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frankpaige
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# Posted: 30 Jan 2023 06:12pm
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When you do not have permanent electrical power.
I have the yeti knockoff I use during the trips to the cabin. Thinking of using a name brand power source for the CPAP machine this year. And wondering about maybe using it for a mini fridge also? I think that getting that fridge cooled down is a huge power drain? Wondering if? I stuck block ice or even dry ice in there when I arrive.
Would that help bring down the temp enough so that maybe I do not suck so much power out?
Have a neighbor that has power to recharge the power source. My usual trips are 4 days/5 nights. Space wise there would be no space savings. And I usually still have ice after 5 days.
It's January/February. So here I am dreaming about the coming season and wondering? What if?
Thanks
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travellerw
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# Posted: 30 Jan 2023 07:17pm
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As long as the items you put in it are cooled down, then I really wouldn't use that much. If that stuff is already cold, then all you are cooling is the walls and shelves.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 30 Jan 2023 07:59pm
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I have a 'mini-fridge' from the truck-stop store, its a 12vdc powered model and I have the 120vac step-down transformer for it. The instructions say to fill it with cold stuff, iirc overnight'ish, while running, just like one should pre-cool an ice chest.
As far as I can tell it is a simple absorption unit, runs constantly rather than cycles on/off so it is a constant power drain, and that is considerable (about 7a at 12v; yours should have the amps draw somewhere on it) That makes it a no go for running off a battery except for short term but it is fine for road trips when it can be running off the vehicle alternator. It could run off solar during a good solar day also but that amounts to only about 4-5 solar hours of a good day. If you figure 18 hours off battery at 7a thats 126ah!
So, after messing about with it with great hope and no success (yes it does work but is a power hog) the mid sized Yeti clone ice chest 1/2 full of my home re-froze ice bottles became the go to. We've still have ice in the bottles after 3 days, and always have cold water to drink from them  . We stack & pack the ice bottles into 'zones' to keep the food cooled right.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2023 09:13am
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I pack all my frozen food in a cooler with a block of ice from the deep freeze. When I arrive at the cottage my 12v fridge is powered on, the freezer filled with the frozen food and the block of ice in a ziplock bag is put into the fridge along with all the cooler food that is cold. In a day I remove that bag of ice/water. So its just used for initial cooling thus saving power. You don't want to introduce excess moisture into your fridge, so the bag is a must in my mind and makes it easy to remove.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2023 11:04am - Edited by: gcrank1
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Just checked, our cooler is the Lifetime brand, the 55qt model. I call it the Yeti Clone, or 'close enough for my dollar'. It has been Great, the best cooler Ive ever had. Bought it at our local Walmart for about $100 on sale a couple years ago but I see they are about $160 now.
Def a 'would buy again' product for me.
The fridges Ive tried are the little 12vdc one prev mentioned a larger old Euro made chest type absorption unit, 12vdc, and a Heier dorm size 4.5cf?, 120vac. The Heier cycles but is an upright, open the door and the cold spills out  . That is ok on the grid, not so much off-grid. If the unit wasnt left on in our absence it took 1/2 day, even with cold food put in on arrival, to get it to settle down to normal cycling. That wasnt bad if we got there early of a good solar day so it ran off the sun, if we got there late it ran off the bats all night. If the next day was not a good solar day the bats didnt get recharged.
With all of the units I found if I unplugged them at bedtime and back in early morning the interior temps didnt fall off bad. The Heier wouldnt cycle much at night anyway but those absortion units just keep sucking the amps all night long.
The ice chest just keeps things cold with no messing around.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2023 04:56pm
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Well everyones needs are different. For more than 2 days I won't go back to living out of coolers. Love my 12v upright fridge.
The cold spilling out thing has been tested and pretty much determined to be negligable compared to a chest type as long as you have stuff inside it, there isn't that much air movement to be an issue.
