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Subject Topic: Fridge, no hook up
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Personbillie
via mobile 09/8/2022 at 6:19pm
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Hi, we’ve just been away for 3 nights with no hook up.
Our battery was new about 6 months ago. We only used the 2 bedside lights on evening for maximum 1 hour. The blue light on the fridge was flashing, the only option was 12volt, gas or hook up, I couldn’t see where or how to just turn it off?
Anyway our battery died in the 2nd night. Was it the fridge? Is the battery knackered? Or some other random thing I haven’t thought of.
We used gas to boil a kettle in the morning, went to shower block for shower, filled kettle direct from tap in field…literally ran nothing but those 2 bedside lights!
Any ideas anyone?

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317718


Persontango55
09/8/2022 at 6:45pm
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Why didn't you run the fridge on gas?
You used gas to boil a kettle so you obviously have it at hand for other purposes.


Persontrog100
09/8/2022 at 6:46pm
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are the lights leds.. was the battery charged before set off..
i doubt it was the fridge.. when you get home fully charge the battery and test run a few things..

trog


Personmacquatic
09/8/2022 at 7:17pm
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Fridge killed the battery!

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I came into this world with nothing and I've still got most of it left.


Personsaxo1
09/8/2022 at 7:38pm
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Doesn't the fridge only work on the battery when attached to the car with the engine running?
saxo1


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Personbillie
via mobile 09/8/2022 at 7:53pm
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We didn’t want to. Didn’t need to. There was nothing in it. We used the caravan as somewhere to sleep.

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317718


Personbillie
via mobile 09/8/2022 at 7:55pm
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Is that what did it then? Is there anyway of turning the fridge off altogether or which setting should I have put it on so that didn’t happen?

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317718


PersonWendyhouse
09/8/2022 at 8:03pm
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FYI
“On 12V this fridge will use about 150W which is about 12.5 amps every hour. The three-way fridge uses a good chunk of power which would quickly drain down a leisure battery. Consuming 12.5A would kill most batteries in about 6 to 7 hours. So it is not practical to run the fridge on the battery.”

The 12v option is really only designed to keep a cold fridge cold when driving. Not really powerful enough to cool from off.

Many fridges have an on/off switch on front but if you don’t have one you may find one hidden somewhere near your electronic breakers.

As someone said earlier. Best bet (only option) off grid is to run it on gas.

If you let te battery go below 12v frequently you will damage the battery.

Good luck in sorting it out.


PersonTriaxle
via mobile 09/8/2022 at 8:12pm
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If properly wired, the fridge should only be able to run on 12v when connected to a running tow vehicle.


PersonAndy Higham
09/8/2022 at 8:25pm
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The fridge will only work off 12v when attached to the car with the engine running. When the car is detached your only options are gas and 230v


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Person664DaveS
via mobile 09/8/2022 at 8:47pm
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The fridge should have an off setting. On ours it's a rotary switch, off then 12v,mains or gas. A separate rotary switch is for temperature and a push button to light the gas.

With it on the fridge internal light,if it has one is 12v. It should extinguish if the door is shut.It could be that if the door was not closed fully.

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DS-There's more to life than football!!!


Personsaxo1
09/8/2022 at 10:37pm
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The tungsten fridge light in an older dometic model is only 2 Watts that should never flatten a battery in a few days,the newer ones have LED lights so even less demand.
saxo1


Personbillie
via mobile 09/8/2022 at 11:37pm
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I will go have another look and find the off switch. There must be one.
We didn’t want to use the fridge, there was nothing in it so no point.
It was only on the battery setting as I didn’t know which of the 3 to use as couldn’t find an off switch, didn’t want it running on gas and thought as 12v would only work when hooked up to the car it would shut itself off. Looks like it didn’t and ran battery down.
The bulbs aren’t LED but surely should last more than 3 hours, 2 bulbs on a fully charged battery?
I’ll run some checks but wendyhouse seems to explain what’s happened. Thank yoi

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317718


Personbilly
via mobile 10/8/2022 at 9:43am
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Probably your battery has had it. It may well hold its charge when unused but is failing under load. When your battery is dead check the voltage. If it is really low ie around 6volts then it is dead & needs replacing. Search online Tayna batteries. They do reasonably priced leisure batteries delivered to your door.

As pointed out & assuming a previous owner has not bodged your caravan wiring 3 way fridge cannot be used from leisure battery. It only works on 12volt when caravan being towed & towbar socket has fully wired caravan electrics. Having fridge on battery setting will not drain leisure battery. That is the setting for towing.

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Every day should be a holiday!


Person664DaveS
via mobile 10/8/2022 at 10:07am
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I agree its unlikely that the fridge light would flatten a battery. It could well be altered wiring.
The first post doesn’t say which type of caravan it is, if the make and model of fridge is found someone may be able to say how to switch it off.

Our first caravan (a Monza) had a fridge which only worked on gas or 12v.
I fitted it and had to update the car wiring to fit second socket and a fridge relay.
3 way have been around a long time now.




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DS-There's more to life than football!!!


Persontrog100
10/8/2022 at 10:23am
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my fridge has a separate switch for each option.. gas.. mains or 12 volt..

if all the switches are in the off position the fridge is off.. no separate off switch is needed..

plus has already been mentioned the 12 volt option should only be available when the van is connected to the car basically.. it dosnt run off the van battery for obvious reasons.. it would soon flatten the van battery.. mine draws about 8 amps..

trog



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