Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-26-2014, 03:54 PM   #1
3 Rivet Member
 
2014 23' Flying Cloud
2015 28' Flying Cloud
Kalamazoo , Michigan
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 102
Refrigerator fan

Just got back from inaugural Airstream trip with the family. Despite turning off the refrigerator the fan is continuing to run? Can anyone tell me why ????? Thanks
mwilliamsmd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-26-2014, 03:58 PM   #2
Rivet Master
 
1974 Argosy 20
2014 20' Flying Cloud
Kooskia , Idaho
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,591
It may take a while to cool down the compartment the fan ventilates. The fan thermostat is independent of the refrigerator switching system. On my 2014 FC 20 there also is a switch beside the door which controls the refrigerator fan allowing you to turn it off when noise is an issue (but cooling will remain a problem with it off).
idroba is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-26-2014, 05:13 PM   #3
2020 Classic 33
 
Box Elder , South Dakota
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,731
Images: 1
Anyone know what temp is the trigger point for the refrig fan? I don't have a switch and when it's 100 degrees out is it going to run all the time? Seems like a battery drain without a switch.
__________________
Gary
2020 Classic 33 Twin, 2019 Ram 3500 Longhorn, ProPride
NØVPN
ghaynes755 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-26-2014, 05:29 PM   #4
Rivet Master
 
1974 Argosy 20
2014 20' Flying Cloud
Kooskia , Idaho
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,591
I don't know, the thermostatic Klixon switch is bolted to the upper right back side cooling fin on my unit. You can see it if you look for the wires in the upper vent door where the fan is. Mine is in series with a lighted switch by the main entry door which allows it to be turned on and off. It would be simple to add the switch but usually it should be left on allowing the fan to run as needed.

Any number of us with the stupid fan system have put different fans in which take less power and are quieter. My new one moves 120 CFM and only takes about 25 mA to run.
idroba is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2014, 11:23 PM   #5
2 Rivet Member
 
2008 16' International
Seattle , Washington
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 64
hated the fan too

... had the same experience in the first night of our '08 16'. Loud fridge fan drove me nuts at night... despite the fact that the weather was 47 and rainy outside.

Could not believe that a) any competent engineer would put this loud of a fan in an airstream or b) that anyone from Airstream had actually slept in a 16' trailer with this fan.

Found this thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f425...lly-11811.html

Replaced the super noisy factory fan with two Noctua 120mm fans. These are really slick... they each come with a "Y" cable to connect two fans to one source... also an extension cable and best of all a special "low-noise adapter" cable to reduce the fan speed from 1200 to 900 rpm. At 900 rpm you cannot hear the fans even with your ear next to them. Totally silent.

These also use very little power. This weekend we had the fridge running most of the time while boondocking. No problem with our (new) solar system.

Good luck! BTW, the Noctua have four wires... two are for a computer with a variable controller. You can ignore these and simply wire the 12v and ground.

BC





bc_seattle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2014, 02:46 PM   #6
Rivet Master
 
Ray Eklund's Avatar
 
2019 27' International
2014 25' International
2006 23' Safari SE
Boulder City , Nevada
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,703
If you want to experiment.

I take a 12 inch ruler and place it in such a way where it holds the vented fan cover OPEN. You then get plenty of outside air blowing through this area.

I do not know if you ever tried the direction you have that side of the trailer. In the afternoon sun? Our last trip to Las Vegas with 98 to 110 sunny days, the fan did not run that much. Maybe using the simple "ruler system" may help. If not... it is still useful for measuring 12 inches!

