Shoreline 12/24V fridge

[Floaty Me Boaty]

Hi All,

24V DC Electrical wiring question if i may,

I have 4mm2 cable going from my batteries to the fridge, which is protected by a blade fuse at the battery end, but i would like to have a flexible wire, with plug fitted at the fridge end.

My rationale behind this is ease of maintenance so i can just unplug the fridge, do what i have to do in the galley, then move it back into position when i want.

Can anyone see any issues with re-wiring the fridge with a few foot of flexible cable like you have on a washing machine?

The thicker cable should prevent the fridge suffering too much volt drop.

The run of cable from the battery to the fridge would be reduced slightly as it would be a fixed length from the battery to the socket.

Also, just trying to smarten the whole galley up in the process.

 

Finally, i was going to do a temporary fix and take electrical measurements prior to fixing it all in position, so i can see what voltage i would get at the far end of the connections, but as i would have no load, not sure if that would work.

 

Thanks in advance for your input, always appreciated.

[nicknorman]

With a 24v system voltage drop is less critical. My only concern would be to question what sort of plug & socket you are contemplating? Hopefully not a domestic 13A plug? You need to use something that cannot be confused with a mains system and that has contact material suitable for low voltage high(ish) current.

[Floaty Me Boaty]

10 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

With a 24v system voltage drop is less critical. My only concern would be to question what sort of plug & socket you are contemplating? Hopefully not a domestic 13A plug? You need to use something that cannot be confused with a mains system and that has contact material suitable for low voltage high(ish) current.

I was going to do some research to see what is out there. As long as it would work, that's great. Thanks

[magnetman]

I'd use an Anderson SB50. 

Get the one with the right size terminals as there are several different ones..

You need a heavy duty crimper or a hammer crimper. I use a hammer crimper. 

I've done quite a few SB50 terminals with this crimper 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

1 hour ago, Floaty Me Boaty said:

Hi All,

24V DC Electrical wiring question if i may,

I have 4mm2 cable going from my batteries to the fridge, which is protected by a blade fuse at the battery end, but i would like to have a flexible wire, with plug fitted at the fridge end.

My rationale behind this is ease of maintenance so i can just unplug the fridge, do what i have to do in the galley, then move it back into position when i want.

Can anyone see any issues with re-wiring the fridge with a few foot of flexible cable like you have on a washing machine?

The thicker cable should prevent the fridge suffering too much volt drop.

The run of cable from the battery to the fridge would be reduced slightly as it would be a fixed length from the battery to the socket.

Also, just trying to smarten the whole galley up in the process.

 

Finally, i was going to do a temporary fix and take electrical measurements prior to fixing it all in position, so i can see what voltage i would get at the far end of the connections, but as i would have no load, not sure if that would work.

 

Thanks in advance for your input, always appreciated.

You can only measure volts drop when the full rated current is being used, open circuit  no load will just give you battery voltage .

[BEngo]

The running current will be small.  Perhaps 3 A at 24v.  The start up current is not small!  It doesn't last long though, so needs some specialist kit to measure it.

 

When looking for a suitable plug/socket you only need to worry about the running current though. A BS546 15A round pin would be OK.  City Electrical Factors and Farnell both do them.  You will only need two of the pins.

 

N

[MtB]

54 minutes ago, BEngo said:

The running current will be small.  Perhaps 3 A at 24v.  The start up current is not small!  It doesn't last long though, so needs some specialist kit to measure it.

 

My own 12v fridge was connected using a mains 13A plug and socket. When it started playing up I took the top off the plug thinking the 13A fuse inside was a potential fail point and I was right. Some previously had removed the fuse and wound a load of copper wire back and forth across where the fuse would normally go. Prsumably because 13A fuses kept blowing! 

 

 

[Floaty Me Boaty]

1 hour ago, BEngo said:

The running current will be small.  Perhaps 3 A at 24v.  The start up current is not small!  It doesn't last long though, so needs some specialist kit to measure it.

 

When looking for a suitable plug/socket you only need to worry about the running current though. A BS546 15A round pin would be OK.  City Electrical Factors and Farnell both do them.  You will only need two of the pins.

 

N

That great, thank you

ill have a look whilst at the Hotel tonight, so hopefully be able to pick one up locally. If not, I can do it on my next visit. 

[Tracy D'arth]

I am sure that a BS546   5 Amp plug would be sufficient or even a 2 Amp one as the running current is so low and there  is plenty of brass in a BS546 plug and socket whatever the size.

Don't use the nasty 2 pin 12v caravan type socket, they are rubbish.

[magnetman]

I like the anderson plugs because they are low profile, don't need to be mounted to a surface and are cheap and easy to deal with just slot them together. Good way to break a pair of wires. 

 

Of course it is overkill for a fridge having said that the last fridge I had used quite thick wires. 

 

 

If it is very low amps then a Hella plug/socket might work although I found the wire connections on these a little suboptimal. 

 

[GUMPY]

Neutrik Speakon connectors.

Good for 20amps and still reasonable size and price

 

Link

[IanD]

8 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Neutrik Speakon connectors.

Good for 20amps and still reasonable size and price

 

Link

Also very reliable and with good cable strain reliefs. Just make sure not to plug your PA speakers*** in by mistake... 😉

 

*** you know, those you've got for playing heavy metal outside in response to out-of-hours genny running...

[Jon57]

WAGO connectors possibly.

[magnetman]

Obviously they have far more contacts than needed but car trailer plugs and sockets are quite good and not expensive. No reason not to use just two of the pins. 

I did find some really quite nice DC plug/socket combinations like miniature trailer plugs but can't remember where. I was struck by how well made they were. 

 

 

These look interesting 

 

https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/ip67-waterproof-2-pin-panel-mount-locking-connector-plug-1224v-dc-20a.html

or these if you are ok with soldering.

 

 

 3 pin trailer connectors ? 

 

[Onewheeler]

+1 for the Anderson powerpole connectors, 30 A will be fine for a fridge, you can get panel mount holders for them so you have something like a normal plug/socket arrangement. The connectors are cheap too (look on Ebay).

[MtB]

3 hours ago, IanD said:

Also very reliable and with good cable strain reliefs. Just make sure not to plug your PA speakers*** in by mistake... 😉

 

 

Lol, I bet the cones would bulge right out (or in) for 30 seconds then relax with a puff of the magic smoke !

 

 

[IanD]

Just now, MtB said:

 

Lol, I bet the cones would bulge right out (or in) for 30 seconds then relax with a puff of the magic smoke !

 

Nah, not on 12V -- or even 24V with the drivers I've used. I did kill one years ago by hitting it with a repeated 25Hz bass note, but that was using a 1000W amp... 😞