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 10-16-2018, 01:57 PM   #1
2 Rivet Member
 
2016 25' Flying Cloud
tampa , Florida
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 31
Dometic fridge fan running while fridge is off

Having just returned from a cross country trip I shut down my 2016 AS 25' FC, including turning off fridge. Returning several days later I noticed the fridge fan was running. Power cord is plugged in so batteries are charging. Removed the fuse for the fridge and the fan continued to run. Switching from USE to STORE and it cuts off but back on as soon as you go back to USE. This morning the fan was off but back on this afternoon! input would be appreciated!
fclewis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-16-2018, 02:33 PM   #2
GLCMRANGER - Sue
 
2016 25' International
Littlestown , Pennsylvania
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 331
This is normal. The fan go on or off based on the Thermocouple (or whatever it's called) temperature sensing above 90 degrees (?). I fixed this problem by installing an inline on/off switch in the outside upper compartment. Find the Positive wire that comes down from the compartment ceiling.
So when I travel, I turn on the Disconnect switch, the fridge, and then go to the compartment and turn the fan switch on. I leave it on until I turn off the fridge again...
glcmranger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-16-2018, 02:50 PM   #3
Rivet Master

 
2007 22' International CCD
Corona , California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
OK, the electrical symptom stuff you are seeing proves your fridge fan is wired just like mine. (Sorta stupid-like by the factory, to be blunt).

The fan and it's thermostat are wired directly to the 12 volt fridge power wire coming direct from your fuse panel, not the fridge control board or anything else itself.

As long as the 12 volt power circuits in the trailer have power, the fan thermostat is the ONLY thing that turns that fan on or off. The little thermostat looks like a round black 'thingie' with a couple wires that connect to terminals on top of it. One wire comes from 12 volt power, the other goes to the positive lead on the fan.

That explains the effect that you see, putting the use/store to "store" kills the fan, and that when the outside air temperature drops in the afternoon, the thermostat eventually automagically turns off the fan...the refrigerator on/off switch does NOT control the vent fan directly.

For storage, since I'm a bit lazy, I just go out, open the fridge upper door, and unplug the dumb fan, since the ambient air temperature around here in summer is often more than hot enough to trigger the fridge fan without the fridge being on. Hopefully I'll remember to plug it back in if I need to run the fridge.

Since I use one of the fantastic fans to ventilate the AS while it is in storage, and the solar panels efficiently charge the batteries, I store the AS in the "use" position. This way the vent fans can run, and I have lights if I'm working on the trailer...

A better way to fix it is to add a switch with a pilot light to the fan circuit somewhere convenient inside the coach, and just turn it off when you turn the fridge off from it's front panel switches. I could get real fancy-schmancy and hack into the fridge circuit board and figure out where thge fridge power switch turns things on and power the fan from there, but why risk it? Extra switches are cheap. (I know I'm risking losing my "Overkill Engineering Card" here, but sometimes just adding a manual switch with an indicator LED as a reminder is just easier.)

My "Overkill Plan" involves eventually replacing both my fridge outside cheap, ugly plastic doors with slick, shiny stainless steel louvered ones ($$$, ouchie), then adding at least two real quiet computer fans with a thermal speed control to the back of the top door, plus a handy manual cutoff switch inside.

That way, when it gets real warm in the fridge compartment during a hot day, the fans run full speed (unless I get a fire in there, and I have a safety thermostat in the planned circuit to cut it off at 140 degrees F for safety) and slow down the fans if it is not that warm in there at night so we can sleep.
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
rmkrum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2018, 02:16 PM   #4
2 Rivet Member
 
2016 25' Flying Cloud
tampa , Florida
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 31
Well, that explains a lot! Normally my AS is under a shed this time of year keeping the temp at a tolerable level. Thanks for the explanation and the suggestions. These forums are an irreplaceable resource!
fclewis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2018, 08:30 PM   #5
Rivet Master

 
2007 22' International CCD
Corona , California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
Given some situation, there is a real good chance someone on the forums will have seen and dealt with it before, and be willing to write and/or argue about it intensely.
That’s the power and ability of the forum to put out group knowledge in an interesting way. Takes a little reading and filtering, but it’s generally pretty good stuff. As long as you stay out of the Ford vs Ram vs Chevy debates.
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
rmkrum 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
fridge cooling fan is on but fridge is not running hahnstead Refrigerators 5 06-24-2016 06:34 PM
replacing old fridg with 9.7 cu ft elec oldcar29 Refrigerators 4 07-24-2009 12:04 AM
Fridg acting up ArtStream Refrigerators 8 09-21-2006 12:16 AM
Running the fridge while towing? andyfuson General Motorhome Topics 15 09-20-2003 12:15 AM


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 06:16 AM.


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