Running Refrigerator on an Inverter

[SilverRhino]

I have been thinking about running my 120 volt / propane refrigerator off of an inverter while travelling. Has anyone done this? I will first need to determine what the refer draws power wise and then provide a fused 12volt circuit to power an adequate sized, dedicated inverter. Seems fairly straight forward....am I missing something?

I will not run with the propane open, so that is not an option, but would like to keep the unit cooling during travel.

 

[IronJ]

Just curious why the disdain for propane while traveling? ?...I mean with newer dsi ignition if it goes off it will relight and if it don't lite the propane won't run???.

That said i would think a 400-500 watt inverter with 25 amp fuse would be more than enough for JUST fridge. ....there is no compressor on an absorption (dual fuel ) fridge......

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[danemayer]

If you have a Dometic RM1350, there are 2 electric heat elements that can each draw up to 420 watts, if I recall correctly. So figure 7 amps for the heat and maybe another 1-2 amps for the control boards.

 

[Bones]

I think a perfect example of not running open propane tanks is the fact that I suffered a regulator blow out on mine recently. I was lucky that I don't run with open tanks and it happened when I turned the tank on. I think running a inverter would be a wise option if your are willing to put in the time to do the wiring for the inverter. You should be able to stay on the cheap side possibly a 1000 watt inverter. Look on the inside of you refer and se what it's rating is when on electric. It should give you a design amp draw on the sticker and you can start there. You will need a fused amp breaker on the DC side. Possibly heavy DC cables, cut off switch, transfer switch and some household wire and you should be good. The refer definitely should not pull more than 15 amps so 14 gauge wire is good.

 

[IronJ]

I have been thinking about running my 120 volt / propane refrigerator off of an inverter while travelling. Has anyone done this? I will first need to determine what the refer draws power wise and then provide a fused 12volt circuit to power an adequate sized, dedicated inverter. Seems fairly straight forward....am I missing something?

I will not run with the propane open, so that is not an option, but would like to keep the unit cooling during travel.

And if u decide you want to do it I got a 1000w sunforce inverter /dual battery iso cutoff and a myriad of 1/0 gauge wire I pulled when I took it out of my old trailer after using it ONE TRIP......

It's not hard at all to install... but you would need to run the ac power to the fridge

Your in TX right?

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[SilverRhino]

Just curious why the disdain for propane while traveling? ?...I mean with newer dsi ignition if it goes off it will relight and if it don't lite the propane won't run???.

That said i would think a 400-500 watt inverter with 25 amp fuse would be more than enough for JUST fridge. ....there is no compressor on an absorption (dual fuel ) fridge......

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Not wanting to resurrect the "Propane On / Propane Off " wars........My father was an arson investigator and he did safety training for fire departments, I've seen first hand what a live propane tank can do. That has been good enough for me....Safety First!

- - - Updated - - -

And if u decide you want to do it I got a 1000w sunforce inverter /dual battery iso cutoff and a myriad of 1/0 gauge wire I pulled when I took it out of my old trailer after using it ONE TRIP......

It's not hard at all to install... but you would need to run the ac power to the fridge

Your in TX right?

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I am in Texas.....send me a PM

 

[IronJ]

My fridge is a residential and runs off inverter...I have no dog in the fight either way...lol

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[Shortest Straw]

This seems like a good mod to do. Are there a step by step instructions out there on how to do this? List of things one would need to accomplish this?

 

[caissiel]

Stay off the highway, the chance of having an accident is about 1000000 to one compared to a propane blow.
And I having a broken hose will shut the valve faster then you van say safe.

