Reccomend me a 12v fridge!!!!

[TheSaintlyOne]

So what 12v fridge would you reccomend to a new canal boat owner. I'm constant cruising so needs to be run off available generated power ie Engine/Solar 

[Richard10002]

Waeco of the size that suits you.

[Alan de Enfield]

44 minutes ago, TheSaintlyOne said:

So what 12v fridge would you reccomend to a new canal boat owner. I'm constant cruising so needs to be run off available generated power ie Engine/Solar 

If you have an inverter - any 230v fridge from any standard 'electric shops'.

If you don't have an inverter by a 12v Waeco.

 

 

[MtB]

3 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If you have an inverter - any 230v fridge from any standard 'electric shops'.

 

Disagree to an extent.

 

The OP needs to have firstly the right type of inverter i.e. big enough to be capable of starting the compressor motor, and secondly to have a low enough quiescent current to keep it ON 24/7 without caning the batteries.

 

If both these conditions are met then I agree. But I bet they aren't. 

 

 

[PD1964]

4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If you have an inverter - any 230v fridge from any standard 'electric shops'.

If you don't have an inverter by a 12v Waeco.

 

 

I have a 240v while in the Marina and on mains, but found it hammered the batteries when out on Inverter, now I use a Dometic CDF-36 31Ltr 12V Portable fridge when out cruising as it Just plugs into a 12v cigarette type lighter socket so easy to install, much better while out and not too big, if you can get away with the size of one of these Just Google for different model sizes. You may not need a full size fridge it's all down to how you want to eat/ food shop.

[Dr Bob]

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Disagree to an extent.

 

The OP needs to have firstly the right type of inverter i.e. big enough to be capable of starting the compressor motor, and secondly to have a low enough quiescent current to keep it ON 24/7 without caning the batteries.

 

If both these conditions are met then I agree. But I bet they aren't. 

 

 

As someone new to the canals, the OP should think about whether they need an inverter. Living off 12V sounds a lot like camping to me. We like our 240V devices. Get an inverter and then a 240V fridge. Dont most boats have inverters?

[Alan de Enfield]

33 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

 Dont most boats have inverters?

Never had one without (except small trailer fishing 'day-boats')

[PD1964]

37 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

As someone new to the canals, the OP should think about whether they need an inverter. Living off 12V sounds a lot like camping to me. We like our 240V devices. Get an inverter and then a 240V fridge. Dont most boats have inverters?

The OP is on about CCing and as MTB says a 240v fridge is not the best thing for CCing and as the Post says he wants recommendations on a 12v fridge not 240v so probably thought about the 240v option and decided it's a no go, maybe would need to upgrade batteries and inverter.

Edited November 20, 2019 by PD1964

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, PD1964 said:

MTB says a 240v fridge is not the best thing for CCing

Did he ?

Where ?

[PD1964]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Did he ?

Where ?

Maybe I read between the lines, so your recommending a 240v fridge even though the OP has posted asking for recommendations for a 12v fridge to go CCing?

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, PD1964 said:

Maybe I read between the lines, so your recommending a 240v fridge even though the OP has posted asking for recommendations for a 12v fridge to go CCing?

Yes.

 

I'd suggest from posts here that the many CCers & 'high volume' leisure users are 240v.

 

I have both a 12v fridge (because it was on the boat) and a 230v Freezer (that I installed)

Electric kettle, microwave oven and a toaster.

You just need to design your electrical 'power station' to suit.

Edited November 20, 2019 by Alan de Enfield

[PD1964]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Yes.

 

I'd suggest from posts here that the majority of CCers are 240v.

  Maybe the OP hasn't got the infrastructure to support a 240v fridge that's why he's after a 12v one. I've not seen on here the difference in CCer numbers with regards to 240v and 12v fridges, maybe the OP should direct his question to CCers only.  All I know is my 240v fridge consumes most of my battery power when I'm out, that's why I also have a Dometic 12v.

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

All I know is my 240v fridge consumes most of my battery power

 

 

I very much doubt it does - maybe when combined with the 'wrong' inverter or maybe you have a poor installation with no ventilation around it but the fridge itself will be no more 'demanding' than a 12v one, in fact 230v fridges generally have far better insulation than 12v fridges.

 

Don't forget you cool-box is only 30 litres (half a dozen bottles of pop ?). My fridge & freezer have to 'keep us going' for weeks at a time.

 

My 12v fridge uses 25-30Ah per day.

 

A freezer generally uses more than a fridge as it is working harder to achieve -15*c whilst a fridge is only cooling to +5*C

 

My 230v freezer uses 30-35Ah per day.

 

The OP is fitting out from scratch an old boat so he can put in whatever infrastructure he feels ids the best.

 

Edited November 20, 2019 by Alan de Enfield

[PD1964]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I very much doubt it does - maybe when combined with the 'wrong' inverter or maybe you have a poor installation with no ventilation around it but the fridge itself will be no more 'demanding' than a 12v one, in fact 230v fridges generally have far better insulation than 12v fridges.

 

Don't forget you cool-box is only 30 litres (half a dozen bottles of pop ?). My fridge & freezer have to 'keep us going' for weeks at a time.

 

My 12v fridge uses 25-30Ah per day.

 

A freezer generally uses more than a fridge as it is working harder to achieve -15*c whilst a fridge is only cooling to +5*C

 

My 230v freezer uses 30-35Ah per day.

Yes OK not really bothered.

