May seem a silly question but is it OK to start cooling the fridge using the 12v option?
Reason for question is that we cannot hook up 240v to cool fridge before we set off on a trip as it is parked in a storage yard. So when we hook up to the tug and drive off I would like to get the 12v working. I vaguely remember someone told me that the 12v will only maintain a temperature. it cannot take on the job of cooling it from start.
May seem a silly question but is it OK to start cooling the fridge using the 12v option?
Reason for question is that we cannot hook up 240v to cool fridge before we set off on a trip as it is parked in a storage yard. So when we hook up to the tug and drive off I would like to get the 12v working. I vaguely remember someone told me that the 12v will only maintain a temperature. it cannot take on the job of cooling it from start.
Tony
Hi, with our previous 156litre frig it may of taken 3 hours to really notice that it was pulling the temperture down on 12 volt which I needed to do on one occasion. Not my normal way of doing things, that frig used about 16 amps of power and with our car set up worked fine, after loading the frig with our chilled and frozen goods by the end of the day it was holding a good temp before switching over to gas for a overnight stop about 8 hours later.
Adding the food to the frig really helps to bring the temp down, when we are preparing to go away I would normally place some cold foods in the frig to help it along to bring the temps down.
Not the best scenario perhaps but after day and a night no one will really know any difference.
If you don't want to put food in the fridge at the storage facility - get a bag or two of ice and put that in the fridge - should do the same as the food (amount of ice depends on size of fridge, presuming it is an upright) - give it a go. I would have some old towels around to mop up with, there will be a melting ice at some stage.
I reckon this would work. Or take a generator to the facility?
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
Is this a three way or a 240v/12v compressor fridge ? A typical (maybe all) 240v/12v compressor fridge actually operates on 12v all the time with 240v input being converted to 12v for operation.
I have a bundle of small water bottles that I freeze the week before leaving on a trip and load them into the fridge the day before going. I dedicate one storage rack to the frozen bottles. As they thaw I either refreeze them in camp kitchens or drink the cold water.
The food is put in the fridge the afternoon before leaving. When I restock, if necessary I prechill them in the engel - my drinks fridge.
In addition I fill the freezer with frozen meals & a perhaps bit of ice cream.
I cool the fridge down for at least 3 days in advance using gas (after having satisfied myself that the 240v side is working).
I have recently set up the 12v from the vehicle adderson plug direct to the fridge via 6 AWG (while the solar charges the battery)
I am not patient enough to use 12v on solar & I'm sure my 200w solar & 130AH batts would not support doing so. I'd rather leave home with full batteries.
I used to use partially full frozen wine cask bladders instead of water bottles.
-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 19th of February 2018 11:46:07 PM
Theoretically, the 12 V element in the fridge has the same rating as the 240 V element. In practice, because of the higher current draw, you rarely get 12 volts at the element and therefore the 12 V system doesn't work as efficiently as the 240 V. I installed a replacement fridge in my caravan and it works very well on 12 volts. However, with my new tug. I ran a heavy cable (with appropriate fuse) direct from the battery to the trailer plug, so I get nearly the full 12 volts at the fridge. The old fridge (which failed) never worked very well at all on 12 Volts. The element we have draws at least 10 amps, so if you are going to run the fridge from a battery, the battery has to have a large capacity or it will run down very quickly.
If you don't want to put food in the fridge at the storage facility - get a bag or two of ice and put that in the fridge - should do the same as the food (amount of ice depends on size of fridge, presuming it is an upright) - give it a go. I would have some old towels around to mop up with, there will be a melting ice at some stage.
I reckon this would work. Or take a generator to the facility?
We have a big vegi crisper in bottom of our fridge, we empty crisper and fill with ice, then put wine bottles on top of ice. ice cools fridge & also the wine. we travel with ice in crisper on really hot days, does make a big difference...
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The wish bone will never replace the back bone.....
If you don't want to put food in the fridge at the storage facility - get a bag or two of ice and put that in the fridge - should do the same as the food (amount of ice depends on size of fridge, presuming it is an upright) - give it a go. I would have some old towels around to mop up with, there will be a melting ice at some stage.
I reckon this would work. Or take a generator to the facility?
We have a big vegi crisper in bottom of our fridge, we empty crisper and fill with ice, then put wine bottles on top of ice. ice cools fridge & also the wine. we travel with ice in crisper on really hot days, does make a big difference...
The good thing is that the ice lasts for around 4 days which REALLY cools things down!
Once you've got the temperature down low in your fridge you're cruisin'.
As we said, a crude method but very effective.
Putting the ice in sealed bags on shelves makes for no messy melted residue.
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Cheers Keith & Judy
Don't take life too seriously, it never ends well.
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