chp007kd40 Report post Posted July 26, 2014 Had an Amish cooling unit installed last year and the cooling fans cycle on and off and I'm getting so so performance. Would it be OK to run cooling fans on manual switch to run constantly, maybe one fan at night and two or three during travel time, but constantly on. Only use electric when the generator is on. My roof vent is 4x24. Is that a normal size for the larger units. When I removed the unit I found out that the pocket door next to the frig. has 1/8 inch paneling with a large piece missing letting hot air into the coach. Appreciate any help, David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
huffypuff Report post Posted July 27, 2014 Where are you at right now? Is it very hot outside? That will lower performance of a box stuck in a 3 sided wall. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted July 27, 2014 David, Would think that with a large section of the wall missing from one side of the refrigerator it would limit the air flow across the back of the unit. That would decrease the cooling. Is there a way to replace the missing panel or was it removed to make room to remove and reinstall the refrigerator ? Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chp007kd40 Report post Posted July 27, 2014 Thanks Ray and Rich. I live in Redding, Ca. and our very warm summers can be an issue, although the install was done poorly. The panel was clearly removed by someone and not put back that I'm now replacing. Is there such a thing as to much air flow in back of these units? That is why I'm considering improving the air flow with a continuous running fan and or installing a third. We dry camp throughout the year so I'm not too excited about going to a residential frig.. David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted July 27, 2014 David, To follow up on Rich's post, your refrigerator owners manual (also available online) give specs for recommended clearances. Any deviation that allows hot air to collect rather than exit the roof/upper vent (either naturally or with assistance of exhaust fan(s) at the top) reduces cooling capacity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chp007kd40 Report post Posted July 28, 2014 Brett-----thank you. Getting back to the basics (read the manual carefully) is always a good start and it is paying off this time. The factory install barely met minimum requirements. Actually, I was quite surprised at the factory requirements, but I am going to follow them carefully and see what happens. What mostly I found was to much air space around the unit creating dead air, baffles installed poorly and lots of gaps for air to infiltrate. Soooo much silicone from the factory and some of it useless or not serving it's purpose. Still don't have a good handle on the cooling fan issue. Why do the fans cycle on and off so often and can I just have them on manual (constant run) when I'm traveling. If cooling the condenser is so important, why do they both turn off for minutes at a time? As always, thanks for your help. David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted July 28, 2014 David, Sounds like your cooling fans are on a thermostat. Yes, they can be wired to a manual switch and/or manual switch and the thermostat. Check with your coach builder to see how it is wired now and their recommendation for where to "tap in" a manual 12 VDC positive feed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted July 28, 2014 David, You might want to ask the coach builder where the temperature sensors for the refrigerator are located also. With the air flow being different, the sensors might be sensing the outside temp. and not getting a good reading form the heater coils that heat the coils on the refrigerator. A manual switch is always handy, but if there is something out of place the, auto function working better is always good if the manual switch is on / or off under cooler temperatures. Thinking that with too much cool air moving over the coils, that would place a high work load on the system when it would not be necessary. Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chp007kd40 Report post Posted July 29, 2014 Brett and Rich, thank you. I am now encouraged to do what the original install was suppose to do and that is to pay attention to the details which was not done. I'm encouraged because it is working so so out of specifications, then the revamp should make a big difference. It will be a lot more work than putting the fans on manual but it is the right thing to do and I am actually looking forward to this project now. My coach can't be the only one out there that is not installed correctly so I'll let you know what the results are in a week or so. David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chp007kd40 Report post Posted August 8, 2014 Well, I finished installing my Norcold 1201 according to the install manual from Norcold and it was not easy. My 4 door frig. w/ice maker was installed very poorly. I think I have a Friday built coach! I'm taking it out this weekend for a test run in 100 degree temperature I'll post my findings. So far it appears to be cooling down faster. David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