Experiment. If one idea does not work... try something else. We have our Spring, Summer and Fall placement of our trailer to maximize cooling and heating the interior. Simple ideas for simple problems.
Ray Eklund is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 10:58 PM   #7
1 Rivet Member
 
2017 25' Flying Cloud
North Bend , Washington
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 7
So, is the consensus that the noisy fan is simply a design flaw? I was out on my second trip with our new FC 28 and noticed as soon as I returned home, the fridge fan started humming and wouldn't stop. This was while running on battery. Admittedly, the weather has been a bit warmer here in Seattle but it's certainly not summer heat. Spoke with the dealer and they "don't like noises" like this, so I'll likely run it down there and let them have a look. Would love to save the time though if this is something that is either "normal" or eventually subsides.
JBruno is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2014, 04:57 AM   #8
Rivet Master
 
Wayne&Sam's Avatar
 
2014 25' Flying Cloud
Cuddebackville , New York
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 4,333
Images: 21
The stock fans are all noisy. Replacing with a quitter one, as shown above, is cheap, easy and very effective. They are lots of quitter fans available.
__________________
2014 25' Flying Cloud Rear Twin
2019 Ford Expedition Platinum
Wayne&Sam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2014, 05:57 AM   #9
3 Rivet Member
 
2013 20' Flying Cloud
Cream Ridge , New Jersey
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 124
I recently installed three of the Noctua 120 MM fans. No noise at all compared to the "airplane propeller" that I removed. The three fans together draw about one third of the juice that the old one did. I turn the fans off at night and leave the upper, outer vent door open. The cooler night air seems to do the job as the box temp is still around 40-42 degrees in the morning. The vents are under the awning so no worries about rain getting in the compartment.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	DSC04927.JPG
Views:	699
Size:	140.9 KB
ID:	214092  
Joe Palmieri is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2014, 06:04 AM   #10
Rivet Master
 
Wayne&Sam's Avatar
 
2014 25' Flying Cloud
Cuddebackville , New York
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 4,333
Images: 21
BTW, my fans don't quit and apparently neither does my auto-correct spell check.
__________________
2014 25' Flying Cloud Rear Twin
2019 Ford Expedition Platinum
Wayne&Sam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-19-2014, 06:57 PM   #11
TinCan
 
graysailor's Avatar
 
2016 30' Classic
Apache Junction , Arizona
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 880
Noctua fans. Yellow wire is positive and Black wire is negative? Ignore the Blue and Green? I can see how to hook 3 fans together but apparently one has to splice into the original positive and negative wires. Correct?
__________________
TinCan
graysailor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2014, 08:51 AM   #12
1 Rivet Member
 
2014 23' International
Neenah , Wisconsin
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 6
Blog Entries: 1
Here is a link to the Noctua web site and their wiring:Noctua.at - sound-optimised premium components "Designed in Austria"!
Jcoop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2014, 10:03 PM   #13
1 Rivet Member
 
2012 25' International
Prosser , Washington
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 11
I am hoping this thread saves our batteries. We just got back from boon docking on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We have a 2012 25 ft International and the refrigerator fan ran incessantly. Despite solar and despite the fact that at 8200 ft it is 80 in the day and gets to 40 at night, it was still running and sounding like an airplane. Thankfully we had 160 watt solar and a 2000 watt generator. Our batteries were dead in the AM, and when we got back to Boise, the batteries needed to be replaced….Argh!!!! We replaced the batteries, upgraded to 320 watts solar, but that dog gone fan is still drawing the batteries down.

From the threads, it reads like that 1) our fan is loud and a real power hog, and 2) replacing the fan with the Noctua 120 mm is the way to go. We read one post where 3 of these fans draw 1/3 the original. Not sure why we need three where we live in WA. We just ordered ours from Amazon. We are hoping a lower draw fan works. Our unit does not have a switch to turn the fan off at night. We would love this option when we boondock. It is always cool to freezing at night, the fan does not need to run, and we have lots of down to keep us warm.
Tim and Tam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2014, 10:30 PM   #14
Rivet Master
 
1974 Argosy 20
2014 20' Flying Cloud
Kooskia , Idaho
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,591
You might put your own switch in the fan circuit. My 2014 20' has one as standard equipment and allows you to turn the fan off when you want to. It is simple to add one, just wire it in series with the power wire to the fan. You also can leave the upper vent cover open when the fan is not running to allow better air flow through the compartment.

The refrigerator itself takes some power to run. On mine when the thermostat calls for cooling and the flame is on it takes 0.31 amps. The original fan took 0.55 amps, and I replaced it with one which now takes 0.2 amps.

The water heater, when the flame is on takes 0.71 amps in my rig.

