Date:         Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:15:11 -0700
Reply-To:     Keith Hughes <keithahughes@QWEST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Keith Hughes <keithahughes@QWEST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Fridge fan inside?
In-Reply-To:  <20080610155256.D5450375810@mpls-mf-11.inet.qwest.net>
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> Date:    Mon, 9 Jun 2008 23:02:24 -0700
> From:    Zoltan Kuthy <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
> Subject: Fridge fan inside?
>
> If I put a fan inside, how should I wire it if I only want it run when =
> the fridge is running, so it does not use battery power when it is just =
> parking for a year, without using a hand switch??  Anyone?
> Zoltan
Zoltan,

I had a single fan (smallest they sell at Radio Snack) mounted to the
top of the cooling fins, and ran the wires outside to a small rocker
switch (another Radio Snack) part.  I installed the rocker in the corner
of the vent grill on the left side of the fridge cabinet, next to the
table.  The small fan worked somewhat, but wasn't really that helpful
until we got somewhere a bit cooler than Phoenix.  Just last week I
added a second fan (wired in parallel) and fabricated a shroud for the
cooling fins out of 3/32" plexiglass from Home Despot.  The shroud comes
across the top of the fins (with a cutout for the ice - yeah right -
cube tray) and down the 'front' of the fins to the level of the first
shelf rack - in its top position.  I used a heat gun to make the bends
in the plexi after cutting it to size, and attached it to the rear
fridge wall with a bead of silicone.   The fans are mounted on the top
of the shroud, blowing downward.  With the fridge empty, the temp is
10°F cooler with the fans on versus off.   Should do much better in
cooler climes, since I was testing it in my 95°F garage (at night, when
it's cool...) which is at the upper end of the operating temperature for
these units, which typically stop working at all when temps hit >100°F.

Keith Hughes
'86 Westy Tiico (Marvin)