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  View original topic: Dual Fridge Fan
bus2 Thu Jul 24, 2014 6:29 pm

Hello

I have done a search but with limited luck. I am going to install a Go Westy fridge fan to replace my stock one on my 1990 Westfalia, but has any body ever installed dual fans? say one on the upper condenser and one on the lower or side by side for more effectiveness. Any help would be great
Thanks
Bus2

spitsnrovers Thu Jul 24, 2014 7:53 pm

Hi bus2, not an exact answer to your query, but this may give you some ideas on improved performance.. I'm not sure how much dual fans would really improve the cooling effect of this type of 'fridge' or cooler.

http://www.griffco.ca/interest/vw/vwfridgemods.htm

candyman Thu Jul 24, 2014 9:05 pm

There are several threads on members who have installed multiple fans. Do a search on fridge maintenance upgrades or mods. You will find them, i saw them last week while looking for something else on my fridge

MarkWard Fri Jul 25, 2014 6:33 am

spitsnrovers wrote: Hi bus2, not an exact answer to your query, but this may give you some ideas on improved performance.. I'm not sure how much dual fans would really improve the cooling effect of this type of 'fridge' or cooler.

http://www.griffco.ca/interest/vw/vwfridgemods.htm

I copied his ideas. Coil fan is connected to the temp switch as well as a two way manual switch. I purchased the fans at a local PC store. Good volume, low amps, and quiet.





It seems getting the air out from behind is even more important. I discovered this when our OE fin started to fail. I had removed the city water port to see if I could lube the fan on our trip. As soon as I removed the water port, the OE fan shut off. Since we don't use the city water port it got modified to hold a second fan. It too is tied to the two way toggle so it can be turned on when stopped. I have a small shim to prop the door open. I have no graphs, but my wife says it is working better. Who needs a graph?




bus2 Fri Jul 25, 2014 4:38 pm

All this information helps, Thanks very much
Bus2

pioneer1 Fri Jul 25, 2014 4:40 pm

X2 on the computer fan. Free if you have an old desk top sitting in the basement

Howesight Fri Jul 25, 2014 4:46 pm

Hi Bus 2:

Back when I still used the stock Westy Dometic fridge, I made an air plenum similar to the one pictured above. I installed two computer fans on it. I also installed two small computer fans on the evaporator inside the fridge. I connected them to separate switches I installed on the Westy kitchen face.

The answer (I think) to your question is that these fans significantly improved the performance of the little Dometic.

Vanagon Nut Fri Jul 25, 2014 5:36 pm

I agree. IMO, the "city water" fan mod is the best bang for the buck. If one shops around, they can find a relatively high CFM fan with easily less than a 0.5 Amp draw. On my '81, I built a rather fugly frame of insulation and duct metal around the back of the fridge to help channel air from front lower vent along the back and out the city water fan. This also helped keep the fan from pulling air from surrounding areas behind the cabinet. (the theory being that air off the floor is colder) Holding a small piece of paper at the lower grill, I could see it bend a little when I turned the city water fan on.

Most RV type campers have a sizeable vent installed on the fridge side of the body.

Neil.



rsxsr wrote:

It seems getting the air out from behind is even more important.

ragnarhairybreeks Fri Jul 25, 2014 6:44 pm

Hi,

Just did the city water fan mod to my friends (simonslp) 91 syncro today. Plus I replaced broken stock fin cooling fan with a medium sized computer fan. I have done same to my van, plus added a smaller muffin fan to the top row of fins.

Now here are my opinions.

The stock fan is pretty good at its job in the stock set up. The muffin fans I have used as a replacement cycle on and off more often than the stock fan did. I have heard that the valterra ( right word?) fan is much better as a replacement.

But, I would agree that the muffin fan effectiveness would be greatly improved with a plenum. I made a half hearted attempt at one but made the mistake of trying to cover the entire rear of the fridge ( excluding the exhaust stack). One of those hot day, try something then give up and have a drink, projects.

Another thing that helps is to have the body wall at the fridge well insulated. Especially with dark coloured vans as the side of the van gets damned hot in the sun. In situations where we were not able to park in shade, or have that side in the shadow, I've used one of those fabric backed space blankets as a heat shield. Magnets holding the top of the blanket to the van body and rocks, wood, whatever, holding the bottom of the blanket to the ground with the blanket at an angle. Actually when we do that we have the top of the blanket attached above the windows so it shades the windows as well as the body panel. Quite amazing how much that helps.

