A different refrigerator fan option

[Snackchaser]

During the hot weather this summer, our Norcold refrigerator was also struggling to keep cold while on propane.  The fridge fan could not remove enough heat for it to work properly, so it was time to install more cooling fans!  

I ordered the $75 Beech Lane fans based on the positive reviews, but there was no way they would fit in my Norcold’s lower vent area as intended.  They could fit in the upper vent with modified mounting brackets and reversed air flow, but why pay for something that didn’t fit as designed.

In addition to fitment issues, I didn’t like the control box being mounted outside behind the vent cover where the blue LEDs can be seen glowing.  I wanted the ability to turn the fans off, but the control box didn’t remember the last setting when the power is switched off, and I didn’t want to be opening the vent cover to reset it.  These are multi speed fans with 3 wires so switching the fan wire wasn’t a good option either.

I returned the Beech Lane fans and bought 2 similar (water resistant) fans and a Normally Open 50⁰c (122⁰f) thermo switch for lots cheaper.  I made a rectangular frame of 1/2” aluminum angle bar for the fans, and installed them in the upper vent.  Because the upper vent has an angled back, I used long deck screws with short PEX pipe standoffs on the bottom screws to keep the fans mounted vertically.  The Beech Lane fans would have to be mounted the same way if I had kept them.

The fans are powered from a new switch in the master panel and it’s in series with the thermo switch so they will only work when the switch is on, and the temperature is above 122⁰.

I used a laser thermometer on the condenser fins when the refrigerator was operating on propane. The temperatures were significantly higher on the right side above the flame chamber, and they got progressively cooler towards the left side.  So I hung the temperature switch between the condenser fins just right of center.   It can easily be moved left to cooler fins if the fans are running too often.

I installed a terminal block as a centralized connection point for all the wires, but they could be spliced together in any manner of ways.  “Y” spade adapters worked well to connect to the refrigerators existing dc power terminal via a 5 amp fuse.  The fans use less than 1 amp combined.

The microwave was removed (six screws) to get wires up to the new switch on the switch panel.  The tension jack to hold the microwave in place has to be loosened too, it’s accessed through the round marine hatch behind the switches.  Just takes a couple of minutes to take it out.

We have been testing the fans in 100 degree weather for the past week, and they've been working great!

I hope someone finds this useful!  Cheers!  Geoff

 

[jd1923]

Nice work Geoff, as always. Your aluminum frame is a very well crafted!

I did mine last summer. I have the control panel in the cabinet above the microwave and we switch it on most hot afternoons. Beech Lane makes a good fan and it moves a lot of heat out from behind the fridge.

I purchased a second fan that cools the basement area where I installed our Victron MP2 inverter-charger. Not near as much heat down there, but use it on occasion.

Edited Saturday at 04:59 AM by jd1923

[Ronbrink]

Good job @Snackchaser! I somehow got my Beech Lane fans to fit, but had to modify the mounting bracket, as you mentioned. I really like your use of a terminal block and spade adapters for the additional power leads. If not already, consider installing the Beech Lane Evaporator Fin Fan for even more cooling efficiency! 

 

Edited Saturday at 01:41 PM by Ronbrink

[Snackchaser]

@jd1923 and @Ronbrink you guys did a good job too!  I will check out that evaporator fan, I could run it from the same switch perhaps.

It's hard to tell from your photos, and forgive me if I'm mistaken, but it looks like your Beech Lane fans are blowing air in the wrong direction!  They are designed to be mounted in the lower vent to push air out of the top vent.   When installed in the top vent, they push air out of the bottom vent, which is working against the Norcold fan and natural convection.  Try flipping the fans around in their mounting brackets so the label is in the back, and they will work much better! 

Cheers!  Geoff

[Ronbrink]

27 minutes ago, Snackchaser said:

it looks like your Beech Lane fans are blowing air in the wrong direction!  They are designed to be mounted in the lower vent to push air out of the top vent.

Actually, the upward ‘chimney’ airflow of hot air rising (convection) is best achieved with the fans at the top vent and blowing outward, which is how ours are orientated. 

Edited Saturday at 03:23 PM by Ronbrink

[Snackchaser]

@Ronbrink Yes!  That's exactly what I said!  However, the Beech Lane fans blow inward  the with label on the outside (at least the ones I bought).  This would be the right direction if mounted in the bottom vent as intended by design, but the wrong direction if mounted in the top vent.  

Cheers!  Geoff

[Ronbrink]

4 minutes ago, Snackchaser said:

@Ronbrink Yes!  That's exactly what I said!  However, the Beech Lane fans blow inward  the with label on the outside (at least the ones I bought).  This would be the right direction if mounted in the bottom vent as intended by design, but the wrong direction if mounted in the top vent.  

Cheers!  Geoff

Understood, but mine blows outward as it should. 

[jd1923]

2 hours ago, Snackchaser said:

It's hard to tell from your photos, and forgive me if I'm mistaken, but it looks like your Beech Lane fans are blowing air in the wrong direction!  They are designed to be mounted in the lower vent to push air out of the top vent.

Beech Lane attaches labels to both sides! Look at the two photos I attached, and Ron's, and note the side where the wires are showing which is the exhaust side. When you look at the my first picture and Ron's you see the wires and the fan bracketing (the exhaust side). My second picture show just the fan blades, with wiring and frame on the back side.

