DC compressor fridge power usage question
Hey guys - Looking for some help on a fridge topic. First post and have been reading as much as possible on this forum as well as others on the topic... has been very helpful. Quick summary of my ...
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A Vitrifrigo c115i is in that same size category.
http://www.vfamerica.com/eng/catalog.asp?id=2440&
I have a VF c51is, 1.8 cubic feet and am impressed with its performance. I have near 200 watts of solar, and last thing I worry about is the fridge chewing up my battery(s)
I've added extra insulation around the box, and my condenser fan has no choice but to push the coolest ambient air available through the condenser, across compressor and controller, once. Proper ventilation through the cooling unit compartment is highly beneficial for efficiency, though not strictly necessary.
I've also found that an added small internal fan to allows faster contents cooling, more even internal temps, and a lower setting on the dial to be used. I am not saying it makes the fridge use less battery though. The fan itself adds some heat which must then be removed. For this reason I searched out the lowest draw 40mm fan I could find, at 0.03a. I took 12v from the door light to power the fan 24/7
2 of 7 keeps me in the sub 35f territory. Going much over 3.5 of 7 starts freezing things after a few hours. Sometimes when I remember, and have a significant solar surplus I will crank up the fridge in the afternoon, and back to normal at sundown. This allows a reduced duty cycle for several hours after, and in this case the internal fan helps to cool the contents quicker and likely helps the fridge to consume less overnight.
http://www.vfamerica.com/eng/catalog.asp?id=2440&
I have a VF c51is, 1.8 cubic feet and am impressed with its performance. I have near 200 watts of solar, and last thing I worry about is the fridge chewing up my battery(s)
I've added extra insulation around the box, and my condenser fan has no choice but to push the coolest ambient air available through the condenser, across compressor and controller, once. Proper ventilation through the cooling unit compartment is highly beneficial for efficiency, though not strictly necessary.
I've also found that an added small internal fan to allows faster contents cooling, more even internal temps, and a lower setting on the dial to be used. I am not saying it makes the fridge use less battery though. The fan itself adds some heat which must then be removed. For this reason I searched out the lowest draw 40mm fan I could find, at 0.03a. I took 12v from the door light to power the fan 24/7
2 of 7 keeps me in the sub 35f territory. Going much over 3.5 of 7 starts freezing things after a few hours. Sometimes when I remember, and have a significant solar surplus I will crank up the fridge in the afternoon, and back to normal at sundown. This allows a reduced duty cycle for several hours after, and in this case the internal fan helps to cool the contents quicker and likely helps the fridge to consume less overnight.
