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AlbertaNewbie's avatar
AlbertaNewbie
Explorer
May 13, 2014

Solar vs Portable Ice Maker

Wondering how many amps a portable ice maker uses. Can't find specs in any manuals online. Looking to run icemaker for about 3 hours in the afternoon off my xxxxw inverter(size to be determined based on ice maker load, 1000 or 1500w). Determining if i have enough solar to keep up with the demand.
  • Clay_L's avatar
    Clay_L
    Explorer
    May 16, 2014
    kellertx5er wrote:
    Must be some kind of ice maker to be able to give you any ice in only three hours.


    They are fast. Each load takes ten or twelve minutes. The ice rounds in the first load are kind of puny but with each succeeding load they get closer to normal. There are three size settings: small, medium and large. The large takes the longest per load. We use the medium setting.
  • AlbertaNewbie's avatar
    AlbertaNewbie
    Explorer
    May 16, 2014
    kellertx5er wrote:
    Must be some kind of ice maker to be able to give you any ice in only three hours.


    My FIL's makes about 1lb an hour. Most I've been looking at say 20-26lbs a day when running continuously.
  • kellertx5er's avatar
    kellertx5er
    Explorer
    May 16, 2014
    Must be some kind of ice maker to be able to give you any ice in only three hours.
  • MrWizard's avatar
    MrWizard
    Moderator
    May 13, 2014
    Remember 2 amps at 120v is 240 watts
    That's 18 amps at 13v from solar and/or batteries

    Our portable ice maker uses more runtime power that our residential fridge

    Of course it only runs for a few ours every couple of days as needed
  • Clay_L's avatar
    Clay_L
    Explorer
    May 13, 2014
    One thing to note - the manual for mine says not to use it with a modified sine wave inverter.
    That being said a full timing friend that spent two or three months each year in the desert near Quartzsite powered his with a MSW inverter and it lasted over 8 years.
  • AlbertaNewbie's avatar
    AlbertaNewbie
    Explorer
    May 13, 2014
    Ka Ron wrote:
    The portable I have uses 1.9Amp during ice making and 2.5AMP during ice harvest


    Thank you, exactly what I needed. 1000w inverter should be fine then...unless I get the 1500 anyway and just tell the wife I needed it to power her blow dryer...bigger is better (most of the time) :)
  • Ka_Ron's avatar
    Ka_Ron
    Explorer
    May 13, 2014
    The portable I have uses 1.9Amp during ice making and 2.5AMP during ice harvest

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