That being said, we are aware that we have a fridge working off solar, and don't stand there with the door open looking for stuff. We have a system as to what goes where and take a second to plan what we need to get before opening the door, and same as when we put stuff back. Were not as disciplined at home, but its not a big issue to take a second to think.
We also put a dry erase board on the fridge showing what is in the freezer and on each tray of the fridge so we can decide what is needed prior to opening.
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Irrigation Guy
Member
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2023 08:07pm
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Any reason you can’t use a LP refrigerator?
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frankpaige
Member
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2023 08:19pm
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""Any reason you can’t use a LP refrigerator?""
For me. This might be a better route if I put a fridge in.
If I used solar? I would definitely have to upgrade that system. If I used that power pack? It might spend a good deal of the day recharging.
A quick look at the amount of propane used was not all that much. Less than a pound a day. While that might be a low guess. Still could be doable.
Had thought of those many moons back. It got filed and forgotten lately. Thanks for bringing that up. Many heads together.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2023 08:34am
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Ive had propane fridges for 40 years. I had 2 at my current place until I replaced one with the 12v a few years ago, still have one for the times when company is coming and we need more cold space.
1lb a day is a very fair estimate, although it fluxuates some, that is as good a long term average as you need.
My only issue with propane fridges is they take 24hrs to cool down, and you need to be able to do the minimal maintenance on them. Which is simple, clean the vent pipe and ensure the burner is clean. The smallest spec of rust sitting on the burner will make them run way to warm, and it usually takes a day to realize the issue
Every spring I just do that maintenance rather than wasting a day trying it realizing its isn't cooling and then needing to clean it and wait another 24 hrs.
For long term use, they work well as long as you can keep them in a relatively cool area (not direct sun, my back room with just a tin roof where my fridges are gets too hot for them during really hot stretches).
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2023 08:52am
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Quoting: FishHog Every spring I just do that maintenance rather than wasting a day trying it realizing its isn't cooling and then needing to clean it and wait another 24 hrs.
VERY IMPORTANT! The PO of our cabin did no maintenance on the propane fridge. We were green and had no knowledge of them so we just lit it up. Within a few days it seemed to not be cooling very well, so turned it up.... a few days in a row we did this. One night going to bed it smelled a lot like burned propane in the cabin but being pre-solar we had been using the propane lights so thought little about it. At 3:30 in the morning the CO alarm went off! Jumped up, and instinct said it's the fridge. Pulled it out and took the flame shield off and found scale from the chimney had fallen on the burner... it was barely burning and obviously burning dirty!
WE WERE LUCKY! And smart enough to know we needed a CO detector, the PO had none! Do the maintenance and if possible, vent it outside (I think this is required in Canada. )
If you are using unvented propane in your cabin buy a CO detector and maintain it as well!
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Brettny
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2023 10:43am
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Quoting: FishHog My only issue with propane fridges is they take 24hrs to cool down
Between this and I can use solar for other items propane fridge was a deal killer for me. There also very expensive.
I have about as much into a solar setup, 120v fridge and generator as a decent sized propane fridge. My mini fridge with separate top freezer has ice on the walls in about 1hr. I just dont see a propane fridge very usefull for the money you pay in a weekend cabin setting.
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2023 11:29am
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Quoting: Brettny I just dont see a propane fridge very usefull for the money you pay in a weekend cabin setting.
I think you're right here. For weekend/periodic use they aren't the best choice.
We have both an electric and propane, partly for more cold/freezer space and partly as a backup if for some reason the solar fails. We gave $1,700 for our 12cuft propane fridge 3 years ago, not cheap. We are in our "cabin" 9 months out of the year.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2023 08:00pm
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I come at this from ROI, the money I spend and the time I put in to have power to use for xyz. Building the solar system, plumbing the 'pane, etc is all on me, then Im the power company for maintenance, replacement and all.
Our place is 'simplified cabin living', not what some choose but mighty fine for us. Simple, practical, user friendly and comfortable. Learning to use less or even no power at the cabin for some things has cut the expense and work considerably. We dont feel like we are livin small at all.
Ymmv
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