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Yes OK not really bothered.

That's not a very nice and considerate response to someone offering you the benefit of his many years of experience of many different boats.

 

I'm starting to think that @Boater Sam might have the right approach ...

[Dr Bob]

I agree with AdeE. My 240v fridge takes 25-30Ahrs in 24 hours so is better than most 12 V fridges. Whilst the OP might be asking about 12V fridges only, as he is new to all of this he may not realize that many of us run inverters 24/7 so then 240V fridges are not only better on power saving but also a darn sight cheaper. 

[PD1964]

Why should I be bothered? I’m not the one who’s asking about 12v fridge recommendations, so no need to get into a conversation and take the Post off topic, the OP is asking about 12v fridge recommendations not the ins and outs about onboard fridges, there is also another recent Thread  asking about 12v fridges “Best place to buy a decent sized 12v fridge please” maybe Alan wants to advise this OP also to buy a 240v fridge not a 12v.

[Dr Bob]

2 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Why should I be bothered? I’m not the one who’s asking about 12v fridge recommendations, so no need to get into a conversation and take the Post off topic, the OP is asking about 12v fridge recommendations not the ins and outs about onboard fridges, there is also another recent Thread  asking about 12v fridges “Best place to buy a decent sized 12v fridge please” maybe Alan wants to advise this OP also to buy a 240v fridge not a 12v.

Shirley you have been around this forum long enough to know that when posts on fridges come up, new people to the canals often assume a 12V fridge is the only solution. It isn't and if someone is using an inverter 24/7 then a 240V fridge will be more economical with power and cheaper. I would guess that most liveaboards use an inverter than don't.

[TheBiscuits]

16 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

Shirley you have been around this forum long enough to know that when posts on fridges come up, new people to the canals often assume a 12V fridge is the only solution. It isn't and if someone is using an inverter 24/7 then a 240V fridge will be more economical with power and cheaper. I would guess that most liveaboards use an inverter than don't.

 

... Coming over here bringing their facts and logic into it ... mutter mutter

[MtB]

26 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

It isn't and if someone is using an inverter 24/7 then a 240V fridge will be more economical with power and cheaper.

 

Is that a fundamental truth or is it just that Inlander, Shoreline etc only convert badly insulated obsolete fridges?

 

Or is there an inherent inefficiency in 12Vdc compressors compared to 240Vac?

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

6 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Is that a fundamental truth or is it just that Inlander, Shoreline etc only convert badly insulated obsolete fridges?

 

Or is there an inherent inefficiency in 12Vdc compressors compared to 240Vac?

 

 

Market forces Mike.

 

There are a much better/wider seletion of domestic fridges than "lesiure" fridges, and if you have an appropriate inverter you have 240V available 24/7 anyway.

 

One of the posters upthread is quoting their brilliant 12V fridge that only draws 5A ... as opposed to a different 240V fridge that only draws 0.2 amps ... 

 

[MtB]

38 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

One of the posters upthread is quoting their brilliant 12V fridge that only draws 5A ... as opposed to a different 240V fridge that only draws 0.2 amps ... 

 

Well I imagine yer point is 0.2A at 240Vac is much the same thing as 5A at 12v once inverter inefficiency is accounted for....

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

11 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

As someone new to the canals, the OP should think about whether they need an inverter. Living off 12V sounds a lot like camping to me. We like our 240V devices. Get an inverter and then a 240V fridge. Dont most boats have inverters?

I've found 12v more than adequate for my needs and I certainly don't consider myself to be camping. The only thing I think I miss from 240v is a toaster. 12v lights are perfectly fine, my 12v fridge is excellent and behaves as well as any 240v fridge I've ever owned, and any other devices I run, I can't imagine what 240v would improve on. In fact, if I lived in a house, I'd probably hook up a similar electrical system to the one I have on my boat (more solar panels and a few more batteries though). The electricity bill would be next to nothing.

 

That said, I do have a shore power cable on its way today which I shall use to enjoy the fruits of people over topping-up the electrical points in Leeds dock.

Edited November 21, 2019 by NB Caelmiri

[doratheexplorer]

I have a good inverter (Mastervolt) with a very low quiescent current.  I also have a 12v shoreline fridge.  I'm happy with this set up for now but I'm unsure what I would do if the fridge needed replacing.  Yes, I could buy a 240v fridge for less money than a new 12v fridge but there are downsides to this.  I'm not entirely convinced that the power consumption of a 240v fridge would compete with what I have, but more importantly I don't want to be reliant on my inverter working.  Inverters do play up, and I'd assume that running one 24/7 is likely to put more wear on the inverter and shorten its life.  My inverter cost more than my fridge so I want it to last as long as possible.

 

In all honesty, if my fridge needed replacing I'd look for a good second hand 12v fridge first.  The fridge I have cost me £100 second hand and was in nearly new condition and I sold my fairly knackered 12v fridge for £50, so I'm happy with my choice.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, PD1964 said:

Why should I be bothered? I’m not the one who’s asking about 12v fridge recommendations, so no need to get into a conversation and take the Post off topic, the OP is asking about 12v fridge recommendations not the ins and outs about onboard fridges, there is also another recent Thread  asking about 12v fridges “Best place to buy a decent sized 12v fridge please” maybe Alan wants to advise this OP also to buy a 240v fridge not a 12v.

You did seem bothered for a while there as you were exchanging a number of posts with AdE on the topic.