Refrigerator power use June 14, 2020, 08:26:09 pm I have a Goal Zero 1000 solar generator that I use to power various small electronics like laptops, cell phones, fans and headlamps when boon docking. I was also hoping to plug my refrigerator in but was very surprised to discover that the cooling unit draws 350 watts when it turns on. I thought RV refrigerators used much less energy since they do not have a compressor? Does this energy draw sound about right ? The refrigerator is an original unit in a 2004 26.5 IB. It is plugged directly into the solar generator. Thanks for any thoughts.
Re: Refrigerator power use Reply #1 – June 15, 2020, 12:38:27 am "I thought RV refrigerators used much less energy since they do not have a compressor?"Unfortunately, it's exactly the opposite: absorption refrigerators (the kind most often found in RVs, and installed by the factory in all Lazy Dazes) use more electricity than compressor refrigerators. A lot more. For example, your fridge will draw about 30 amps when running on 12 VDC (via an inverter). A comparably sized compressor fridge from Vitrifrigo or Isotherm uses about 5 to 6 amps at 12 VDC (no inverter needed).I've had both. I'll take a compressor fridge any day. It's not a cheap swap, because despite its efficiency, you need enough solar panels and battery capacity to support it--the factory's one or two panels and two batteries aren't enough. But it's much more energy efficient... and compressor fridges don't catch fire. 1 Likes
Re: Refrigerator power use Reply #2 – June 15, 2020, 09:38:03 am Absorption fridges cool by heating the refrigerant, an inefficient process. However, this means they can be powered by propane, and propane is a highly space and weight efficient way of storing energy, compared to generating it with solar and storing it in a battery bank. So they are efficient in resource consumption - not energy consumption.Steve
Re: Refrigerator power use Reply #3 – June 15, 2020, 10:05:36 am Quite a while ago, I saw a “How much propane does the refrigerator use” question on another forum; one answer (from an RV tech) was, “so *if* the burner was running full time, you would burn about 1 pound per 14.5 hours."I checked this response with Al Cohoe, who ran the RV Tech program at Okanagan College in Kelowna, BC. (Al has since retired, but the RV tech training program is still thriving.) Al's comments: “His answer is close - it will actually use considerably less than he is mentioning. That is based on use while the actual burner is fired up. The burner will only be on when it is asking for more cold. The higher the setting the more hours per day it would run, as well as the more warm food placed inside, etc.” As Steve says, the process to "use heat to make cold" isn't particularly efficient, but at least it doesn't use a lot of propane to get it done! 1 Likes
Re: Refrigerator power use Reply #4 – June 15, 2020, 12:49:40 pm Thanks for all the great info. Not what I was hoping but not the end of the world either:) Great propane consumption info. too. Good to know. Thank you. Goal Zero still comes in handy and is convenient. It fits nicely under the dinette and I can run wires to a couple 100W portable solar panels out the window above it for charging. It's a good option for me when as much, or more, shade as sun at campsites which can happen frequently in PNW.
Re: Refrigerator power use Reply #5 – June 15, 2020, 01:06:25 pm Steve and Joan make good points. I should have pointed out that switching to a compressor refrigerator requires upgrades to the factory-installed battery and solar power systems, so it's not just a question of buying a new fridge. I've revised my post accordingly--don't want to mislead anyone.One the other hand, the fifty-quart compressor fridge I carry in my car is powered by couple of small solar panels (95 W total) and a group 27 battery. It runs 24/7 at about 32° F. There's no propane fridge I know of that could do that... not that I would have a constantly running propane appliance in my car! 1 Likes
Re: Refrigerator power use Reply #6 – June 15, 2020, 01:29:47 pm We have a compressor fridge freezer in the tug. It draws just under 4A/hr. It runs most of the day and likely cycles on and off at night when ambient temperatures are cooler and it can more easily dump heat to the outside. For the sake of battery management, I consider the refrigerator load to be 100A/day on 12V.Since the coastal areas we cruise often have fog in the morning and solar cells give varying yield depending on the angle of the sun through the day (and the year), I figure the daily solar output from cells at 40% times the hours of daylight. For summer months with about 12 hours of daylight, that 100A/day requires 250W of solar, minimum.If it is foggy all day, there is a 100A drop at the battery bank. If there is fog for two days, I break out the generator for a long, noisy run.I like the LP fridge in the Lazy Daze. It uses so little LP that we very seldom have to fill the tank and often go for many weeks without doing so. If we had a compressor fridge, the generator would get much more exercise and my campsite tranquility would be disturbed.Harold
Re: Refrigerator power use Reply #8 – June 15, 2020, 09:03:43 pm Friend of mine just bought a motor home with a compressor frig, he has the very concerns that Harold has and I think I agree with him too. I didn't ask why he bought it I think just a lack of research on his part. Top it off, the mechanic at the dealership said they don't charge coach battery's off engine alternator. I told him to call the mechanic on that one.Jon
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