Food freeze-ups are common when the air inside the refrigerator is not circulated evenly. Beech Lane’s Fridge Fan is a simple solution to an aggravating situation.

By Bob Livingston / Photos by author

lmost two years ago, I switched out the factory LP-gas/120-volt AC refrigerator in my Grand Design Reflection fifth wheel for an Everchill 12-volt DC compressor model. The replacement provided freedom from using propane — and added a whopping three additional cubic feet of storage capability in the same dedicated space. It works beautifully, and storing additional foodstuffs reduced runs to the market.

That said, while the inside temperature never budged more than 1-2 degrees F during 24/7 full-time service, there were a few cold spots in the back of the refrigerator that tended to freeze food, even in 100-degree F weather with the temperature button never set past the second of five levels.

A friend experienced the same situation in his identical refrigerator and suggested I try a fan to help circulate the air. As an old-timer, I was familiar with the inexpensive, blue fridge fans that run on a single D-cell battery. Back then it did help a little, but I was leery of once again purchasing this fan — which, incidentally, has been around for more than 40 years — for use in the larger refrigerator. But I was intrigued with the Beech Lane RV Fridge Fan my friend found on Amazon for only $24.99.

Beech Lane’s version is much heftier and, according to my friend, it works surprisingly well; subsequent testing on my part proved it does help keep box temperatures more constant. The three-blade fan moves air at 3,000 rpm, which is much more forceful than the earlier product I was familiar with, and is mounted in a nice-looking plastic housing that has a “spiderweb” top and side openings for increased airflow. It’s just a little larger than 3 inches square and only weighs 6.4 ounces, though that increases a bit when you add the paired D-cell batteries needed for operation.

While Beech Lane also markets a version of this fan that can be hardwired to a 12-volt DC connection, my friend noted that he’s used his battery-powered unit for a number of months now without having to change the batteries. Then, too, it can be switched off when not in use to further extend battery life. And while he swears by it, I can also attest, via initial testing, that food placed in the back of our refrigerator is much more resistant to freezing. And while it’s not “silent running” — you can certainly hear it with the refrigerator door open —there’s virtually no fan noise with the refrigerator door closed. Interestingly, when you put your hand over the vents the airflow is barely detectable, giving you a false sense that it’s not doing much.

Beech Lane recommends placing the fan — which the company is in the midst of patenting, and backs with a lifetime warranty — on the bottom shelf to enable recirculation of falling cool air, which makes sense. I moved it around to accommodate food placement on various shelves and it seemed to be equally effective.

Granted, given the choice between a refrigerator that may cool contents more than it should and one that doesn’t cool down enough, I’ll always choose the former — but foodstuffs can be ruined by freezing, too. Reducing the chances that your food will freeze is certainly worth the small investment and minimal effort.