check out the new remote control Jockey Wheel SmartBar rearview170 Beam Communications SatPhone Shop Topargee products Enginesaver Low Water Alarms
Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Click here for the Grey Nomads website -> The Grey Nomads Forum -> Techies' Corner -> Mini-Fridge.
Post Info TOPIC: Mini-Fridge.
johnno02


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 97
Date:
Mini-Fridge.
Permalink  

Hi Sheba,

As Peter said, it looks like a Peltier Effect type of Fridge,actually,just a Cooler,

and will really struggle on a Fairly warm day,

Most of these Devices,will cool to only 20 Deg below Ambient Temps,if your lucky.

We have a Waeco TC-35FL,which is supposed to cool to 30 Deg Below Ambient Temperature,

I do believe this may be close,as ours has an internal fan to circulate the air inside,which shuts off when the top is opened.

 

It is Thermostatically controlled as well,unless turned up to flat out,where it runs continuously.

Current Consumption,is around 4 to 5 amps flat out,on 12 volts,which is quite high,

However,ours averages about 2.5 Amps/HR when running on 240 Volt (built in),due to the Thermostat.

The Trick,like any,Non Compressor Fridge,is to run it for 12 hours or so before you leave for the day, and to pack it with some

Cooler Packs,we use Techni Ice,no water,or mess,and works very well.

 

Just as an Example,last Saturday Dec 1st,Kathy,and I went to my Neices 40th Birthday in Sydney,from the Hunter Valley,

it was bloody hot,around 39 deg,or so

Kathy Packed the Little Waeco at 7.30 am,with some already Frozen Techni-Ice Sheets,and our drinks,etc,we arrived

home at 8 PM the drinks,were cold all day,and only the top sheet of ice had started to soften,of course it was kept in shade all day,

and run on the Cig Lighter down,and Back.

Ours lives in the back seat of the car,we use it when we do our Grocery Shop each Forghtnight as well

to keep the Meat,Milk,Etc cold until we get home,

You would have to pry it from my cold dead fingers, to get it off me,and it's Only a Peltier Device

Yours may be different,but hopefully,some of the tips may help,in it's use.

If you bear in mind,all they are is an Assisted Esky,even mine,and you can live with their shortcomings

Then that's fine

 

Regards.

John



-- Edited by johnno02 on Saturday 8th of December 2012 04:54:16 AM

__________________

Retired Electronics Tech

Amateur Radio Callsign VK2CJO
Sheba


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 8735
Date:
Permalink  

Has any-one ever used one of these ?  Waeco MyFridge.  240/12 V.

My Pictures. 150.jpg

My Pictures. 153.jpg

 

 

Cheers,

Sheba.



Attachments
__________________
An it harm none, do what you will.
PeterD


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 4730
Date:
Permalink  

What's your problem with it. To me it looks like one of the peltier effect type fridges. They consume more current than the sealed unit compressor types and are not suitable for use running off a battery.

__________________

PeterD
Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top
Retired radio and electronics technician.
NSW Central Coast.

 
Sheba


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 8735
Date:
Permalink  

Are you telling me that that will use more power than the Engel fridge shown here ?

 

Picture 241.jpg

Cheers,

Sheba.



-- Edited by Sheba on Saturday 8th of December 2012 09:56:08 PM

Attachments
__________________
An it harm none, do what you will.
Sheba


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 8735
Date:
Permalink  

PeterD wrote:

What's your problem with it. To me it looks like one of the peltier effect type fridges. They consume more current than the sealed unit compressor types and are not suitable for use running off a battery.

 Have to find a 12V lead for it yet.  If it wasn't suitable for running off a Battery, then why 12 V ?   Doesn't make sense to me.

Don't want to use it on 240 V.

Just wondered if any-one here had one, or knew about them.   The only info. I can find on the Net, is in either German, or Russian etc.

My Pictures. 154.jpg

 

 

Cheers,

Sheba.



Attachments
__________________
An it harm none, do what you will.
jimricho


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3917
Date:
Permalink  

Sheba wrote:

 Have to find a 12V lead for it yet.  If it wasn't suitable for running off a Battery, then why 12 V ?   Doesn't make sense to me

 It is suitable for running off 12v in the car while the engine is running eg when plugged into a cigarette lighter socket. PeterD however is quite right in that it is not suitable for more general use on 12v in the same sense that a compressor type fridge is.