The inverter, if left on and not powering anything takes 1.9 amps (a whoping load when not doing anything). Be sure it is off, if you have one and are not using it. Don't turn it on to charge a cell phone or other tiny load.

The next time your batteries need replacing, consider going to two 6 volt golf cart batteries in series to replace your two type 24 batteries. They are the same size length and width, but 1.5 inches taller, so need the battery box modified to take the additional height. However for that change you go from about 150 amp hour capacity with the originals to 220 amp hour capacity with the golf cart ones. That is a significant capacity increase for your system.

If you are ever through central Idaho, highway 12 contact me and i will be glad to go over your electrical system for you. I get a kick out of helping folks understand what they have and how to use it best. And great camping here too.
idroba is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2014, 11:06 PM   #15
Rivet Master
 
SilverGate's Avatar
 
2007 23' Safari SE
San Diego , California
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,495
Add switch and keep vents open when needed!

Quote:
Originally Posted by idroba View Post
You might put your own switch in the fan circuit. My 2014 20' has one as standard equipment and allows you to turn the fan off when you want to. It is simple to add one, just wire it in series with the power wire to the fan. You also can leave the upper vent cover open when the fan is not running to allow better air flow through the compartment.
Yes, if your trailer does not come with a refrigerator fan switch, add your own toggle switch next to the fan and turn it on and off when you need to! We still have and use our original refrigerator fan and it works just fine... I just make sure it is turned off at sunset!

You can help your refrigerator be more efficient by keeping the vents open with a 12" ruler... or a clothes hanger as we do!

More info on this AirForums' thread: "Refrig fan noise Fixed... really"
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	DSC_0004 Refrig fan, switch & vent.jpg
Views:	390
Size:	331.0 KB
ID:	215615   Click image for larger version

Name:	DSC_0030 Fan toggle switch and hanger.jpg
Views:	325
Size:	283.2 KB
ID:	215616  

SilverGate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2014, 11:52 PM   #16
1 Rivet Member
 
2017 25' Flying Cloud
North Bend , Washington
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 7
Ok - so I feel a bit silly about this one, but I figured I would share hoping that it saves someone else some worry. I had previously posted that I did hear what sounded like a refer fan that wouldn't shut off when I returned from one of my first trips. I took it into the dealership and learned:

1.) the tech claims I don't have a fan for the fridge in the location I was hearing the noise - the fridge checked out fine but...

2.) water pumps (oddly located near the fridge compartment) that are running when the tank is empty sound oddly like a fan that won't shut off.

So, yes - this noob actually left his water pump on after emptying the tank. I suppose we all have to learn somehow.

Nevertheless - this thread has been educational.
JBruno is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2014, 12:15 AM   #17
Rivet Master
 
1974 Argosy 20
2014 20' Flying Cloud
Kooskia , Idaho
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,591
Thanks for telling us the rest of the story. Lots to get used to in a new rig, eh?
idroba is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2016, 04:20 PM   #18
1 Rivet Member
 
Currently Looking...
Dubuque , Iowa
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 11
To bc_seattle...saw your post and bought 2 for my 25' FC. Just a quick question...which leads go to 12v and ground respectively? Many Thanks
bertandcec is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2016, 01:07 PM   #19
New Member
 
2013 20' Flying Cloud
Portland , Oregon
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 2
Airtoground - I have the same question. You ever figure out which colors to use on the noctua fan? Thx.
Jbc2175 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2016, 01:17 PM   #20
New Member
 
2013 20' Flying Cloud
Portland , Oregon
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 2
Never mind. Just found the wiring info on the Noctua website. Yellow is 12v and black is the ground. Thx.
Jbc2175 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Fan-Tastic fan install Gordon Watt Roof Vents, Skylights & Fans 28 08-15-2011 11:41 AM
Fan-tastic Fan Installation With Photos Dabler Roof Vents, Skylights & Fans 9 09-09-2007 08:18 PM
Fan-Tastic fan??? definition needed hex Our Community 26 10-10-2002 02:17 PM
Fan-tastic Fan installation BobbyW Roof Vents, Skylights & Fans 4 06-17-2002 09:40 PM


Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:11 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.