12 volt Refrigerators

Gdetrailer wrote:

Reisender wrote:

ajriding wrote:
The "new" electric fridges, I assume you refer to the Danfoss compressor-style ones? They are wonderful. You posted un-necessarily as there are quite a few post on here talking about them. Try a search next time to see if there are not already 300 post on this exact same subject.

They run on 12 or 24 volts, or when plugged into household current will run on 24 volts converted from the 120v alternating current.

Never use a household refrigerator unless u plan to park permanently.

Why not.

Some folks just believe (mistakenly so) that residential 120V compressors are "energy hogs" and they are fragile and will not survive being jostled on the road..

They are dead wrong on both aspects.

There are some residential fridges that may be less efficient due to the design/layout or use of higher wattage defrost heater and electric door heaters but it is easy to find those just be looking at the name plate max current draw.. Often those will have a 6.5A at 120V rating, but if you search carefully you can find plenty of very low current draw fridges..

Often 10 cu ft "apartment size" are good choice because they typically have the lowest draw and best insulation.. The one I have has a name plate draw of 1.1A for the compressor and 1.6A defrost draw.

I measured mine at 90W for the compressor and the defrost only runs 10 minutes for every TEN hrs of COMPRESSOR RUN TIME.

Compressor runs about 22 minutes per hr..

"Danfoss" compressors typically use 2.5A-3.5A (30W-40W) at 12V so sure they are a little bit more "energy efficient than a direct 120V compressor but in the bigger pix, not all that much. Danfoss compressors also come with a HEFTY price tag and they drag along considerably more expensive, complex and fragile variable speed driver board which adds something else to break down..

Interesting enough, Dometic has brought out a 10 cu ft Danfoss fridge that seems to have a much higher current draw rating than what it should at 15A (180W) at 12V!!! Found that HERE which pretty much makes the argument for Danfoss being more energy efficient null and void..

But hey, some folks just can't part from anything the is marketed for the "RV" market..

The price of that Dometic leaves me cold at $1250! Found that HERE

You can buy a lot of solar and batteries for that crazy price.. Heck my 10cu ft residential fridge cost $300, I can buy 300W of solar plus en extra pair of GC2s and still have money in my pocket..

But, hey, at least it is built buy a "quality" RV manufacturer, right? :R

Every apartment size fridge I looked at had side, back and top requirements that can't be had when in an RV fridge compartment.

Thats why the 12V RV/Off grid types are better.