PDA

View Full Version : Cooling fan replacement



phorner
10-18-2009, 08:31 AM
I have a cooling fan that is getting loud and I would like to replace it. The one needing replacement is behind my small refrigerator in the outside entertainment center, and looks to be identical to the one located in my inverter bay.

Does anyone have a spec on these fans or a recommended replacement?

Interesting to note that the fan in question in the entertainment center is powered on and off by the main refer breaker in my electrical panel.

Pictured is the fan in the inverter bay.

truk4u
10-18-2009, 09:33 AM
Paul,

I got this one at Radio Shack, but it's 12 volt.

5741

Orren Zook
10-18-2009, 09:38 AM
Radio Shack has 120v fans in that configuration too.

phorner
10-18-2009, 11:53 AM
Thanks for the info, guys.

I'll pull the noisy one out and try to match it up at Radio Shack.

I was kind of surprised that it appears to be 120 volt, as my assumption was 12 volt.

garyde
10-18-2009, 12:57 PM
You can also order these fans from
Grainger.

Darrell McCarley
10-18-2009, 02:08 PM
Grainger will have these fans available with ball bearings that will last longer than the fans from radio shack without ball bearings.

Jon Wehrenberg
10-18-2009, 02:40 PM
Darrell and Gary nailed it.

I have a pair installed for inverter cooling and they have been running for about 4 years.

jelmore
10-18-2009, 04:47 PM
Paul, I'm curious how you will get to yours. Can you get to it from the front bay access panel? I am also surprised that this fan is switched from the refrigerator circuit. Just very odd, I think. Does it blow into the entertainment center or into the battery area?

phorner
10-18-2009, 09:06 PM
Jim,

Easy access. Just pull out the small refer that's in the entertainment center by taking out 2 screws on the right hand side. Once the screws are out, it simply slides out to access the electric outlet behind it.

The fan sits behind the refer and blows air from the back of this compartment to vent into the space behind, which houses the Cruiseair compressor and is open on the bottom.

Jon Wehrenberg
10-19-2009, 07:55 AM
My memory of this may be a little faulty, but the fans are built for specific orientation. Mine are installed horizontally and the ones I removed were for vertical mounting. My replacements not only had ball bearings instead of bronze bushings, but they were for horizontal mounting.

truk4u
10-19-2009, 09:19 AM
Paul,

Was that the noise you were concerned about when we were at Ivy's thinking it was the fridge? I thought that noise only happened when the fridge compressor cycled.

jelmore
10-19-2009, 11:04 AM
I've heard that noise for two years when sitting outside. Very annoying. In a eureka moment, turned off the refrigerator and the noise vanished! What a discovery. It was hard to imagine that the refrigerator could be so loud outside. Really good to know it is probably that fan.

If it is blowing air into that compartment, that makes me wonder about the function of this fan and the one on the other side in the inverter bay. I'm wondering if their primary purpose is to provide air circulation to the battery and dual cruiseair compartment when parked.

Orren Zook
10-19-2009, 11:38 AM
If it is blowing air into that compartment, that makes me wonder about the function of this fan and the one on the other side in the inverter bay. I'm wondering if their primary purpose is to provide air circulation to the battery and dual cruiseair compartment when parked.

Jim, I'm suspect that the one on the inside of the inverter bay is just to provide a little air circulation in the inverter bay. I doubt that the volume of air moved by that fan would do much for the house batteries or cruise airs.

phorner
10-19-2009, 01:42 PM
Paul,

Was that the noise you were concerned about when we were at Ivy's thinking it was the fridge? I thought that noise only happened when the fridge compressor cycled.

Yep, that was the noise. Because I could stop the noise by shutting off the refrigerator breaker, I figured it was one of the fans in it.

But, after I pulled the fridge out and unplugged it, the noise continued, so I searched some more.

phorner
10-19-2009, 01:45 PM
I've heard that noise for two years when sitting outside. Very annoying. In a eureka moment, turned off the refrigerator and the noise vanished! What a discovery. It was hard to imagine that the refrigerator could be so loud outside. Really good to know it is probably that fan.

If it is blowing air into that compartment, that makes me wonder about the function of this fan and the one on the other side in the inverter bay. I'm wondering if their primary purpose is to provide air circulation to the battery and dual cruiseair compartment when parked.

Yeah, Jim, I wondered how the refrigerator could make so much (and such an annoying) noise OUTSIDE the bus.

phorner
10-19-2009, 01:56 PM
My local Grainger had the exact replacement fans in stock, so I replaced the faulty one as well as the one in the inverter bay as they are identical.

The noisy fan on my bus was installed behind the small refrigerator in my entertainment bay. There is an opening below the refrigerator in the floor of that compartment which is covered with screening. This serves as the air inlet, and mine was mostly packed with sand and dirt.

The fan draws air from this floor opening, across the cooling coils on the back of the refrigerator, and vents out to the space where the center Cruiseairs are mounted.