Exwindsurfer
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Does your fridge switch the inverter on and off when it needs cooling ?
fridge cooling fans
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mistericeman
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Yes that's the eco mode bit
Pudsey Bear
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Not sure where but I read that you can swap the 240v compressor on some to a 12v one from I think Danfoss, so maybe buy a used fridge and converting it could be a possibility for some folk.
wildebus
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You can do that. But why bother with the hassle and expense. Just get an inverter and you have AC power available for other stuff as a bonus.
The idea that Inverters are a terrible energy waste is a nonsense. obviously there is overhead and conversion wastage, but it is a lot less than the doomsayers - who probably have never used an inverter or checked the consumption - would claim.
There are a couple of companies that actually do this Compressor conversion for those folk who don't get the benefit of having an Inverter and using an off-the-shelf fridge or fridge/freezer, and sell converted domestic/household fridges running off 12V to typically canalboat customers (no need to make door locking latches for them
). Shoreline is one company. Can't recall the other one.This video might be of interest.... It is actually aimed at selling a specific Sterling inverter product, but ignoring that aspect, still relevant.
This is another video from Charlie which might be of interest. He does include Absorption fridges, but IIRC running off electricity, so is far less efficient of course (on my own tests, my LEC 240V Fridge/Freezer used 7 times less electric than my Thetford 3-Way running off electric).
)
Pudsey Bear
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I think I have watched those in the past.
wildebus
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Then why have you still got a gas fridge???
Actually, when I got my new(to me) Motorhome, I had no intentions of changing what was a pretty good 3-Way Absorption Fridge/Freezer, but it started playing up and I don't like inconsistant operation, so after a bit of fiddling, I had had enough! (I don't understand how some folk seem to just accept their fridges will randomly just not work!).
Fridge out (with the help of Rae), and a new 240V LEC Fridge/Freezer installed in its place. I sold the 13 year old Thetford for the same price that I paid for the brand-new LEC from AO.com . Bought some bits to install it, including some trim parts to make it look tidy and it hasn't missed a beat since installing it approximately 2 years ago.
With Room temps between 14 - 30C, the Freezer varies by just 1C
July by David, on Flickr
And when cooler and Room temps drop right down to 1 Celcius, the Freezer temp is still very consistant
April by David, on Flickr
Pudsey Bear
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Moolah, or rather the lack of it and only doing the UK not really needed more cooling, but Liz keeps going on about France but I'm not sure I'm up to it nowadays.
I am pursuing lightweight wheelchairs, but need to be able to get 25 miles out of one if poss between charges, we would need to use a site at least once a week to plug the van in, it also needs to fit through the 50cm door too and be able to lift into the van.
There are plenty sub £1k ones out there, bit not found one which meet the above yet.
I am pursuing lightweight wheelchairs, but need to be able to get 25 miles out of one if poss between charges, we would need to use a site at least once a week to plug the van in, it also needs to fit through the 50cm door too and be able to lift into the van.
There are plenty sub £1k ones out there, bit not found one which meet the above yet.
Pudsey Bear
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I'd also not be able to fit it so extra cost there, assuming I could find some with your work ethic and not get robbed.
wildebus
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one thing to bear in mind (a good thing) is there is value in your old fridge. As mentioned, I sold mine for around £300 and I didn't make any claims about it still being great or anything. The chap who bought it had the same fridge that had got contaminated with off-meat and so just needed a swap out of the carcase. He had all the power bits at the back if he needed to repair stuff.
So IF you do end up going electric, don't just scrap the old one
Pudsey Bear
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I never throw anything away
I have a single Smev hob screw cover on ebay, and a gaslow gas gauge, it all has value and helps us run a van so a fridge would be a good one to have, we paid $450 for the used one in the self build 11 years ago, it was a tall one but it never had any issues, it's the under counter ones which seem to fail.
I have a single Smev hob screw cover on ebay, and a gaslow gas gauge, it all has value and helps us run a van so a fridge would be a good one to have, we paid $450 for the used one in the self build 11 years ago, it was a tall one but it never had any issues, it's the under counter ones which seem to fail.
rugbyken
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when my 3 way fridge went i fitted an upgraded model to maintain trade in values , its the one with door opening either side & full length striplight , on my old fridge i had fitted a usb fan blowing down over the fins the engineer that came to exchange it laughed his socks off & said the fridge is designed to draw air from the bottom the hot air from the fins rises to the upper vent creating circulation! so my fan blowing down from the top cancells out this designed flow !!! , i now have 2 x computer fans fitted to the upper vent blowing out to assist the flow
Trotter
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Good point Ken.
I fitted mine at the top, sucking out.
Working on the theory that, hot air rises
wildebus
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That's a very valid point. And I guess on a pretty new van people would expect a 'proper' MH fridge?
I came to the conclusion on mine that it was too old for any dealer to take in to resell so would be a private sale only and that would be much less of a factor (and someone who was nervous about a non-standard fridge would be very nervous on some of the other features I have added
)I did look at a direct replacement Thetford 12V Compressor Fridge (the T2160 I think - link here ) which was a very nice Fridge-Freezer, but even with my trade discount, it was still nearly 3 times the price of the 240V house fridge. I can't deny it was tempting though (and I still haven't ruled it out now
always tweaking )Something people should take into account is that if they do replace a 3-way fridge with a 12V compressor model, the chances are they need to run some decent gauge cable to the back of it, which will complicate installation. a 240V fridge will just plug into the same socket as the existing fridge (but then you need to have an inverter wired in at the other end of the AC socket, so that is another installation complication of course.)
paulhelenwilko
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Some very useful info on this thread thankyou. Interesting videos .
Good point about resale of Moho, buyers will expect a 3 way Moho fridge.
Another advantage of a 3 way fridge is there are three choices of energy. Where as the compressor has a single choice.
Paul.
Good point about resale of Moho, buyers will expect a 3 way Moho fridge.
Another advantage of a 3 way fridge is there are three choices of energy. Where as the compressor has a single choice.
Paul.
Pudsey Bear
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Never managed to get one working on 12v yet I assume the element burns out or something.
wildebus
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What, on a 3-way fridge?
There is no reason why the element is any more problematical than a 240V element. Either way, they are super-simple and just get pushed into a tube so cheap to replace and simple to fit.
I think the 12V supply TO the element is usually the problem. (and of course, the 12V element is typically pretty weak and ineffective anyway).
wildebus
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Not any more. Loads of motorhomes and campers come out the factory with Compressor fridges
three ways to power them.... one result from that power (warm beer).
Pudsey Bear
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Speaking of Danfoss, Google was watching and popped this up.
Not sure I'd have much faith in them.
Not sure I'd have much faith in them.
mistericeman
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Working in refrigeration ...I've used danfoss for years ...they're on of the big hitters and have been for years,
That said as cheap as I can get danfoss 12v compressors ...
I still wouldn't bother with the pfaff of swapping a 240v pot for a 12v one ...
I'd go 240v domestic and inverter every time...
Pudsey Bear
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I don't get why they wouldn't just blast clean the cases and why they didn't have a proper spray setup as they look to do hundreds of them, I know labour is cheap there but rattle cans are much more expensive than proper spraying and the paint is like piss.