1 hour ago, Ronbrink said:

Actually, the upward ‘chimney’ airflow of hot air rising (convection) is best achieved with the fans at the top vent and blowing outward, which is how ours are orientated.

I did not realize these were "designed to be in the lower cabinet." I must have missed that as I'm not one to carefully read instructions vs. just start installing parts! 🤣 My thought when installing was exactly what Ron stated here. I also tried the additional interior fridge fan that Ron suggested, but returned that one as I could not measure fridge interior temperature improvement, it took valuable fridge space and you could hear the fan when sitting at the dinette.

Geoff ended up with a superior installation with his great knowledge of wiring sensors and switches. The Beech Lane control box, although I installed it in the interior cabinet above the microwave where the LEDs are not visible, you still have to reach in there every time you turn the fan switch giving it power. Correct it will not remember a previous setting when last powered on. I do not use its temp sensing function, even though it's wired for that. When camped on a hot afternoon, I will turn the panel switch on and then the fan to 50% speed on the control box (the lowest speed setting) and generally I hear the fan running after dinner or before bed and with the panel switch turning it off is easy! It appears in Geoff's installation the fan is powered by temp sensor where ON/OFF is automated! 😂

I was able to feed wires without removing the microwave which is a bit of a trick! DC power is located through the bottom vent and it's easy to feed new wires to the upper vent. Then I poked through the upper insulation with an electrician's steel fish-tape to push new wires to the panel switch. With a curved section of fish-tape I was able to follow the curve of the hull up into the cabinet above the microwave for the fan control.

 

Edited Saturday at 05:19 PM by jd1923

[Ronbrink]

2 hours ago, jd1923 said:

I did not realize these were "designed to be in the lower cabinet."

The USER MANUAL states “ Remove the vent panel behind your refrigerator to make it easier to install.”  It doesn’t really specify whether said vent panel is the ‘lower’ or ‘upper’, in that the fans can be oriented to either ‘push’ or ‘pull’, respectively. Specific to the Oliver (models having a lower and upper vent), the upper vent installation makes more sense; whereby ambient air is further drawn in the lower vent and hot air generated by the absorption fridge is forced (pulled) out the upper vent by the fans. Reason being, a lower vent installation may adversely affect the heat source (flame, if operating on propane), and pull in moisture if raining and/or excessive dust and debris. An upper vent installation is more likely to lessen these concerns. 

Edited Saturday at 07:42 PM by Ronbrink

[Snackchaser]

@jd1923 and @Ronbrink.  I took another look at the Beech Lane picture showing the fans mounted with the their special hardware to the louvers of a large vent cover that's very similar to the Norcold’s lower vent.  I guess that’s where I got the idea that they were meant to go in the lower vent.

But the picture’s caption says “it pulls air through,” which implies that it’s sucking air out of the cavity. . . which means they would be sucking against the natural convection flow if mounted in the Norcold’s lower vent?  Humph!

I was also thrown by the sweep, pitch and spinning direction of these fan blades.  They’re similar to a boat propeller, leading one to think that they move air in the same direction as a propeller moves water. But they actually spin counter-clockwise like a boat propeller spinning in reverse?  Very counter intuitive, but apparently good aerodynamics?

However, what I really wanted to mention, is that it looks like you’ve partly attached your fans to the lower edge of the upper vent cover bezel.  This makes me wonder if your’e aware of insect screens?  Oliver recommended them to us, but your fan mounting screws would probably interfere with the screens tight fit.  That’s why I mounted my fans to the back wall with PEX pipe standoffs.

FYI. screens are available at etrailer for the Upper and Lower vents, and for the furnace exhaust, and I think they are worthy upgrades.

Cheers!  Geoff

[Ronbrink]

I’ve seen several different placement configurations of these fans at the upper vent area on Olivers; attached directly to the vent panel or the panel frame, or supported behind the vent panel as you did; and facing straight forward blowing directly outward, angled or flat blowing upward. There may be some variances in performance due to placement, but I’ve never read anything derogatory on anyone’s installation. Regarding the bug screen, such pests have not been a problem for me, but know that it is an issue for some in different parts of the country. That said, I could probably attach a light-duty screen onto the back side of the upper vent panel if ever deemed necessary, as well as the lower panel in like manner. To your point, the commercially available screens, particular to fridge vents, appear more robust and may not work in conjunction with my method of fan installation; but some installers should certainly take this pest deterrent into consideration. 

Edited Tuesday at 12:43 PM by Ronbrink

[jd1923]

10 hours ago, Snackchaser said:

FYI. screens are available at etrailer for the Upper and Lower vents, and for the furnace exhaust, and I think they are worthy upgrades.

3 hours ago, Ronbrink said:

I could probably attach a light-duty screen onto the back side of the upper vent panel if ever deemed necessary, as well as the lower panel in like manner.

There was another thread re bug screens, so I added them after my fan install. I went with the idea Ron mentioned. It was very easy to make my own screens. I had a roll of 6" aluminum screening we had purchased for bug-proofing air vents in our home. I did the same for upper and lower screens, cutting and bending the screening to fit. You can't see it but I riveted the screens to the plastic vents, two rivets on each left and right sides. They made the vents fit nice and snugly, where before they rattled around a bit, even after adding new push-turn mounts. New fans, new screens, mod done! 😂