Atwood Helium fridge

SlowPoke · 03-02-2013, 08:15 AM

I have the Atwood Helium refrigerator. My question would be, would it be pliable to add the roof vent fan that you see advertised on some RV part sites? The ones I see is solar powered, and come in at about $125 (if memory serves), but am thinking a good muffin fan strategically mounted would serve purpose. Or is it even necessary for the summer trips?? Has anyone else done this mod and benefited ?

Festus2 · 03-02-2013, 08:22 AM

SlowPoke -
Some members have installed a small, 12v computer-type fan in the back of the fridge and others have placed a small, battery-operated one inside the fridge itself. If you do a forum search - type in "fridge fan" - there are a couple of pages of posts about this topic. Check through these and see if any of them are of any use to you.

SlowPoke · 03-02-2013, 08:40 AM

I have checked those, but was curious if anyone had actually installed one similar to the solar roof mounted type. I am new to these type setups, and didn't know what the advantage was to roof mounted, as opposed to the trouble door mounted type. (I guess I should have been more specific, my apologies!)

SteveC7010 · 03-02-2013, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlowPoke

I have checked those, but was curious if anyone had actually installed one similar to the solar roof mounted type. I am new to these type setups, and didn't know what the advantage was to roof mounted, as opposed to the trouble door mounted type. (I guess I should have been more specific, my apologies!)

Which does your trailer have: roof vent for the fridge or 2nd outside high wall vent? I ask because there are two different scenarios here.

If your fridge is not in a slide-out, then you probably have the low vent on the outside wall and the roof vent. As far as I know, that configuration doesn't have the fan factory-installed on the back of the fridge. In theory, it doesn't need it because the vent is directly above the fridge coils and since hot air rises, it tends to get a good air flow through the coils. This configuration can benefit from the addition of the fan, especially in hotter climates but is not usually a necessity. You can buy the solar kit and install it or you can pick up a 12vdc computer muffin fan and install that with either a switch or a thermistor to run the fan only when things get warm enough.

If your fridge is in a slide, then there can not be a roof vent so they installed a second outside wall vent up at the top of the fridge. This should already have the fan installed and controlled by a thermistor. Keystone (and other manufacturers) found that that the only way to put a fridge in a slide and have everything work properly was to add the fan to improve the air flow from the bottom vent to the top vent.

If your fridge is in a slide, you should already have the fan factory-installed. If it is not working, remove the lower vent and locate a single red wire floating around in there. Somewhere on that red wire should be an inline fuse. Since this wire goes up to the thermistor and then to the fan, the fuse has to be good for this to operate. Secondly, keep the fan clean!!!!!! This usually involves opening up the upper vent and cleaning the fan. I usually use my shop vac for this. If you can't see the fan when you look into the vent opening, look down, it may be just below the vent opening. Thirdly, the thermistor may be bad. It's just a temperature sensitive electronic switch. You can bypass it to test the fan with a short piece of wire.

Last point: The interior fan for fridges is to circulate air throughout the food compartment. It eliminates hot and cold spots so that everything is about the same temp. Folks who experience freezing on the upper shelves benefit greatly from these fans.

SlowPoke · 03-02-2013, 09:18 AM

Thanks Steve!

I do have low vent on the outside wall and the roof vent... So you're saying that while not necessary, i could find benefit by adding a fan later. I just wonder where the fan would mount; On the roof drawing air up, or lower near the coil, pushing air up.

**JRTJH** · 03-02-2013, 09:53 AM

Slowpoke,

Steve's advice is spot on. One thing to consider is no matter which type of venting system you have, Keystone buys refrigerators in bulk and you may very well have the fan installed no matter how your refrigerator is vented. We have the roof vent system and there's a fan on ours. It wasn't hooked up (the fuse was not installed) when we bought it, I added the 3amp fuse and it's been working since... The fans are mounted above the evaporative coils. Probably so you can sit under the awning without having to listen to a fan at ear level. I don't think it would really matter, but the higher it is the less noise at ground level.

