WOW! Absorption fridge vs compressor fridge

[LB3]

Absorption refrigeration is designed for use with propane off-grid, typically in RVs. They typically have a 120VAC electrical heating element for use when shore power is available and sometimes a 12VDC element while driving. The fridges do not use much propane at all. Propane is cheap, easy and available for most people.

Our absorption fridge consumed 4 gallons of propane in 5 days of driving. I’m not sure if it was wind from the vent pipe swirling around and decreasing the efficiency or if it was the driving motion that shook up all the plumbing but unless sitting still, our fridge used an unacceptable amount of propane.

Add to that the fact that we needed to remove the absorption fridge and roll it around every year or two to ‘burp’ it, and the maintenance was more trouble than it was worth.

Going to a Danfoss compressor unit now allows us to boondock indefinitely since we purify our own water and bring lye and a post hole digger to avoid using the black tank on trips longer than a couple weeks.

 

[snoobler]

Our absorption fridge consumed 4 gallons of propane in 5 days of driving. I’m not sure if it was wind from the vent pipe swirling around and decreasing the efficiency or if it was the driving motion that shook up all the plumbing but unless sitting still, our fridge used an unacceptable amount of propane.

Add to that the fact that we needed to remove the absorption fridge and roll it around every year or two to ‘burp’ it, and the maintenance was more trouble than it was worth.

Going to a Danfoss compressor unit now allows us to boondock indefinitely since we purify our own water and bring lye and a post hole digger to avoid using the black tank on trips longer than a couple weeks.

That sounds extraordinarily high. When you look at the BTU/h and BTU content of LP, a 30# bottle should last about 90 days.

I experimented with running in Auto mode. Would remotely turn off the AC input after the sun went down, and it would switch to propane. Turn the plug on again at sunrise, and back to AC.

I did not start with a full tank of propane, and it lasted 30 days like that, and I could see that it was cycling on and off just like when running on AC due the the propane valve cycling.

 

[JeepDaddy]

Our absorption fridge consumed 4 gallons of propane in 5 days

I agree with Snoobler, something is amiss. I can run on one 5 (4.3 actual) gallon propane tank for about 3 weeks boondocking including running the furnace, water heater and stove/oven along with the freezer/fridge in a 34 foot class A motorhome.

 

[LB3]

I’ve since repurposed that Dometic and another one I had laying around.

I built a rack with both refrigerators stacked vertically with a bbq style propane tank mounted on top and a recycled converter and old battery to serve as my hurricane fridge. First time I needed it was earlier this year in the big freeze when our power went out. We were able to put our frozen food out on the patio but our refrigerated goods went in the Dometics.

 

[Lt.Dan]

I'm in the anti-rv fridge boat. My Norcold 2118 is absolutely horrible. Now that the temps outside is getting over 80-90 regularly, my fridge almost never turns off. 600 watts 24 hours a day sucks. Not to mention the fridge is constantly above 40* and ive never seem the freezer below 15*. Even brand new. Now its 8 months old and the same.

I thought about the 12v compressor swap, but $1300 and you still have a small fridge with other problems/draw backs, like no ice maker or dispenser, shitty sagging hinges, etc. Id rather put $1000 into a residential fridge that uses 1/10 the power and has every option we like.

I'm going to be going to Costco, bestbuy, and a few other places with a tape measure and see what I can find to fit. I have a problem with the fridge being in a slide and a kitchen island in front of it, so im severely limited by depth.

 

[Freqz]

I agree with Snoobler, something is amiss. I can run on one 5 (4.3 actual) gallon propane tank for about 3 weeks boondocking including running the furnace, water heater and stove/oven along with the freezer/fridge in a 34 foot class A motorhome.

+1. They’re bad but they ain’t that bad. It has something blocked or a leak or * something*.

 

[willo]

Welp, I kicked off my personal testing this afternoon. Consumption is about what I expected.
I didn't kill off my phantom loads (tvs, whatever) so I'm using a steady 421w right now through my inverter.
My DC load is around 100w, since I forgot and left my vent fan on (it was hot down there today).

Figuring I stay around 500w tonight, I'll use about 6kw of juice overnight. Probably less since we are seeing the sun early. It's cloudy now so I'm down to a couple hundred watts of solar.

I see a couple options I can go with IF I decide to optimize.
1) JC conversion kit, with shipping is friggin 1400/1300 DC vs AC.
2) Something like this furrion: https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Refrigerators/Furrion/FCR14ACBQASS.html (Black is cheaper)

There are other RV specific units.... Dang now I'm intrigued.

 

[LB3]

I'm in the anti-rv fridge boat. My Norcold 2118 is absolutely horrible. Now that the temps outside is getting over 80-90 regularly, my fridge almost never turns off. 600 watts 24 hours a day sucks. Not to mention the fridge is constantly above 40* and ive never seem the freezer below 15*. Even brand new. Now its 8 months old and the same.

