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Old 06-06-2017, 04:44 AM   #1
AlBeatty
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Refrigerator Question

Hi group,
We just got back from out first trip in the new Cougar. The Dometic refer works good but has a loud running fan that seems to be focused on the freezer section of the unit (I can hear it both in and outside the coach). This is my 10th RV and I've never heard this type of fan-sound before. Is this normal or should I be taking it back to the dealer for service? Have any of you experienced a similar situation? Thanks for your suggestions. Take care & ...

Tight Lines - AB
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Old 06-06-2017, 04:59 AM   #2
chuckster57
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If your refer is on a slide, then it's the fan(s) added to the back of the unit to help with air circulation. Some larger units (4 door models) come with fans from the factory. Nothing to worry about unless the fan is excessively noisy. What is excessive? Hard to say but these fans aren't "silent".
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Old 06-06-2017, 05:50 AM   #3
JRTJH
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If your profile information is correct, you own a 2017 Cougar XLite 28SGS. That trailer has a 8 cuft Dometic two door refrigerator installed in the slide between the sofa and the stove. With this model (and most others with the refrigerator installed in a slide) there is not enough "natural airflow" because of the limited "top venting" behind the refrigerator. So, to help improve removal of heat in the coil areas behind the refrigerator, Dometic added thermostatically controlled fans (very similar to a computer fan) to help push air up and over the coils and out the upper side vent.

There have been a number of discussions on this and almost every other forum about the noise these fans produce. Some are inherently louder than others. Some of the reasons can be attributed to dirt on the fan blades, construction debris like fiberglass insulation or bits of foam that get caught in the fan blades or within the fan "cage".

You might do some exploring behind your refrigerator, clean the fan and see if it's any less noisy. When you remove the lower rear vent on the side of your slide, in the lower left you'll see a "black plastic cover" which is over the control board for your refrigerator. Exiting that on the right side, you'll see a single red wire with a fuse cartridge in it. That red wire is the power source for the fan(s). Remove the fuse to verify that the fan stops running. Many people simply remove the fuse or install a switch on that wire and disable the fan when the temperature is less than about 85F. There is sufficient cooling in most situations where the ambient temperature is below 85F and the fan is not necessary. If you do disable the fan, remember that as the temperature rises and if the sun is hitting that side of your trailer, the temperature behind the refrigerator may be higher than it is under the awning on the "shady side" of your RV. With experience, you'll learn when you can turn off the fan to eliminate the noise and when you need to "just endure".....

Dometic will, in some situations, replace the fan because of "excessive noise" but in recent years the company has been more and more reluctant to replace fans that are "somewhat noisy" so you may not get any help from your dealership based on their experience with refrigerator fan noise and previous warranty support from Dometic.
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Old 06-06-2017, 10:36 AM   #4
NorskeBob
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlBeatty View Post
Hi group,
We just got back from out first trip in the new Cougar. The Dometic refer works good but has a loud running fan that seems to be focused on the freezer section of the unit (I can hear it both in and outside the coach). This is my 10th RV and I've never heard this type of fan-sound before. Is this normal or should I be taking it back to the dealer for service? Have any of you experienced a similar situation? Thanks for your suggestions. Take care & ...

Tight Lines - AB
The fan in our last RV had a high pitched sound too. Was the first one that made that much noise too. May be the brand of fans that Dometic is using. It is about 2/3 the way up on the back.
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Old 06-06-2017, 01:35 PM   #5
AlBeatty
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Thank you everyone for your comments. I think everything is OK. The refer is working good but was louder than I was used to in previous RV's. Thanks again for the feedback. Take care & ...

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Old 06-06-2017, 02:25 PM   #6
dcg9381
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If it's the fan, I'd certainly consider replacing it with one of the same size, voltage, full-bearing version. Tremendous about of quality differences in these electronic-type fans.
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Old 06-07-2017, 03:57 AM   #7
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Need a quite fan - SilenX Effizio Silent 120mm Thermistor Edition Fan
EFX-12-15T (3rd generation fluid dynamic bearing ) - this was my add on fan to my last RV - super quite. 12V DC so power can be pulled from the 12VDC "bus" on the back of the fan. Picture from the back of the back of the Dometic fridge on our last RV.

The original fan is controlled by a thermal switch on the condenser - as seen behind the upper vent on the back of the slide.

Per Dometic - The Power Ventilator Assembly is for Dometic's six (6) cubicfoot or larger refrigerators with multiple venting applications. Its purpose is to assist required air movement across the refrigerator condenser to ensure optimum performance. The fan thermal switch will energize the fan when ambient temperatures exceed 100 deg. F. This system will operate automatically with the fluctuation of the refrigerator's condenser temperatures.


Our Avalanche has the 4 door fridge.
It has a little fan on the bottom rear section and 2 larger fans in the back about 2/3 the way up (similar to the Dometic). Inside the fridge is a fan in the fresh food section and one in the freezer section.
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