Boat & RV Fridge Cool Down: Mastering the SECOP/Danfoss Refrigerator

StartIs your RV or Boat Secop Danfoss refrigerator performing poorly, not working, consuming too much power, or in need of a feature upgrade? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve experienced and resolved these issues; watch our video or read our blog to find solutions to your refrigerator problems.

Go To Video

What sparked our extensive repair/upgrade of the Secop/Danfoss refrigerator? Total system failure, which is unacceptable for full-time off-grid living where food safety and cold beverages are vital. While in the the video I say this is version 1.0, life is now good in the refrigerator department.

All tools and parts are linked below.

Our control board failed due to old age in a salty environment. These aren’t cheap but I’ve found the best price on linked below. Also the main board went out but we bypass is making things a little cheaper. Hope this illustration helps with wiring. Our control board failed from aging in a salty environment. While replacements are costly, I’ve identified the best price, linked below. We’ve implemented a bypass since the main board failed, lowering the expense. The provided illustration should assist with wiring.

We did wire the fridge fans and new thermostat relays to the main power off the control board. We also added a 15 amp fuse right before the control board because our breaker is 20 amp from our power panel. Here you can also build a jumper wire from C to T terminals for trouble shooting to isolate the temperature controlsWe wired the fridge fans and new thermostat relays to the main power from the control board. We also added a 15-amp fuse before the control board because our breaker is 20 amps from the power panel. You can build a jumper wire from C to T terminals for troubleshooting to isolate the temperature controls.

Now we need a way to control our temperatures of our freezer and fridge. Our analog temp controls did not work and the spillover fan was seized up. Below you can find the temperature relays and fans we used in this project. They are simple and inexpensive, and living off-grid in the elements it’s not if things break, but when. The Secop temperature controls where hundreds of dollars, our solution was under $40.Now we need a way to control the temperatures of our freezer and fridge since our analog temperature controls failed and the spillover fan seized up. Below, you’ll find the temperature relays and fans we used in this project; they’re simple and inexpensive, which is ideal for living off-grid where elements can cause breakdowns. Notably, our solution cost under $40, a significant savings compared to the Secop temperature controls, which cost hundreds of dollars.

For wiring the digital thermostats relays up, the on for the freezer went to the C and T terminals on our control board. The thermostat for our fridge ran both fridge and freezer fans an drew power from the same wires that powered the temperature relays. Withe air moving in the freezer it allowed for better cooling and also help the spillover fan cool the fridge faster.

With the new thermostat relays in we still weren’t getting as cold as we needed due to the Secop/Danfoss variable speed compressor. We had to add resistors with a 3 way toggle switch to control our freezer compressor speed. The toggle was spliced into the wiring on C and T terminals on the thermostat for the freezer.

With a 3 way toggle switch we can turn off the freezer compressor while leaving the fans running, works great to defrost the freezer. Also with a 3 way toggle up can have two freezer compressor speeds for eco or turbo mood. We all know that power is limited when you live off-grid. Despite the new thermostat relays, the Secop/Danfoss variable speed compressor failed to provide adequate cooling. We addressed this by adding resistors and a 3-way toggle switch to control the freezer compressor speed. The toggle was connected to the thermostat’s C and T terminals. This solution enables compressor shutdown while maintaining fan operation for defrosting, and provides eco and turbo speed options, optimizing off-grid power usage.

For different freezer use this chart.

Affiliate Links: Project tools and parts.

Starting Device Electronic Unit Bd35f / Bd50f 12-24v 101n0212 Replaces: 101n0210 / 101n0220 / 101n0230 / 101n0240 / 101n0250 / 101n0260 https://amzn.to/3MVlXyk
Joinfworld 3 Way Round Rocker Switch 12V, Waterproof https://amzn.to/4d9GZ6Q
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12V Electronic Temperature Controller Programmable https://amzn.to/4gJNHDI
🛠 iCrimp Ratcheting Crimping Tool https://amzn.to/3uv7u6i
🛠 KAIWEETS Digital Clamp Meter Multimeter with Measuring Temperature https://amzn.to/3Xy3cWo
🛠 Heat Shrink Connectors https://amzn.to/3HMB4r9

Tools I Love:

🛠 Milwaukee 18-Volt Drill and Impact Driver Kit https://amzn.to/366BwxM
🛠 Husky Mechanics Tool Set https://amzn.to/3kuGUzD
🛠 iCrimp Ratcheting Crimping Tool https://amzn.to/3uv7u6i
🛠 KAIWEETS Digital Clamp Meter Multimeter with Measuring Temperature https://amzn.to/3Xy3cWo
🛠 Heat Shrink Connectors https://amzn.to/3HMB4r9

What We Us In The Kitchen: