We have a 12/240 fridge. Approx 40ltr. Keeps my ice cream well frozen in alsorts of climates. 210amph battery and 200watts of solar. Dont have to be level. Works fine up north in the tropics.
But check the ventilation. Like all fridges they need airspace around them.
Have two compressor fridges, one in vehicle 80L dual zone 150ah battery, 40 dcdc charger, 180w solar uses on average 1.5ah per hour
225L in van 580ah battery 650w solar usage about 70>80ah a day.
150lt two door fridge freezer, 480 watts solar, 2 x 120 amp batteries in van with two more in cruiser to connect with anderson plug to van if necessary, like bad weather etc.
My fridge is 28L, 4 x 26Ah gel batteries, 6 x 20watt aluminium framed solar panels (3 x redundancy series/parallel setup), MPPT 100/20 controller (MPPT 75/10 redundancy), DC-DC 2 x 9amp chargers & 6awg wiring.
Technically I can go 7 day without using solar so mostly don't bother using the solar panels as about 4 days is the maximum time we stay in one place & the DC-DC charger tops up the batteries between camping.
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50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
My fridge only uses 15Ah per 24 hours. So about 0.625Ah per hour. The rating of the fridge is 6.5amps but typically it used 3.8amps when the compressor is running. So about 0.95amps per battery at about 5 minutes per on/off cycle.
So an extremely low load on the 4 batteries. I do have a feeling that when we drive & the DC-DC chargers are topping up the batteries, due to having 4 batteries they charge very quickly. It's not something I have measured accurately, but it is an observation as the charge drop down to a total of 3amps fairly quickly allowing for the extent of discharge.
The DC-DC chargers are dumb chargers, they have a single voltage output. I have set them at 13.87 volts, which is a compromise between faster charging & longer life of the batteries. So far it has worked well.
Mine is same as Hetho, Novacool . RFU9200 12v only. 2x 120AH batteries and single 150w solar panels. Very cold fridge even at Lightening Ridge with temps around 47c.
The original post was re opinions. This is mine. Not very technical. I love that, with compressor fridge you dont have to be level or worry that the gas will light etc. After prob a year of stress about running out of power (10 years ago) figured we needed more solar than battery to run the fridge. Weve got 215 fridge, 3x120 amh batteries and 3x 100 wt solar on roof and portable 200wt . We needed the portable to run all we needed. That said. Love the convenience of fridge. Sorry to say for the no generator brigade but yes we do have back up in need.
Samsung 228ltr digital inverter 240v fridge runs through a 350va Victron inverter when on 12v, Battery 120ah SLA 1 x 100w Solar Panel.
It draws 65ah per 24hrs
The only time the fridge is switched to 12v is when we are moving or there is a local power outrage, and the its simple connect to tug which has a 100ah SLA battery supported by 175w of solar and a 70amp alternator.
I have had a 220l compressor fridge in a motorhomee since 2005. I have just upgraded to an Evacool which is better insulated and more efficient. With the Waeco I installed extra insulation on sides and top which reduced power consumption from 70 to 90 amp hours to 40 to 60 amp hours per day. Basically you need a minimum of about 150 amp hour of battery just for fridge, and as many solar panels as possible. Compressor fridge is much better option in hotter weather as the simple basicis of a heat exchange fridge is it can only reduce temperaure a certian number of degrees below ambient temperature.
Living perminately in motor home the gas consumption was a major issue as it was not always easy to find a refilling or exchange station let alone the cost.
I grew up with a kero fridge and refuse to go back in technology that far if I don't have to. Maybe I am biased
I have fitted a plastic cover on bottom
Of fridge so when you open the door to get milk etc the whole cold air doesnt come out the bottom of fridge ! Notice the difference with bare feet . Dont feel cold air when door is opened a few seconds . Assume this helps in consumption .,
I have fitted a plastic cover on bottom Of fridge so when you open the door to get milk etc the whole cold air doesnt come out the bottom of fridge ! Notice the difference with bare feet . Dont feel cold air when door is opened a few seconds . Assume this helps in consumption .,
My solution to the loss of cold air when opening the door was to keep all of the contents of the fridge in labeled sealed plastic containers that fill the whole of the fridge.
