Dometic 3 way fridge
- Thread starter rojoberry
- Start date
Hi @Boots in Action,
I just did a quick check.
You can now get them from shieldsfans for $1.00 AU each with free postage.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10A-250V...Switch-/192121488973?var=&hash=item2cbb55464d
I have also ordered items from them and had no problems.
cheers
Mike
Yes.....this is off topic.....briefly.....but there's a massive highway from Chinese electronic and other suppliers and buyers here in Australia!
and a significant cost saving for those fridge fans.
I think we used 55c fans on our previous van and, from memory, they were mounted on the fridge vent itself with silastic but cable ties would do it I think.
We also wired the fans to an on / off switch next to the fridge ....that was deliberate as we rarely needed to use the fans when camped as the fridge awning cooled things down enough. For some reason we coloured the switch blue to make it stand out.
Where we did use the fans was when travelling....in constant 35degrees plus ...up to 47degrees some days...we just turned the fans on when we hitched up and they really made a difference to the fridge efficiency and, of course, the solar more that compensated for the fan power used. I can't remember what the draw was but it was negligible.
They worked really well.
and a significant cost saving for those fridge fans.
I think we used 55c fans on our previous van and, from memory, they were mounted on the fridge vent itself with silastic but cable ties would do it I think.
We also wired the fans to an on / off switch next to the fridge ....that was deliberate as we rarely needed to use the fans when camped as the fridge awning cooled things down enough. For some reason we coloured the switch blue to make it stand out.
Where we did use the fans was when travelling....in constant 35degrees plus ...up to 47degrees some days...we just turned the fans on when we hitched up and they really made a difference to the fridge efficiency and, of course, the solar more that compensated for the fan power used. I can't remember what the draw was but it was negligible.
They worked really well.
If you don't want to wait, you can get them from Jaycar for a bit over $5
Hi,
Jaycar have the normally open version at 50C, 70C, and 100C.
I originally order mine in September and the Penguin was scheduled for delivery in November. So I had time to burn.
There always seems to be a premium to be paid for those who don't have time to wait.
cheers
Mike
I just buy those thermo switches from Jaycar, only a couple of $$$, rivet it to a spring clip so it just clips onto a pipe, write up somewhere I think on my 14.44 thread...bugger waiting weeks......I think I ended up with a 70 c one fitted as the 50c just wanted to stay on, the fridge temp for operation is around 50 odd degrees.
I was wondering how to attach these thermo switches. Thanks for the info.
I do not run the outside fans whilst travelling as I think they would draw in too much dust/wet weather especially as I have an intake fan at the bottom. Hopefully just moving along the highway will drag in some cooler air. I do however run the internal fans to help even out the temperature a bit as it is only running on 12 volt..
Hi @Boots in Action,
in the photo I posted yesterday you can see the two cable ties I used.
But that was way before I joined this forum and read about the way @Drover did it with a metal clip.
That seems like a much better way to do it.
cheers
Mike
Oh well.....I installed them purely for temp reduction and a major problem was the ambient temp we had in the back blocks and centre. Rain and dust were simply not an issue. ..it tends not to rain at 40Deg and, if it did, i wouldn't worry about getting the temp down .
I can assure you that simply moving along the highway in those temps drags in very hot air!
But that was last year and the year before ...so I'm now very happy with our fridge set up.
I also screen my wall with a 14ft awning to keep the sun off the fridge vents, none of this tiny screen which lets the sun come in at an angle...actually a fella said his cost him $150 to get set up and was most peeved when I told him mine was too....his was a brand name fridge screen about 1 mt wide with fittings mine was a 14ft van shade screen from BCF with sail trak and Okky straps from Bunnings.
Big Mal in full free camp set up at Lake Cargelligo...............
Big Mal in full free camp set up at Lake Cargelligo...............
I knew there was something else I wanted to say earlier..............................someone did a write up on a fan on the roof which I think depending on the opening but a fan situated in an easy location which drew the air to the vent was all that was needed......of course with all these fan positions, where it as easy to get at is the spot to go for.
From memory cos I'm still lazy....current draw per day is 15 amps for the stupid idiotic over designed electronic panel.
The Waeco....drawer fridge ....which we also run is 34amps per day....but you didn't request that info. It's remarkably efficient and I love it! Didn't think I would but....
With both, we're now comfortable with but, having been to the dealer all day today for a long chat about many things, now think we're OK with power. The solar is working very well and we're very pleased with the Projecta charging setup. We find it easier to read and understand than the Setec which we've used for over eight years. Now we need to deal with the supplied gauges....to the tip.
It just show that entrenched attitudes can be adjusted.....but it took a while.
That's 620mA. Doesn't sound much until you add it up over 24 hours.
To clarify....based on my whinging about it....draw is between 0.6 and 0.7 per hour for the 24 hours so we work on 15 per day.
That stacks up with what we've monitored (roughly) while using it.
The other fridge...the Waeco...cycles on and off, off at night usually....and averages out at about the 34 mark per day. We can live with that and turn it off if we're not using it but it's so damn useful!
It's only 30 litres so I'd be a bit worried using a similar technology for the main fridge if its 185 litres!
(The Thetford figures were from Thetford )
That stacks up with what we've monitored (roughly) while using it.
The other fridge...the Waeco...cycles on and off, off at night usually....and averages out at about the 34 mark per day. We can live with that and turn it off if we're not using it but it's so damn useful!
It's only 30 litres so I'd be a bit worried using a similar technology for the main fridge if its 185 litres!
(The Thetford figures were from Thetford )
Hello @mikerezny , found some interesting data on inverters for you to think about. Quoted direct from Australian Direct - Batteries and Charging Guide
"Probably one of the most battery hungry devices you can run from a battery is an inverter. When calculating the loads for a 700 watt inverter, use a multiplier of 1.2 in the following formula;
Wattage X 1.2 divided by voltage. So our 700 watt load would look like this:
700 X 1.2 divided by 12 = 70 Amps.
A small inverter can pull some serious loads off a battery........." A compressor fridge is nowhere near this amount!
Whilst a compressor fridge is more efficient, it comes at a cost in battery power. Even a small one would be dragging out nearly 40 amps daily working on a 40% running cycle. You would need to have a lot more battery storage as well as at least 200 watts of solar to be able to continue running the fridge. If the sun God was not kind to you, say 3 or 4 days of cloudy or rainy weather, you would have to seek another source of power - eg generator or connect to tug and run engine for long periods. This can be done and is quite reasonable too. To change, you would have to swap your gas bottle/s for batteries and solar panels. But if it comes down to the wire both heat absorption and compressor fridges (with transformer) can run on 240 volts and that is where the compressor fridge is superior. The whole trouble with that for me is that I go where there is NO 240 volt power, so I will stick with my gas operation. 14 days continuous operation on one 8.5 kg gas bottle will do me and no need for more outlay of money. That's why I do everything possible to increase the efficiency of my inferior (to compressor type) heat absorption type!!!
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