 

[wdk450]

Here is a whole webpage on RV propane discussing why a high flow leak situation is highly unlikely with the modern tank valves:
http://home.earthlink.net/~derekgore/rvroadiervfulltimingwhatisitreallylike/id44.html

 

[Bones]

That is a very nice article to read. I must be one of those 1 in 10000 people who had the safety system fail. Gas did not shut off but leaked into the tank compartment. It was a very nice hissing sound. I wouldn't be able to tell you how much was leaking out and at what rate but I can tell you it was a whole lot faster than what you hear from an appliance on high. Oh well It is all fixed now. The nice thing is I don't have to worry about propane until I want heat or to cook. My fridge runs off the inverter.

 

[hoefler]

Refrigerator elements can pull as much as 7 amps 110 A/C. That equates to 70 amps D/C. A 420 watt element pulls 3.5 amps A/C, 42 amps D/C. Your charge line to the trailer will only support 30 amps max. You still need 12 volts to run the fridge, your amp draw will be higher

 

[Bones]

Refrigerator elements can pull as much as 7 amps 110 A/C. That equates to 70 amps D/C. A 420 watt element pulls 3.5 amps A/C, 42 amps D/C. Your charge line to the trailer will only support 30 amps max. You still need 12 volts to run the fridge, your amp draw will be higher

That may be true but your fridge does not run constant. I ran mine for 12 hours with stops and all. My battery was still showing full by the time we reached our destination. The time your fridge does not run your truck can charge the batteries.

 

[jmgratz]

Here is a whole webpage on RV propane discussing why a high flow leak situation is highly unlikely with the modern tank valves:
http://home.earthlink.net/~derekgore/rvroadiervfulltimingwhatisitreallylike/id44.html

Excellent article....

 

[wdk450]

Excellent article....

Thanks!

I took away from this the biggest thing I can do to keep the propane tank safety valves working is to be METICULOUS about keeping the propane connections as clean as possible, and covering up the open valve end when taking in the tank for refilling.

For the previous poster who was the 1 in 10000, sorry that it happened to you, nothing is ABSOLUTE, and I hope you either had your tank checked out by a propane professional, or retired it for a new one with a new protective valve.

Happy and Safe RVing to all of my Heartland friends in this holiday season, and throughout all of their RVing years!!!

 

[Bones]

Mine was a regulator blow out. The tank didn't even know the regulator blew and it was just exhausting to atmosphere. I was there when it happened and fixed it with a new regulator.

 

[hoefler]

That may be true but your fridge does not run constant. I ran mine for 12 hours with stops and all. My battery was still showing full by the time we reached our destination. The time your fridge does not run your truck can charge the batteries.

Residential fridge will only pull around 10 amps D/C. RV fridge has an element that runs almost continuously.

 

[danemayer]

Residential fridge will only pull around 10 amps D/C. RV fridge has an element that runs almost continuously.

I think the compressor in the residential refrigerators pulls way more than 10 amps DC, which would be equivalent to 120 watts, or 1 amp AC at 120V. The compressor doesn't run all the time, but when it starts, I think it'll pull between 6 and 8 amps at 120 V AC (depending on make/model). I'm not sure how much power it draws continuously once it gets started, but I'd guess it's quite a bit more than 1 amp at 120 V AC. Georgia Power thinks the typical refrigerator draws around 600 watts (5 amps at 120 V AC).

Heartland ships a 1000 watt inverter to run the residential refrigerator, providing about 8 amps at 120V AC, and handling very short startup peaks higher than 8 amps.

How much power the gas absorption units draw probably depends a lot on size and environmental conditions. If it's hot and humid, the heating element may have to run almost continuously during the day to keep things cool inside. In the winter, it likely runs a lot less. Since the heating element doesn't make any noise, it's hard to tell when it's on.

 

[IronJ]

And the newer inverter compressors in residential fridges use even less ac power . Though they do run almost continuously. I want to say my panel shows 3 amps when it's running full load.

I too wonder what watt the heating elements on a absorption fridge are?...

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[IronJ]

Looks like the replacement dometic heater is 325 watt a/c...and I think there are 2...guess it depends on fridge size.

So potentially 650 watts ac to run em both...that would eat some battery up quick on an inverter...??

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