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Battery rec. for DC Freezer on Ice Cream Cart

topherp

New Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2021
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Hi all, and thanks in advance for the help!

I sell frozen lemonade from a bicycle cart I ride around New Orleans, LA. The cart's made in New Mexico, but they used cheap parts so I'm constantly fixing & upgrading. Currently, the freezer isn't staying cold long enough (only ~3hrs). I feel like it used to last closer to 4 - 5hrs.

DC Freezer: No name brand from china
12v DC - Rated Current: 6.2amp
Estimate it runs 80% of the time because I open & close it a lot


I've had it for 10 months, and recently bought a new battery because the old one wasn't charging.
Old Battery was a 12v 50ah Gel battery by Win Bright.
New battery is 12v 50ah AGM by UPG (Not sure why, but it's about 1/2 the size & 2/3 the weight of the old one)

My rough math, the freezer should last ~5hrs, (freezer runs 80% of the time, or use ~5amps/hr) and about 50% of a 50ah AGM battery is usable.

I'm getting the freezer tested to make sure it's running efficiently. But, also thinking about upgrading the battery, because I need it to last at least 7hrs.

I'd love to hear recs for batteries & sizes. Upgrade to LiFePO4, get 2nd battery & run in parallel, etc.? Few things that are important
- Operating in ambient temps of 90-100° F (kept shaded in a box, but New Orleans, LA summers are hot).
- Weight: cart is already very heavy.

Would a 50ah LiFePO4 work? Can use ~80% of the 50ah (40ah) and 40ah / 5amp = 8hrs of run time...

Will be adding solar in the future, but don't have a place to put it on the cart currently. Thanks!!!
 

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