[Fridge issue] Vitrifrigo C90 I kicking in and off all the time

[JerryDu33]

Hi, 

 

I have a Vitrifrigo C 90 I (12v,) which is probably 7-8 years old and worked perfectly until now. A few days ago, it began to start and stop all the time. I hear the compressor kicking in and running for about 30 seconds, then it stops and kicks in again 10 seconds after. I don't hear the refrigerant flowing through the cooling system as I usually do. The fridge get trapped in this endless loop and won't eventually stop. It does not really refrigerate and I don't want to let it eat all my battery. The last few days, when catch it in this endless loop, I just turn it off and after a few minutes I turn it on again. It works well for some times and then eventually it falls again in this endless loop.

 

Its normal behaviour is to run a few minutes and then stop for a few minutes (depending on the wished inner temperature and the outer temperature). I tried to set it to different temperature settings but it does not affect the issue. Any idea where this problem may come from?

 

Otherwise, do you know somebody around Bath / Bristol who could have a look at it?

 

Thanks in advance!

Jerry

[MtB]

12 minutes ago, JerryDu33 said:

I have a Vitrifrigo C 90 I (12v,) which is probably 7-8 years old and worked perfectly until now. A few days ago, it began to start and stop all the time. I hear the compressor kicking in and running for about 30 seconds, then it stops and kicks in again 10 seconds after. I don't hear the refrigerant flowing through the cooling system as I usually do. The fridge get trapped in this endless loop and won't eventually stop. It does not really refrigerate and I don't want to let it eat all my battery. The last few days, when catch it in this endless loop, I just turn it off and after a few minutes I turn it on again. It works well for some times and then eventually it falls again in this endless loop.

 

 

Classic symptoms of low battery voltage. My fridge does the same if the batteries are low. 

 

How are you charging your batteries and how are you monitoring state of charge?

 

Use a multimeter to check the voltage on your fridge terminals when it is doing this, and then measure the terminal voltage directly on your battery bank and post the results here.

 

 

[Boater Sam]

Battery failure.

Or bad connection.

Does it do it with the engine running and charging the battery bank?

Edited November 2, 2018 by Boater Sam
added more

[Alan de Enfield]

51 minutes ago, JerryDu33 said:

Hi, 

 

I have a Vitrifrigo C 90 I (12v,) which is probably 7-8 years old and worked perfectly until now. A few days ago, it began to start and stop all the time. I hear the compressor kicking in and running for about 30 seconds, then it stops and kicks in again 10 seconds after. I don't hear the refrigerant flowing through the cooling system as I usually do. The fridge get trapped in this endless loop and won't eventually stop. It does not really refrigerate and I don't want to let it eat all my battery. The last few days, when catch it in this endless loop, I just turn it off and after a few minutes I turn it on again. It works well for some times and then eventually it falls again in this endless loop.

 

Its normal behaviour is to run a few minutes and then stop for a few minutes (depending on the wished inner temperature and the outer temperature). I tried to set it to different temperature settings but it does not affect the issue. Any idea where this problem may come from?

 

Otherwise, do you know somebody around Bath / Bristol who could have a look at it?

 

Thanks in advance!

Jerry

Do you have solar panels ?

[JerryDu33]

Thanks for the answers! I think you are right and it simply came from a too low battery voltage. I did not think about that possible cause because the compressor did kick in "successfully" and ran for a little while each time. Also because I have a new Victron battery monitor and mostly monitored the battery by looking at the charge percentage which was ok (around 80%). But indeed the voltage was quite low (around 11.8). I charged my battery by running the motor a while and now it works perfectly. I did not have this issue last winter because I did not used the fridge at all but stored food outside... So I guess this story is the confirmation my solar panels are not enough to run the fridge in winter...

 

J

[Boater Sam]

Solar panels will run nothing in winter, you need a windmill.

[MtB]

26 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Solar panels will run nothing in winter, you need a windmill.

 

Agreed. My experience too. 

 

Also illustrates the Victron battery monitor is worse than useless. 

 

 

[cuthound]

15 hours ago, JerryDu33 said:

Thanks for the answers! I think you are right and it simply came from a too low battery voltage. I did not think about that possible cause because the compressor did kick in "successfully" and ran for a little while each time. Also because I have a new Victron battery monitor and mostly monitored the battery by looking at the charge percentage which was ok (around 80%). But indeed the voltage was quite low (around 11.8). I charged my battery by running the motor a while and now it works perfectly. I did not have this issue last winter because I did not used the fridge at all but stored food outside... So I guess this story is the confirmation my solar panels are not enough to run the fridge in winter...

 

J

 

Do not trust the battery percentage charge reading on any shunt based battery monitor.

 

Unless the battery capacity is set correctly (and periodically readjusted to take sulphation into account), the tail current setting adjusted from the 4% default setting to say 1%, and the unit synchronised monthly WHEN THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED, as indicated either by tail current being less than 1% or by the rested voltage being 12.6 volts or above, these units get progressively less accurate. 

 

The attached chart shows state of charge for typical rested voltage for wet lead acid batteries, and is much more accurate than a battery monitor unless my advice advice over is followed.

 

11.8 volts after the battery has been rested (no load) for about an hour is actually about 30% state of charge.