Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2000 08:55:50 -8
Reply-To: Wes Neuenschwander <wesn@eskimo.com>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Wes Neuenschwander <wesn@eskimo.com>
Subject: Re: Adding Fridge Fans
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
From my perspective there were two primary benefits:
1) Cooler fridge: By increasing the heat tranfer away from the fridge,
you increase the cooling capacity and therefore lower the fridge temp.
This performance boost is particularly noticeable on warm days or when
the van is in the sun.
Note: To capitalize on the benefits of good airflow on the "hot" side (the
condenser fins on the back of the unit) you really need to add another
on the inside of the cabinet to inprove "cold" transfer as well. (I use one
of those little battery powered units sold for this purpose in RV stores.)
2) Noise: The stock Dometic fan used to annoy the hell out of me.
On... Off... On... Off... all night long! Loud when it was new and got
louder over time. The Fridgemate is for all intents and purposes silent.
(Actually, I find the little battery powered unit inside makes more noise).
-Wes
Date sent: Sat, 24 Jun 2000 21:42:44 -0400
From: Puzerewski <Puzerewski@email.msn.com>
Subject: Re: Adding Fridge Fans
> The question that I have for those of you that have installed all these
> fans......
>
> what are the benefits? Cooler fridges? Mine seems do do OK with
> one....wouldn't more kill the battery when it sits for a while in the heat?
>
>
>
> Adam Puzerewski
> 81 westy
> 74 beetle
> 86 cabrio
> Vanagon Partsmobiles
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Wes Neuenschwander" <wesn@eskimo.com>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2000 2:17 PM
> Subject: Re: [VANAGON] Adding Fridge Fans
>
>
> > Ditto here. In addition to verifying the amperages, I was able to semi-
> > quantitatively assess the airflows using an air velocity meter. The stock
> > Dometic and the Fridgemate had roughly the same airflow, while the 3
> > muffin fans I checked all had substantially less. I installed the
> > Fridgemate fan and it seems to be significantly superior to the stock
> > Dometic in performance (based on on-off cycle times) and dramatically
> > quieter than the Dometic (I rarely hear it, period).
> >
> > -Wes
> >
> > Date sent: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 17:56:58 -0700
> > From: Mark Drillock <drillock@earthlink.net>
> > Subject: Re: Adding Fridge Fans
> >
> > > I found similar results. The Fridgemate fan works great even in 100
> > > degree plus weather and is much cheaper than I could get a stock Dometic
> > > fan for. I have installed several in other people's Westys. Do not use
> > > the thermo switch that comes with the Fridgemate as it runs the fan too
> > > much and will never shut off if you camp in very hot weather. Use the
> > > stock fin mounted switch and discard the Fridgemate one.
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > > David Beierl wrote:
> > >
> > > > A Dometic fan drawing 220 ma is not "stock" for the RM182B -- 60 ma is
> a
> > > > lot closer (I think it's specified as 0.67watts, too lazy to check).
> The
> > > > 220 ma fan is either not stock or is shorted internally. My rough
> > > > blow-in-the-face estimates are that the Dometic *standard* fan and the
> > > > FridgeMate are similar, with some advantage to the FridgeMate (as well
> as
> > > > it's much lower noise).
> > > >
> > > > :)
> > > > david
> > > > David Beierl - Providence, RI
> > > > http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
> > > > '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
> > > > '85 GL "Poor Relation"
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > Wes Neuenschwander
> > Seattle, WA
> > wesn@eskimo.com
>
Wes Neuenschwander
Seattle, WA
wesn@eskimo.com