Before I bought the Goldstream I used a tent-trailer for camping and used a "Bushman" in the back of the wagon for my general refrigeration. I found a Waeco cooler (Peltier type) useful for storing fruit and vegs that are not temperature critical. Sometimes I used it "in reverse" to keep food hot.



__________________

Merda tauris scientia vincit
Sheba


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 8735
Date:
Permalink  

So can I plug it into [if and when I get the lead] the house battery ?

Cheers,

Sheba.



__________________
An it harm none, do what you will.
PeterD


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 4730
Date:
Permalink  

Sheba wrote:
So can I plug it into [if and when I get the lead] the house battery ?

 Yes you can plug it into any 12 V supply. However just remember that it will be very demanding on power from your battery. It will draw a little over 4 A continuously, that will be equivalent to connecting 2 compressor fridges to your battery.

You have a valuable piece of equipment there but it is not usable like a compressor fridge. Use it more like an Esky. Cool it down for an hour or so before you travel and keep it on an ignition switched supply in your tug whilst travelling. It is very handy as a cool box for picnics or shopping where you have an hour or two return from the shops. If you want to use it that way then it will be worth chasing up a lead for it. It is also useful as a hot box if you want to transport cooked meals and keep them hot. You just reverse the plug into the unit and the Peltier junctions heat the box.



__________________

PeterD
Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top
Retired radio and electronics technician.
NSW Central Coast.

 
PeterD


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 4730
Date:
Permalink  

Yes, twice or more power over a 24 hour period.

__________________

PeterD
Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top
Retired radio and electronics technician.
NSW Central Coast.

 
Sheba


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 8735
Date:
Permalink  

But it's only half the size.

Cheers,

Sheba.



__________________
An it harm none, do what you will.
Sheba


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 8735
Date:
Permalink  

Thank you for all your help and advice guys.   I am taking it all in.  It does heat things too apparently.

I'll just have to get used to using it the right way.   Just hope I can access a lead now.

Cheers,

Sheba.



__________________
An it harm none, do what you will.
johnno02


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 97
Date:
Permalink  

Sheba wrote:

Thank you for all your help and advice guys.   I am taking it all in.  It does heat things too apparently.

I'll just have to get used to using it the right way.   Just hope I can access a lead now.

Cheers,

Sheba.

 Leads,are easy to come by for these Fridges

Dse,or Jaycar,Ebay is a great Source



__________________

Retired Electronics Tech

Amateur Radio Callsign VK2CJO
Sheba


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 8735
Date:
Permalink  

The pins in the 12V socket are two different sizes.  Bottom one is larger than the top one.  Is this right ?

Cheers,

Sheba.



__________________
An it harm none, do what you will.
jimricho


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3917
Date:
Permalink  

Sheba wrote:

But it's only half the size.

Cheers,

Sheba.

 But nowhere near as efficient or effective.



__________________

Merda tauris scientia vincit
glassies


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1266
Date:
Permalink  

would never count on one of them again , in the past i have had so many different fridges, and i would never go past an engel
its the best fridge ever, we had waeco twice and gave them away.

we also had other brands too, but now we have two engels ,unfortunately they do not run on gas but 12/240 volt they are amazing
thats just my opinion ,by the way sheba you will prob get a lead on line ,we lost our lead to engel years ago and it was 30 dollars
for replacement.

but if you google parts for the waeco fridge you will find the lead to it somewhere. good luck with that.

__________________

glassies
Sheba


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 8735
Date:
Permalink  

The Fridge in the Hi-ace is an Engel Graeme, and I'm very happy with it.  

Won't bother getting the Leads for the Waeco.  Replacements will cost more than 3 times what I paid for it.  [ I got prices from 2 different places.]

Can't win them all.

Cheers,

Sheba.



__________________
An it harm none, do what you will.
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Click here for the Grey Nomads website -> The Grey Nomads Forum -> Techies' Corner -> Mini-Fridge.
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us
Purchase Grey Nomad bumper stickers Read our daily column, the Nomad News The Grey Nomad's Guidebook