24/7 Compressor fridge help :(

bluesmurf777

Hello,

I'm new here, I just built my dream van, and I'm having troubles finding a fridge to run off my solar setup. I would like to find a compact electric fridge that has little draw, and keeps food and drink cool.

My solar setup is:

- 250 watt Grape Solar, Solar Panel
- 40 Amp Blue Sky Mppt charge controller
- 200 Amp hour 12 volt batterie bank (deep cycle marine) (two 100 Amp hour batteries, connected in series)
- 2000 watt energizer Inverter

Would this be sufficient, to produce more power than I could draw with a small electric compact fridge?

I tried looking up the electrical stats on the fridges online. But it is pretty hard to find the stats. You need to physically look at the sticker on the fridge to see the draw.

I was hoping someone out there would help me out with that. Also I don't have very much room in my van, and it is setup as a stealth camper van (just looks like a van from the outside) So I don't want to use propane or gas for the fridge.

Is it possible to have a fridge hooked up for long periods of time with this setup? or am I dreaming?


Thanks for any help

Conrad
 

schubert

Hi, Any 12v compressor fridge would work , Waeco do a range. (Are you thinking of a 240v fridge ? as you mention a inverter, I don't think that would work). I have a 12v 50ltr fridge, 2x85amp solar panels and 2x110amp/hr batteries which work well.
Schubert
 

bluesmurf777

schubert said:
Hi, Any 12v compressor fridge would work , Waeco do a range. (Are you thinking of a 240v fridge ? as you mention a inverter, I don't think that would work). I have a 12v 50ltr fridge, 2x85amp solar panels and 2x110amp/hr batteries which work well.
Schubert
Click to expand...

My solar setup is equipped to handle both a 12 volt system and a 110 system. Do you think my panels are big enough to run a small fridge 24/7? On solar electricity?
 

noarlunga

I've just bought this Waeco mini cooler. Mine is the 14L version but they do a 7L, 21L and 35L

Tropicool Thermoelectric Coolbox TC-14

The spec says it is rated at 60W when in 12v operation. That means, I think, that it's drawing 5 amps at its maximum.

Using something like this, if your solar panel is delivering 5 amps to your batteries then it's a balanced input/output situation. Obviously you'll have other demands on your battery so it depends on what else is pulling power.

I've also ordered a battery monitor power cable which monitors the voltage to the cooler and cuts it out if the voltage drops to 11.5, so preventing a full discharge.

I'm going to cool the box at maximum setting (there are 7 settings from 1 degree to 15 degrees) while I'm motoring to get it all nice and cold and then turn down to minimum when I'm parked in order to conserve battery. I have the option to boost it whenever needed as long as I have the battery power available.

It works off 12/24/240 but not gas. I'm also running a non-roomy stealth van with no gas on board.

Johnny A
 

hextal

bluesmurf777 said:
My solar setup is equipped to handle both a 12 volt system and a 110 system. Do you think my panels are big enough to run a small fridge 24/7? On solar electricity?
Click to expand...

MMM ran a test last year in which they hooked up a 65l fridge to an 80w solar panel via a 100ah battery (Or numbers very similar to those) and ran it for circa 30 days without the battery dropping below 50% charge. I suspect that probably took place during the warmer part of the year, but it gave quite a good indicator.

I'm still building mine, but i've got 200w of solar panels and will have 225ah of 12V batteries with an 80l Waeco fridge - time will tell.
 

bru

have a Waco 25 litre fridge 3amp\hour max draw and average 1amp\hour avg when down to temp
 

Firefox

Realistically you'll pull about 80w from your solar panels for about a third of the day. Say 8 hours. Average UK sun conditions.

So you need a fridge which uses 80w or less and can cool food being on only a third of the time (thermostat)

You should just about be OK with 250w panel and a small 50-60w compressor fridge.

But on a very hot day the output of your panels may not be up that much while the cooling requirements may be much greater. You will struggle.

A lot depends on the exact temperatures and what the temp is at night. For example if it is 20 in the day and 5 at night you'll get through as your fridge wont have to work at night. But if it is 25 in the day and 15 at night your fridge will be working most of the time. It also depends on where you set your fridge thermostat and if you want 5 degrees or less all the time.
 

jennyp19

When we had our sb we spent a small fortune on a compressor fridge that ended up as a glorified cupboard in the end. It took far too much juice to work properly - my advice for what its worth, they are not worth it.
Hopeless when we travelled in Sth Europe - only time it was any good when we were on hook up on site, which wasn't very often.

We tried putting a vent to the outside of the van, but even that didn't work - read somewhere that a fan would be a good idea to draw the warm air out, we'd had enough by then and didn't bother. Can't remember the name of it (not the Waeco ones) from a company down on South coast. Have a look on the Self Build Site www.sbmcc.co.uk
 
Last edited by a moderator:

mrbigglesworth

I have a Shoreline fridge freezer which works great in the summer off 170 watts of panel and 250 ah batteries. Sometimes I have to turn it down to the lowest setting overnight though if the sun's not been shining. I've also added some extra insulation on the doors to reduce consumption. Keeps the ice creams frozen even when it's 35 centigrade.

All these 12v fridges are expensive though and some folk use an ordinary 240v fridge with a big inverter (or a circuit to dampen the initial surge).

Mr B.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Top