Forum Discussion
sabconsulting
Oct 27, 2017Explorer
I've been running a Waeco 140 litre compressor fridge for 6 years.
When the compressor runs (cuts in and out depending upon the temperature) it draws about 6 amps (at 12v). In hot weather it could be running 50% of the time or more. When I have hookup the fridge will switch to running off mains instead to preserve battery power.
I love that I can park anywhere however unlevel and the fridge will work. E.g. when hiking in the hills and mountains we rarely find anywhere level to park.
I also like that it gets down to temperature quickly and stays there.
I have 160w of solar and 1 AGM battery. I recommend at least 2 batteries. With a compress fridge you need to keep an eye on your battery usage. Remember that even with solar your fridge is draining your battery over night or when parked in the shade or on cloudy days since there will be no appreciable power coming from the solar panels.
If you want to stay camping in one location for several days without hookup, a generator or plenty of direct sunshine on solar panels, you will need to be pretty careful about monitoring battery state.
Other things to consider: Being that it has a compressor we can just about hear ours running over night. It doesn't disturb me, but I am aware of it.
Steve.
When the compressor runs (cuts in and out depending upon the temperature) it draws about 6 amps (at 12v). In hot weather it could be running 50% of the time or more. When I have hookup the fridge will switch to running off mains instead to preserve battery power.
I love that I can park anywhere however unlevel and the fridge will work. E.g. when hiking in the hills and mountains we rarely find anywhere level to park.
I also like that it gets down to temperature quickly and stays there.
I have 160w of solar and 1 AGM battery. I recommend at least 2 batteries. With a compress fridge you need to keep an eye on your battery usage. Remember that even with solar your fridge is draining your battery over night or when parked in the shade or on cloudy days since there will be no appreciable power coming from the solar panels.
If you want to stay camping in one location for several days without hookup, a generator or plenty of direct sunshine on solar panels, you will need to be pretty careful about monitoring battery state.
Other things to consider: Being that it has a compressor we can just about hear ours running over night. It doesn't disturb me, but I am aware of it.
Steve.
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