Cheers

Alistair

bus2 Fri Jul 25, 2014 8:43 pm

Great info. Thanks to everyone
Bus2

bus2 Sat Jul 26, 2014 10:02 pm

Thanks for all the info so far. Does anyone have any photos of there city water fridge fan mods that they could post Thanks again to everyone for their info so far
Bus2

ragnarhairybreeks Sun Jul 27, 2014 9:11 am

I sent this description on how I install the city water fan mod to bus2, along with a couple of pics. Thought I should post it here too, might help others.



I'll go over things point form, still working on my first coffee.

- I did it with fridge out.
- city water port unscrewed from van body. Careful, plastic can be weak and the port may be caulked to body.
- water line from port unscrewed at compression fitting. Leave the brass elbow in the plastic port.
- dig out and remove old caulking and the remains of any foam gasket. You can buy new gasket or make your own. I did latter with strips of the adhesive backed closed cell foam. The stuff used as weather stripping or between canopy and pick up truck.
- now hacksaw the plastic "stud" on back of port. The one that has the brass elbow. Cut it flush with the body of the port. Don't throw it away.
- find a small fan that sits on that now flat surface. You want at least two of the fan mounting holes to be used. The last one I did I had the fan rotated slightly from square to allow two noting holes to be used.
- now estimate or lay out a circle on the back of the port where the fan will sit. Circle sized for the fan blade diameter. Be sure to leave enough material at edge of part for the mounting screws.
- cut out the circle. I used a die grinder with burr.
- drill holes, clearance sized, on port for attachment screws. I used ss sheet metal screws.
- size those screws so that they will bite into the holes in the fan. Tip, always lube the screws when going into plastic, really helps reduce the chances of cracking the plastic and really helps in cutting threads.
- mount up the fan, screws entering from outside face of port, fan on backside. Just being obvious here.

Electrical.

I wire fan with its own switch. Mounted switch on grill on rear (not the top ) of the kitchen cabinet. The grill that is adjacent to the table. I picked up power from fridge itself. The terminal block on the top of the fridge under that cover has 12 v . Wiring colour not standard so double check. I can't recall now which is which, but there is a wiring diagram stuck to top of fridge. There is a free ground spade connector on top of fridge, I used that to complete circuit. Quick disconnects on wires to the fan and switch would be a good idea, making fridge removal easier. I didn't bother, I just allowed enough wire so I could pull fridge then unhook wires.

The old city water line.

That elbow with the plastic you cut from the port, unscrew the elbow. Cut a small disk of rubber that will fit in threaded hole. Pop it in and screw the elbow back on. The elbow can then be reattached to the grey city water line. You need to plug it to prevent back flow leaking from the faucet.

Finishing up

Pop everything back into the van. Caulk the sealing surface of the port if you want, good idea. Cut a bit of 1/4" thick closed cell foam to fit into the port snugly. That foam helps to seal the fan from the element when port hatch closed and is used as a prop to keep hatch open when fan in use.

I think that's about it, if I have missed anything let me know.


Pics of the city water port modded about 13 years ago ( fan still works) here on my blog

http://shufti.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/westy-city-water-port-fan-mod/

Here is pic of port installed the other day



Alistair

snoop Sun Jul 27, 2014 9:22 am

Thank you Alister; your contributions to this forum are among the finest. This one will get me to finally pull the fridge and get this done; thank you!

mike

MarkWard Mon Jul 28, 2014 6:23 am

This hurt a little. I bought the set of 3 new service covers. I carefully cut this one apart.




Here is a side view. We can weld aluminum and with a little flat black paint it looks ok. I fabricated it uphill on purpose to keep water out.


S4VAGE Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:05 am




crazyvwvanman Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:44 am

IMHO putting dual muffin fans at the bottom fins misses the point. The objective of the stock fan is to blow air all the way to the top and push it out of the cabinet vents, like the ones behind the sink top. The fan temp switch in NOT on the lower fins. It is mounted to the very top fins. Getting hot air out from behind the fridge is the key, while pulling cooler air in from the floor vent below the door. A single high velocity fan in the stock fan location is better than muffin fans. For adding a fan, the city water fan is the way to go.



Mark



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