Using a Household Fridge

[Craig]

Thanks Mate, I re-read your earlier post

[Rover All Over]

Hi,

Okay so to run such a fridge as you describe Terry have I got it right to say we would need a bit better than 100amh of battery and solar to keep it charged, and a pure sine wave inverter of ? (now I can't remember if you actually mentioned the capacity of the inverter sorry!!)

I'm speaking just on using the fridge and nothing else. What would you advise as a setup to run it if we were to use on it's own dedicated power system? Just for information sake we can look at other things to run and add from there but we see the fridge as important first and foremost. LIghts and other bits and pieces can be taken into account after that.

[T1 Terry]

It you want to rely on solar you would need 400W, 400Ah of AGM batteries or 200Ah of lithium and a 600w PSW inverter min, I'd go for the 1000w just to be confident. If the start up current if there is momentary stop/start of the compressor while it's running that needs the big inverter capacity, when the fridge is running the draw is very small. The large battery capacity and solar is to give you two full days of rain tollerance. It's the same as you would need for a low voltage compressor fridge bigger than 200ltrs.
I use a 1000w inverter for the 2 x 250ltr Fisher & Paykel fridges, the solar hot water circulation pumps and a 2.5 amp transformer charger for the battery in the bus to keep the lights on 24/7, keeps the birds out. On the rare occasion the 2 pumps are running and both compressor try to start up at the same time the inverter screams for mercy but as soon as one of the fridges gets running everything is fine, the chances of them all happening at the same time would seem like a million to one, it's about once a week in summer

[Craig]

What!!!! you kicked the birds out of the bathroom

[homeless]

The other day when it was hot the temp at the rear of my fridge was 45 degrees and it operated perfectly.
Used a bit more power but then it just meant I did not get the hot water to the highest temp but I still required cold water so I was happy.
Not sure how a 12v one would have handled that temp.
Regards
Brian

[T1 Terry]

What!!!! you kicked the birds out of the bathroom

Stinking crapping things, then they had the hide to chuck a mickey one night because we we disturbing them with our noise out the back patio, came through squawking and dive bombing, stupid birds, so the lights are on 24/7 now so the buggers can't sleep they moved out

[SSAS]

What!!!! you kicked the birds out of the bathroom

Stinking crapping things, then they had the hide to chuck a mickey one night because we we disturbing them with our noise out the back patio, came through squawking and dive bombing, stupid birds, so the lights are on 24/7 now so the buggers can't sleep they moved out

Will that work with Kids as well???

[Keith Morris]

T1 Terry, "tanks" here asking for your help and guidance.

If I can impose on your superior knowledge could you tell me if I can run a Fisher Paykel household fridge in my [being built] Iveco van.
I will be using 2 x 100 a/h Deep Cycle sealed AGM maintenance free batteries. (perhaps I can go 3 x 100 a/h if necessary or desired). I would like to have about 4 days without aux 240 volt power.

I have a 120 a/h folding Solar unit, and I will have a 20 amp 3 stage charger which I can use to recharge the batteries with a 3.5 kva sine wave generator, as well as this bit of solar imput that I can get from the folding Solar panels.

All of the lights will be LED's and I was thinking of a 1000w Inverter. There will also be a stereo, a small 12 volt tv - 22inch Kogan which I already have, a DVD thing for playing movie discs, and a 12 volt digital radio. I am thinking of buying this 1000w inverter thing on the e-bay.

The Fisher Paykel fridge unit recommended on the Forum is a E-248-T , and the WA cost from the Good Guys is about $650 + which I can handle on my pension if I save for it. There are other 250/280 cuft fridges available for around $400.00 - from memory: Samsung and Westinghouse and others I know not what name; but I plan to take good advise posted on the Forum, and go the extra $$$ for the E-249-T

Is it ok to drill into the side of the doors/body to fit latches to hold the doors closed for when I am driving. I was thinking of using pop rivets to attach the latches. Can you give me any idea of how to "bolt" the fridge to the floor and anchor it to the wall of the van to stop it falling over when I am driving.

Any advise you can give me will be appreciated. I can phone you if you would prefer to talk with me or my e-mail is:- tanks@bbnet.com.au
I have a mobile battery phone: 0428-163-970, and a house/voip phone: (08) 9467-6535 if it is more convenient for me to phone you, let me know a time/day/night to call.
Keith

[T1 Terry]

I would use lithium ferrous batteries in preference to the AGM batteries, lighter and you get more useable Ah from them. If you haven't already bought the battery charger, there are a few good 40 amp and 50 amp units that will run easily of the generator. 300Ah of lithium would give you 2 full days and nights, the third day you would need to either drive or run the generator for 5 to 6 hrs, or 3hrs a day, which ever suited best.
I don't know if the sell to WA but appliances on line (Google search) have very good prices on fridges as well.
I can give you a few recomendations of chargers and inverters that I have bought from E Bay and had a good run out of if you like.
It will have to wait till the morning though, we get up a lot earlier than you lot

[Keith Morris]

T1. Thanks for a quick reply -- I will take your advise about the LiFe batteries, and the 40/50 amp charger.

Will I do any harm by drilling holes into the cabinet to put the latches on the doors and holes in the body to make the unit fast to the floor/wall.
The "bloke" up the road thinks there is a fluid in the outer shell to help with heat exchange because the fridge does not have the "fins" on the back of it, but he may just be pulling my leg to confuse me.
Keith