Back before slides and sidewall vents, the only system included a roof vent and no fan was needed. Then along came "modifications" and bigger refrigerators with sidewall vents became commonplace. With them came the need for increased airflow. The easiest way was to install a fan to pull air across the evaoprative coils. Now, fans are installed (whether needed or not) since it cheaper to just add them than to try to manage the inventory to get the right part to the right RV.

In the Dometic literature, it says that the fan is not necessary in roof vent installations, HOWEVER (yes they include an escape clause).... HOWEVER, improved performance may be obtained in temperatures above 90*F by using the existing fan.

So, if you've got it (and you probably do) use it. If it makes too much noise, clean it, if it still makes noise, disconnect it unless it's really hot outside.....

Hope that helps more than causes confusion.....

John

SlowPoke · 03-02-2013, 10:33 AM

JRTJH -

Dude, that is extremely insightful, and much appreciated! Gonna go check that out right now! (Taking a break from retyping my checklist, shew!)

EDIT- Just checked, and I see the connection points (labeled "Opt External Fan") at the molex connecter inside the black power control box, however no wiring, or fan anywhere in the side, or chamber going up into the rooftop. Bugger!

SlowPoke · 03-02-2013, 11:26 AM

Well, after thoroughly searching the web, atwood's site, and numerous unnamed sources... Re-reading the manual with the unit, and some diagrams on the web, I have come to the conclusion, that the Helium, if installed NOT in a slide, with the proper clearances on top, and correctly baffled (which from my measurements and comparisons to figures in the manual) mine fits all categories. With that being said, the Helium only requires the fan when the optimal clearance is not available above the coils to the roof vent, or is in operating within a slide out. Of course, mine is not in a slide, and has proper clearances. The manual says the optional vent fan is only needed in those above aforementioned situations so I reckon I won't be wasting time on this modification...instead, I'll wait for someone else to say they've added one and is benefiting from it in my exact configuration.

Thanks for all your help in this decision!!

SteveC7010 · 03-02-2013, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlowPoke

Thanks Steve!

I do have low vent on the outside wall and the roof vent... So you're saying that while not necessary, i could find benefit by adding a fan later. I just wonder where the fan would mount; On the roof drawing air up, or lower near the coil, pushing air up.

I believe the kit that includes a solar panel has instructions, but I am pretty certain that the last one I saw had the fan up top to pull air from where ever, and to push it directly up and out of the roof vent. If I was installing one, I'd pop the cover off the roof vent and locate the fan right in there to get the best possible air flow.

FWIW, the factory fan for fridges in the slides has the fan fastened horizontally just above the last coil - there's a lip on the frame of the fridge right there that is perfect for mounting the fan.

**hankpage** · 03-02-2013, 01:38 PM

SlowPoke, I think most of us have Dometic or Norcold fridges. So this may explain the differences from your Atwood. JM2¢, Hank

**JRTJH** · 03-02-2013, 02:37 PM

Not sure if you have the service manual or just the owner's manual for that reefer. You can download the service manual here:

http://www.atwoodmobile.com/dealer-m...nual_rev_4.pdf

It has a bit more information about troubleshooting and service procedures than the owner's manual. Atwood may include it with every refrigerator, so if you already have it, great. It does show the fan as "optional:". Dometic includes it as standard on pretty much all their models. Hmmmmm

SlowPoke · 03-02-2013, 07:12 PM

Gotcha... Yep might be, I know these Helium's are new animals too, so they may be differently engineered. Maybe more info will come up as time goes by.

Thanks for all the 2¢ ... I'm getting rich on this site haha

SAD · 03-03-2013, 05:17 AM

One thing I keep in the RV is a thermometer with the remote sensors... I always keep a sensor in the fridge so I know what the interior temp is.

This way I know how well my fridge is (or is NOT) keeping up considering the outside air temp.

SlowPoke · 03-06-2013, 02:33 PM

Good idea, I'm gonna look into one of those....thanks SAD!

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