Refrigerator and Amps/hrs

[icanon]

Ok Ok maybe this question has been asked before but I haven't found the answers I'm looking for.

A typical RV dual power refrigerator (electric/propane) how much Amps/hours does one consume when running on only propane during a nice hot summer day (24hrs period)?

So when one flips the switch to run on propane how much power can one expect to use?

Thanks

[road-runner]

I measured a 6 cu ft Dometic. With gas valve off the draw is 0.1 amps on "auto", and 0.05 amps "gas only". That difference might be totally attributable to lighting the "auto" led. With gas valve on, the draw is 0.36 amps. At a 50% duty cycle, set on "gas only", the daily power use would be 0.6 Ah for 12 hours of the solenoid off, and 4.32 Ah for 12 hours of the solenoid on, total of 4.92 Ah per day.

[dahkota]

pianotuna wrote:

We do have a Hvac member (Fred) who claims his RV requires 35 amp-hours per day for all parasitic loads with the Fridge running on propane.

My class A, with CO detector, hard wired smoke detector, water pump on (but not being used), vacuflush toilet on (but not being used), dummy lights and fridge on propane draws 1.6 amps per hour or 38.4 amps per 24 hours. If I turn off the water pump and vacuflush, I can get it as low as 1.4 amps or 33.6 amps per 24 hours.

[DanNJanice]

GordonThree wrote:
Why is mine drawing so much? Maybe I have seal heaters, didn't think my model had those. Will double check.

Check for some kind of heater. Also, take out the inside light if it has one, maybe the switch is not working right.

[pianotuna]

I know that my relay(s) for the charging circuit draw 0.88 amps @ 12 volts. I'm aware that the gas valve is different.

We do have a Hvac member (Fred) who claims his RV requires 35 amp-hours per day for all parasitic loads with the Fridge running on propane.

[tpi]

I've done some rough checking and I'm going to estimate my Dometic 6 cubic foot Americana draws about 12 amp hours per day after coil disconnection. Mine has (had) an always-on anti condensate coil around the door which I disconnected
. Some of the Dometic gurus and I had quite a discussion on here about that, because until mine they hadn't heard of one without a switch on the anti condensate coil (also called climate control). Anyway on mine the hookup for the coil is in the light fixture so it can be easily disconnected or switch added based on preferences. If the door is open the light can easily approach an amp draw all on it's own.

In the great majority of Dometic refrigerators there is a switch on the "climate control."

[icanon]

Thanks for all the replies this honestly has been an educational thread for me. Thanks

[Harvey51]

The only way to find out is to measure your own fridge. Some have features like defrosting that use a lot of energy. A DC clampmeter makes it easy but an ordinary multimeter can measure fridge current on a 10 amp range very accurately if you can get the current to flow through it.

Energy is the natural quantity to think about. The common unit is the watt*hour.
Power is how fast energy is being used - unit: watt.
Power = energy per hour.

Current is most easily measured but has to be multiplied by voltage to get power. One amp from a 12 volt source is 1 * 12 = 12 watts. In an hour that amounts to 12 watt*hours of energy.

[westend]

icanon wrote:
Just went out a had a look at the fridge and I saw a sticker stating:

12VDC

0.8 Amp 10 Watts

What does that mean?

That is a rating plate/sticker. It means the device it's adhered to has an operating voltage of 12V and a maximum draw of 0.8 amperes when in operation. If your absorption fridge operated at 0.8 A at 12V (it will be less), it would consume 19.2 AH/day (not figuring for Peukert, SOC of battery, and voltage drop of wiring, if any).

[GordonThree]

Why is mine drawing so much? Maybe I have seal heaters, didn't think my model had those. Will double check.

[DanNJanice]

MrWizard wrote:

GordonThree wrote:

korbe wrote:
mine uses 0.30

In that case, your propane solenoid must be closed. The valve has a good size return spring on it (fail-closed), and needs a big magnet to hold it open; the draw will be a lot higher while the burner is operating.

NOT so

12v 500ma is 6watts
a lot more than is needed to hold open that valve
those valves are nothing more than than the new version of what used to be held open by 5ma from a thermocouple

300ma 12v 3.6 watts with burner on
even less with burner off

Exactly, once the valve is open it uses vary little current to keep it that way.
I have measured mine several times and the refrig never draws more that about 0.5amp when on propane.

[MrWizard]

GordonThree wrote:

korbe wrote:
mine uses 0.30

In that case, your propane solenoid must be closed. The valve has a good size return spring on it (fail-closed), and needs a big magnet to hold it open; the draw will be a lot higher while the burner is operating.

NOT so

12v 500ma is 6watts
a lot more than is needed to hold open that valve
those valves are nothing more than than the new version of what used to be held open by 5ma from a thermocouple

300ma 12v 3.6 watts with burner on
even less with burner off

[2oldman]

icanon wrote:
Just went out a had a look at the fridge and I saw a sticker stating:

12VDC

0.8 Amp 10 Watts

What does that mean?

v * a = watts. 0.8 x 12 = 9.6 (10) watts.

Sounds like you've found your answer.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Be sure to tell us in a thread how you are going to accomplish that please.

GordonThree wrote:


I'll soon have individual load monitoring on my RV, for no reason in particular other than I like to have the data.

[icanon]

Just went out a had a look at the fridge and I saw a sticker stating:

12VDC

0.8 Amp 10 Watts

What does that mean?