Sorry if this is a really basic question. I am very new to caravanning and just wondered if I went off grid how long it would take to flatten my 110ah battery if I ran my fridge. I have a 100w solar panel. Thanks everyone.
If you are off grid you can only run your fridge from gas. It will only run from the battery while hooked up to the car and even then, it only maintains the temperature rather than continuing to cool.
If it were possible to run a 3 way fridge off battery without the engine running, it would probably only last a few hours at best, which is why they can only be run from the car with the engine running. 12 volt running is only really designed to be used to maintain the temperature during the journey.
There are fridges that can be run from a battery for quite a bit longer, and they are compressor types, but those cannot be run off gas. They are also quite expensive.
Firstly the last thing you want to do is flatten your leisure battery, if you want it to last a decent number of years.
To get the best life from your leisure battery you should not run it to below 50% capacity, unless it is a LiFeP04 battery in which case you can.
I did a somewhat less than scientific test with my portable Waeco CF25 fridge, it’s a compressor type as Colin mentions.
It ran for five days straight 24/7 from a cheapo 120Ah SFLA leisure battery, before the battery was down to 50% capacity, ambient temperature was around 18 C, and it kept the contents at a constant +4 C.
I am yet to do the same experiment with a 200 watt solar panel connected to my leisure battery via MPPT controller, which in theory might keep the fridge going indefinitely, based on the efficiency of the panel during summer in Northwest U.K.
Perhaps you already have the option to run it on gas? Most fairly modern caravans do.
As said previously the battery (12 volt DC) option is designed to keep the already cold fridge contents reasonably cold whilst travelling to your next destination, it uses so much current and isn't too efficient either.
Dave.
------------- Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you on experience.
Mark Twain.
2001 Abi Manhattan 370-2
For some reason it won’t run on gas. I had no intention of using it on gas so never had it looked into. That’ll teach me. I’ll look into having it sorted. Works fantastic on electric.
To be fair, I don’t get why they still fit 3 Way fridges in most caravans etc, in this modern age a compressor fridge should come as the standard option, and if you plan to spend time of grid, then a decent 100Ah LiFeP04 leisure battery or two and the odd solar panel, will provide all the electric power that you are most likely to need.
When my Dad got his caravan back in 1973 a Sprite Musketeer, the first thing he had done was to replace the gas lights in the van with 12v lights.
sometimes it is only a blocked gas jet on the fridge as it is only like a pilot light jet and for some reason spiders love to live in them so can get blocked could be a very easy fix for a caravan technician good luck
Bruce
------------- Beer is the answer...
but i can't remember the question !!!
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Topic: Fridge running on battery.
via mobile 14/3/2021 at 9:21am
