Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 11/4/2011Domestic compressor fridge gas is not poisonous, it is inert. Its camping 3way absorbtion fridges that contain ammonia which is poisonous. The current drawn is less than 1amp so no prob with ehu. It is correct that domestic fridges are not designed to be moved around & should be used at room temps. but plenty use them sucessfully in camping situations.
Not strictly true Tentz. Our building was evacuated for 24 hours a few years ago when the numpty next door decided he'd see what happened if he made a hole in the pipes behind the fridge (A domestic hotpoint fridge freezer). The firemen that came in the protective suits might disagree with you that the gas is not poisonous.
Freon is VERY dangerous and especially if its exposed to heat - then you have Mustard Gas!
------------- Always forgive,Never forget;Learn from mistakes,But Never regret;People change,Things go wrong;Just remember life goes on
Cool campers use Delta Pegs.
The happiest people aren't the ones who have everything they are the ones who make the most of everything they have
Another vote for a 3 way fridge but don't underestimate the size of them!
Without one I'd go for a decent 5 day cool box, something like a coleman or an icey tek which will be fine for a good few days especially if you take frozen stuff with you.
Quote: Originally posted by dezzie on 11/4/2011
The back of a domestic fridge is very exposed Samp. The whole workings of a domestic fridge depend on the element and the gas at the back of the unit
In reality, that's no different to a 3 way fridge.
Quote: Tents are damp and prone to condensation so the back of the unit is more likely to get exposure to the elements than in a kitchen where it would be against a solid wall.
True, but what's the worst that could happen?
Quote: The element too is quite delicate and can easily puncture if moved around too much
Yep, that's about it. So, once is a blue moon of normal camping use you might break a fridge.
But in the meantime, you'll have a far better fridge than anything normally sold for camping.
Quote: one a fridge has to be left to settle before switching on for so long too which can cause problems if you are carting it around.
Well in theory it does, but in reality, it'll be fine.
Sure, you're likely to reduce the working life from 25 years to say, 10 years, but by then you'll either have a caravan or not be camping anyway...
Quote: If it uses a small amount of amps at least you dont have the risk of tripping the ehu, but the risk of electric shock is still there if exposed to condensation or damp.
No worse than any other piece of domestic equipment used in a tent - the mains radio/TV/phone chargers that all find their way into tents certainly aren't designed for outdoor use and neither are fan heaters, but they're all used reasonably safely.
Quote: The other thing that could come into the equation is the noise. As domestic fridges can be quite noisy (although our coolbox does my head in some nights).
Adsorption fridges are silent but the constant fan noise from any Peltier effect coolbox is much louder than any compressor on a fridge.
Quote: Its your call to be honest, I just think its a very dangerous option.
I really don't think so. We bought a "proper" Adsorption fridge but I'm now convinced it was a waste of money. We'll never go camping without EHU so the fact it can run on gas is no interest to us and a table top fridge would not only have been cheaper but they're much better at cooling.
There's a reason we all have "proper" fridges at home - it's because they are so much better than the alternatives.
Quote: Freon is VERY dangerous and especially if its exposed to heat - then you have Mustard Gas!
Just as well it's been banned under the Montreal protocol for several years then. (Though that wasn't because of its potential for toxicity when exposed to high temperatures.)
I'm not sure if the word refrigerant is correct,
but r12 is the dangerous stuff also noun as Freon and it has been forbidden for years. Since 1992 I think
I believe r134 and r410 are the most used refrigerants in fridge kompressors and they are not as near dangerous as freon is.
Very danerous coolants was in use since 1800 to 1929
CH3Cl, SO2 and also NH3
These days in absorption fridge the ammonia is inside very thick and strong pipes.
We have used a table top fridge for the last 5 years, best thing we ever bought, only drawback is the room it takes up in the car. We camp mostly in France, & its mostly warm & dry but have used it with no issues here. All tour operators in France use domestic fridges in their tents(obviously they're not moved around much) & many french sites rent fridges; a van drops off the fridge at the beginning of your stay & collects at the end,
Decomposition products of fluorocarbon 113 at high temperatures include hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, phosgene (a suffocating and highly poisonous, colorless gas, or volatile liquid with an odor of new mowed hay or green corn).
Phosgene is produced not Mustard gas,but equally as dangerous.
Saxo1
No problem using a domestic fridge, we used a Husky type fridge for several years, trips to France etc.
3 way fridges are expensive, not very big. I have a 3 way fridge built into my camper, its so much smaller than my old husky fridge, and does not cool as well in my opinion.
We have owned a basic 12v cool box for years and it is still doing well. Orginally got it for tent camping and would start with ice packs and plug into the car cig socket for journey to the campside and then we would 'top' it up everytime we went out in the car somewhere. That served ok but we then got ehu and an adaptor for longer camps.
We now have FC with built in fridge however we still use the cool box for the journey down to keep all food cool and plug it in in our FC, first whilst we wait for the fridge in the FC to cool enough to use and then for any overflow from the fridge. Once there is enough space the cool box then becomes the drinks cooler!
It works well enough to provide a cool beer and keep various food stuffs safe, though we do keep meat and things like milk in FC fridge once it'c cold.
They are worth having and you don't need to spend a fortune on one. The Tesco ones at £35 do a decent job. If not planning on having ehu you can use as a standard cool box (ice packs) and top up everytime you go out in the car too.
If having a 3 way you need to be aware that they are heavy, take a lot of space and you need gas for them too so more weight/space gone. Good for long camps but not for quick get aways.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: E H U & Fridge