After SWMBO got over the 'great improvement' it is working well. I'm not game to put a location diagram on the front of the fridge door.
BTW on returning from Hervey bay recently on a 20 degree day the 3 way fridge was about 5.4 on departure but was on an un believable -4.5 on arrival at home. 12v (direct from the Patrol & the van battery on the roof top solar) when traveling & 1/2 hour on gas when stopped for lunch. I think that my fridge thermometer must be lying.
Be nice to have a 240/12 V compressor van fridge. It would save a lot of arguments.... perhaps. We have a large french door(s) kitchen fridge at home & SWMBO likes to stand there with both doors open thinking about what she wants to take out.
Thankfully the Engel looks after the important stuff.
-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 5th of April 2021 04:34:23 PM
We use an Engel thermometer on out home fridge to keep an eye on temperature. Don't need to use it on our 28L fridge in the car as I have collected enough data.
In our bus conversion we installed a full size domestic fridge. Replaced the compressor with a 12v Dansford compressor. 4 x 64 Unisolar panels. (Not much by today's standards). 8 x 220 amp batteries. Never ran out of power. The key to the fridge was ventilation. We had the fridge in the centre of the bus. ie not against an exterior wall. And a good sized chimney to allow the heat from the fridge to vent properly.
Hi Bazza44 Is your fridge the Vitrifigo DP150i if so can you tell the average amps it uses per 24 hours as I am thinking of replacing my 3-way fridge for one
Hi anyone with a Compressor Fridge can give us your option on it and what Battery and Solar Power you have thanks
First up solar is the cheapest part of the system. It's better to have a bit too much than a bit too little. Batteries are relatively expensive & depending on what you get can be heavy too. More solar can charge your battery more quickly so to some extent you can manage with less battery. Think of your battery size as a 'buffer' against bad weather when the sun is hiding. You can decide how many days buffer you want before you need to drive, or to go somewhere to plug in to mains, to recharge.
How much solar you need depends upon not only how much your fridge (& other things?) needs, but also where & when you want to travel, how long you want to be off grid for & whether you have any other means of putting charge into your battery (eg. from your car's alternator as you drive).
So if you travel primarily in the south during winter you will need more solar than in the north during summer, simply because there are more hours of sunlight available in the north - as much as 3 times more! If you want to travel everywhere, you need to size your solar for the worse case scenario.
If you have a dc to dc charger & drive regularly you need less solar than if you like to stay put in one place without driving for a few days or longer at a time.
If you have a mains charger & are happy to go to a caravan park to plug in every few days you need less solar than if you visit caravan parks less often.
Copying what suits someone else without knowing all the details of how, where & when they like to travel is no more than a stab in the dark. You might get lucky & find it suits, but having a solar battery system where you are always chasing your tail is miserable & to be avoided. Alternatively post your question including those details & those who know a bit about solar will be better able to help you.
I could go into detail about how much solar & battery capacity we have to run a separate fridge & freezer, my Cpap machine & the usual : charging devices, lighting, radio, water pumps etc, & tell you that we are able to be totally self sufficient & haven't ever needed to plug into power in 5 years, but unless you plan to travel as we do it wouldn't be helpful.
I understand that often when folk are setting up their solar/battery systems, they often haven't yet travelled sufficiently to know what travelling style suits them. It's a bit of a catch 22 that everyone struggles with, but you have to do your best to think that through ahead of time, & if uncertain, err on the side of having too much rather than too little. Of course if you have already have some travelling experience under your belt & know what suits you, it makes the task easier.
-- Edited by Cuppa on Monday 2nd of January 2023 06:53:40 PM
Bungy48 it is the DP150 and averages 3.7 amps per hr = 88.8 in 24 hrs. Overnight use I calculate no solar from 3pm until 8am =69.9 amps out of battery to be replaced during day. Get as much solar as you can.
