Refr Madness

[TomG2]

After a six week test, I discovered that my Dometic absorption refrigerator has been costing me over $50.00/month to operate. This is a worst case scenario as I am in South Texas and paying $0.175/kwh for electricity. Total bills have averaged $150/month with refr and $100/month with it turned completely off. I took twice daily meter readings alternating weekly with a small compressor refrigerator.

Daily high temperatures about 96 degrees F and 15K air conditioner set at 82 degrees. Fun and informative test.

[pianotuna]

Hi Mex,

At my Condo from Feb 11 to May 10 I used 245 KWH, and I thought that was pretty good...

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Don, I run this entire rental including an 18 CF Whirlpool refrigerator/freezer for 148 kWh

For 62 days.

About half the energy/ I have an 82 CFM muffin fan blowing across the coils of the reefer condenser.

No washing machine. Microwave, coffeemaker, Toaster grille, George Foreman griddle.

$7.80 for two months.

[TomG2]

I could save a little by switching over to propane, but wrestling tanks around in 100 degree heat and taking them to get refilled is not worth the effort. I was shocked to discover that my refrigerator has been using about 10 kwh/day at a cost of over $50/month. I am now using an Alpincool 15 portable refrigerator which has a danfoss compressor for less than $0.20/day.

This experiment started while looking for a way to cut my electric bill. My first, and wrong, assumption was that Air Conditioning was over 90% of my bill. It was actually only about 60%

[Old-Biscuit]

SidecarFlip wrote:
1500 watt heater in the boiler costs a bit to run.....

A Norcold 1200 uses two elements...each 225W for 450W total
My Dometic 8 cu/ft uses one element...325W


1500W not used in absorption fridges

1400W/1440W elements ----Water Heaters

[ajriding]

It is a propane powered device and the electric is an alternative. How much would it cost to run on propane for a month?
I can go two weeks easily on one 20lb tank running fridge and cooking every day twice per day and I bet the cooking uses more propane than the fridge, so guessing $20/month on propane to run fridge..

Humidity has no effect (less than 2%) on cooling, see other post.

Are you keeping it out of the sun? Good airflow over the coils?

Consider a Moffset {sp?} (actually Danfoss, mofsett is for audio…)powered DC electric compressor fridge if you want to run always on electricity. These can run on solar and one battery with no need for grid.
ARB, Dometic and others make these.
I would think that if you plug into the wall it would cost just cents per month to run

[SidecarFlip]

1500 watt heater in the boiler costs a bit to run.....

[Old-Biscuit]

I have an 8 cu/ft Dometic....roughly $35/month ($0.15/kwh)

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Don, I run this entire rental including an 18 CF Whirlpool refrigerator/freezer for 148 kWh

For 62 days.

About half the energy/ I have an 82 CFM muffin fan blowing across the coils of the reefer condenser.

No washing machine. Microwave, coffeemaker, Toaster grille, George Foreman griddle.

$7.80 for two months.

[pianotuna]

Hi TomG2,

That fits with my measurement of 5.7 KWH per day for running an absorption fridge.

[mchero]

Humidity?