I thought about the 12v compressor swap, but $1300 and you still have a small fridge with other problems/draw backs, like no ice maker or dispenser, shitty sagging hinges, etc. Id rather put $1000 into a residential fridge that uses 1/10 the power and has every option we like.

I'm going to be going to Costco, bestbuy, and a few other places with a tape measure and see what I can find to fit. I have a problem with the fridge being in a slide and a kitchen island in front of it, so im severely limited by depth.

The problem with the residential fridges is the overhead from the inverter. It takes about 400 watt hours just to keep the inverter on all day. Which in my use case is nearly a third of my daily production.

 

[willo]

The problem with the residential fridges is the overhead from the inverter. It takes about 400 watt hours just to keep the inverter on all day. Which in my use case is nearly a third of my daily production.

Honestly, the best performing unit I have is my dometic CFX95. That thing sips power provided you have stuff in it.
It's a 12/24v compressor cooler. Not cheap but I love mine.
At the beach, I was stashing a bag of ice inside one half, and kept my drinks in the other half. Works great.
I originally bought it for my offroad camper build and tossed it into my camper for travel last year.
If you really need to optimize, consider those units. They all work well. I even scored a smaller one that's now the arm rest in my land cruiser of doom. (Amazon has really odd price fluxuations, so I scored that one for like half off normal)

 

[TRAMP]

I have had many differnt RVs for the last 20 plus years. all the absorption refrigerator's were just ok. I now use a Snowmaster 12 volt compressor fridge. it will keep ice cream rock hard. If i turn it on at an ambient 70* temperature , it will drop 30* in about a 1/2 hour. I'm never going back!

 

[K8MEJ]

My TT was built in 2017. It has a 6 cu ft Dometic DM2662 absorption fridge. Two days w/o solar (rain and clouds) with my 560Ah battery capacity and inverter and I'm out of juice in two days with ONLY running the fridge. I hunted high and low for a new 12v DC compressor fridge that would fit my cabinet space AND be able to get in the door of my TT. I went with the Everchill 11 cu ft DC compressor fridge. It cost $1,250 shipped freight. It will be here Monday. I found it cheaper to buy directly from the company (Way Interglobal). I can't fit a residential fridge without a lot of modification.

It is the same width and depth as my current fridge, but six inches taller. Fortunately I have enough dead space above the fridge to install it. For roughly the same footprint, I will get nearly 2x the interior space and much lower energy draw. I don't like driving with the propane on, but I've done it reluctantly for the last four years. Now, I'm hoping to run indefinitely on solar+battery. If it works as well as I think it will, I plan to leave it running 24x7 even when in storage (outside). Not having to unload & reload the fridge twice for a camping trip will save a lot of time.

I haven't yet found a 12v compressor mini-fridge in the size I want for my outdoor kitchen. I need something that will fit in a 20" x 20" x 21" space. I primarily use the outside fridge for cold drinks and can use it with my inverter, but I'd upgrade to a 12v compressor model if I could find one. If anyone can point me to one I'd appreciate it.

 

[GSXR1000]

Everchill 11 Cubic Foot 12 Volt Refrigerator

frost-free 12V glass shelves digital temperature settings

www.alazza.shop

this says 12v

 

[K8MEJ]

Everchill 11 Cubic Foot 12 Volt Refrigerator

frost-free 12V glass shelves digital temperature settings

www.alazza.shop

this says 12v

Yes, that's what I said I bought.

 

[GSXR1000]

Yes, that's what I said I bought.

cool post some pictures of the install.. and some temps and run times? looks like a good choice

 

[Lt.Dan]

Pulled my fridge out last night. Shopping today.

I also ran a Kill a watt meter for 24 hours yesterday and it used 13kw in 24 hrs. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Installed and done. I had to lift and move the island to get it in there, but it fits. Now I have to make mounts to screw it down and run the water line.

 

[GSXR1000]

View attachment 48311

Installed and done. I had to lift and move the island to get it in there, but it fits. Now I have to make mounts to screw it down and run the water line.

very cool.. and ice and water... any timing to fit.. looks great

 

[Lt.Dan]

very cool.. and ice and water... any timing to fit.. looks great

No trimming. The norcold 2118 is a super common size, (36" wide, 69" tall, and 24" deep). But the door handles have to come off for the slide to come in, as they hit the island. But the top of the doors have grooves machined in to grab and open, so I think I'm just going to take off the handles and leave them off.

 

[GSXR1000]

do you have a model number on the fridge.
how are you going to lock it close for travel
also which fridge do you think was heavier

 

[Lt.Dan]

I'm going to see if the doors stay closed on their own while traveling, as they are pretty firm closed, and worst case I can put a pillow between the fridge and the island, if I have to.

Model number WRS571CIHZ01

The new one is a little heavier. The old one had lifting straps screwed into each corner and could be pretty easily lifted with 2 average guys. This one took 3 guys lifting and 1 guy guiding to get it in the back of the truck, but me and my wife lifted it into the opening in the slide by ourselves.