bit of toilet tissue to the bottom vent, just to see if it made a difference (off camera) and i was amazed how much extra air was being pulled through.
I had originally thought about adding more fans to the bottom - to push air in, but i just done think it needs it. Time will tell in the upcoming holiday - I will report back.
Cheers
i think you are onto a winner there dan... get a patent on it ;)
Good lash up Dan - no reason why it won’t improve things .
How did you ascertain the rpm cable to isolate it from the +ve and -ve? Is it in the book of words that comes with the fans?
I suppose overkill would be a similar arrangement on the intake grill with fans spinning opp way - a by-product being extra heating for the awning !
Howard
Hi, no the cabling on all fans either 2 wire, 3 wire or 4 wire is standard across the board, so they all just plug in etc.
You can google this and see lots of pretty pictures showing the same thing.
Hope that helps - if its not that clear, let me know and I will see what i can do to help.
Dan
hmm, think I might just look into that, as mine is not very cold.
Hope the fans work well for you and have a great holiday.
I’d love to know how a caravan fridge works on the gas side of things, how can a gas flame actually cool a fridge down?
I’m going to take a wild guess and say it’s down to some kind of witchcraft!
A propane fridge has a sealed network of tubes and chambers holding water, ammonia and hydrogen gas. A propane flame heats a chamber holding a solution of water and ammonia until the liquid boils. The ammonia gas rises to another chamber, the condenser, where it cools back into a liquid. It then flows to the evaporator, where it mixes with hydrogen gas.
When ammonia encounters hydrogen gas, the chemical reaction between the two absorbs heat. That's how the propane fridge produces its cooling action -- by pulling heat from the interior of the refrigerator into the ammonia-hydrogen mix. As it absorbs heat, the ammonia becomes a gas again. The ammonia and hydrogen gases then combine with water. The ammonia and water form a solution again, which releases the hydrogen gas to rise back to the evaporator. The process then starts all over again.
Hi dan hope u keeping Ok good video wouldn't it be better to buy a spare vent cover and cut some of the grill out attach the fans on the out side of it and make a case round it then when weather is very warm just clip the vent off the van and put the other one on that got the fans on and put the wire to battery with a fuse a least then u can remove it when finish just a thought cheers dan .kev
Dan did you know that you can bye a thetford ventilator kit for caravans
We have a slight smell of exhaust fumes coming into the van when using the fridge off grid which appears to be a common problem.
Thought this would be a good idea to prevent any fumes coming into the van but i am a bit worried about the heat from the fridge, any thoughts?
Hi Stephen,
you certainly shouldn't be having any fumes coming into the cabin. I would have that looked at immediately from a trained caravan service engineer.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Thanks Dan, eventually found a certified engineer for caravan fridges. We're now booked in.
There are some ‘CBE’ kits on ebay for about £60 inc. P&P, so will save a few pounds doing it yourself.
Great video, Dan. We had the vents off in France while the temperature was over 30 degrees. That helped a lot but I will be re-creating your fan assembly for our next European trip.
What is the power supply that you use to run the fans?
Hi, im just using a standard 230v plug in style 12v adaptor. The same one I used when running the awning lights. nothing special. if this was a more permeant solution, i would be hooking into the on board 12v supply, but as a proof of concept it worked fine.
Thank you again for this video. I've made exactly the same thing from your instructions. Absolutely perfect. Will be great for our next European trip. Only thing is that your link to the power connectors is for male connectors - even though it says "female" in the title. Here's one that is female - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006W2I13S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Dan the ground went to which + or - as it looks a good idea
Hi Graham, the GND (Ground) goes to - i hope that helps.
@@TheTrudgians Cheers for that , so looking forward to getting the van on Weds been 8 years since we last had one so feel like a little boy waiting for Christmas
If it was me id find a way of blowing the air under the caravan and not into the awning? Would that be possible ?
not really, that would involve a large hole in the floor.
I’d stay away from the exhaust pipe of the gas flame. I assume forcing air out of the pipe which you definitely will during operation, might cause a safety hazard. You already had some brown spots at the mesh which shows that heat is produced -given more ventilation, this might cause even more heat. It will show by producing some nasty smell. Excuse my English, I hope I made myself clear.
was going to say more or the less the same, please check that when running on gas those fans don't have an adverse affect on the small burner in the fridge.
How hot can it be in the UK? 😃
Be mindful of the middle fan being too close to the fridge flu, look what happened to the grill. Good idea tho. Looking forward to the follow up. 👌
Yep - i forgot to add, were not using it on gas while we are away - a design refinement in order me thinks....
Why do the manufacturers put the vents behind the door there by reducing the air circulation
Hi Dan, any news on the follow on video and controls?
Hi Brian, yes will be coming out in a few weeks time (i hope) a different caravan and different fridge, so had to re-engineer a solution.
The Trudgians Thanks for responding Dan. I am in Croatia at present and my fridge is not working well. I have taken off both covers to improve things but no improvement. The fins are getting warm to the extent that I can touch them. Any thoughts to get me out of trouble? I have just started running the fridge on gas. Brian
Dan, Two safety points
1) Is the wood you are using flameproof, you saw how the plastic frame got hot ?
2) It would be a good idea to check with the manufacturer with the flow of air because the fridge can run on gas and produce carbon monoxide gases.
Just a couple of safety points I think you should check ?
Regards, Colin Humphries, Retired Electrical Engineer. carbon
Hi Colin,
I should have added that while we are using the fans, the fridge will only be on electric, not gas. I think if I were to use gas, id only use 1 fan at the far end to assist with flow etc.
I will be revising the design for a better installation etc. once i prove this works.
👍
Temporary ! Pending removal before getting the new van - like it - practice on the outgoing van' ensures an easy retro fit on the incoming van'
Fredge vints lol
I find 1 fan os enough
if your fridge went wrong on your NEW caravan, it would be interesting to see if the manufacturer tried to wangle out of fixing it due to the modification. Just saying.
Great idea though.
Could of screwed them directly to the wire mesh
sadly not - the mesh is not a solid, its a string like construction and quite flimsy.
I can't see why manufactures don't fit venting fans as standard as a lot of Brits spend their holidays abroad and the temperature s are on average much higher..
Get yourself down the dump and pull some fans from a computer I used one and with the cover off worked well even with ambient at 30 in south of France.
quite a lot of vid's about this from months ago. hope your not copying Dan.. haha.
Fredge Vints
Another thing to watch. On our caravan and many other models too, when the caravan door is open, it completely covers the fridge vents. Bad design.
Yea great that if you put the fans on the wrong way round and have the fridge on gas you would most probably gas any body in the van with carbon monoxide
Those vent clips are now available… www.ebay.com/itm/234066403022
With the fridge vent been in the awning that doesn’t help things and in my last caravan the vent was behind the door when it was open. So one of my things I wanted on my new caravan was the fridge vents on the off side. Great video Dan that works great 👍🏻.