Date:         Tue, 6 Jul 1999 01:19:38 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <synergx@IBM.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <synergx@IBM.NET>
Subject:      Re: fridge fan fuse
Comments: To: Davidson <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
Comments: cc: happycampers@PICUSNET.COM
In-Reply-To:  <01df01bec76b$f82428e0$e327a2d1@dell>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 21:56 7/5/99 -0700, Davidson wrote:
>David & Dave,
>My stock fan was a new replacement from Dometic Dealer/Service Shop.
>It was identical and new.

Mein gott! Did you pay $150 for it?

>  It definitely tested at 220ma (though the Dometic
>RM182B owner's manual claims .6 watts on page 7.)

I stand corrected.  That's what my manual says as well.

>  I bench tested it so it
>definitely was not jammed. Also, the fridgemate definitely tested at 65ma
>and blew LESS air than the stock fan.

If you have a properly-working Dometic fan that draws 220 mils, I should
hope it would blow more air than the Fridgemate!   I wonder if Dometic has
similar fans with different capacity?  My Fridgemate is model FM-12CT and
measured 88 ma at roughly 12v, running in free air.

220 ma seems an *awful* lot for this application, at least on a vehicle
this size, ref your consumption figures.  I've just been playing with a 3"
box fan that I stuck a nozzle on (cut-down Dustbuster scoop, actually) to
inject air under the reefer, and it draws just about 250 ma.  Blows quite a
breeze though, even with the nozzle outlet constrained to the size of one
of the openings below the reefer.

Regarding the pulling the fan fuse, I'm pretty sure he was pulling it while
>the fridge was off/not running. His problem it seems is that the fan runs
>while his van is sitting stored in his garage... fridge not on.

Ah so...I misunderstood completely.  If the fridge is not running then the
fan is just wasting juice and operating life.


>not; just the temp of the fins. However, my 90 Owners manual claims that
>they come on at 126 F and turn off at 108 F (p. 7).

You're right, I had the numbers wrong.  Don't know where I got 140 from.

>This means they will
>come on during a hot day even with the fridge off.

Hmm.  And if it once comes on it probably won't go off until everything
cools off at night.  Whatta pain.  I hope I never go to where it's that hot
:(  I tend to run the reefer most of the time, though (and keep it plugged
in in the driveway so the charger runs).

cheers
david

David Beierl - dbeierl@ibm.net