[VAC] Re: refrigerator

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob,
 It won't work from the inverter, at least not from a practical
standpoint.

You'll be pulling about 20 amps from your 12 volt battery when the
fridge is running. Figure a 50% duty cycle, so that's 240 AH/day. It'd
take maybe 12-14 hours to flatten a pair of Group 27 "RV/Deep Cycle"
batteries.

It's probably worse than that, as inverters aren't 100% efficient, plus
they draw some current even when not supplying any output. It'll take a
decent-sized inverter, probably 600 watts, to start the motor on the
fridge, and that leads to even less efficiency. (max efficiency is at
near full load)

If you get one of those little Honda EU1000i gensets, that would run the
fridge nicely on little fuel, and quiet to boot. Not silent, however.

An alternative is a Norcold 12VDC compressor-style fridge. They're very
efficient; I understand that 4 golf cart batteries will run one for 3 or
4 days. I have no personal experience with them, but have read about 'em
and talked with a neighbor who has one in an older Barth MH.

There's a reason that most everyone uses absorbtion fridges in RVs.

                                      <<Jim>>