ENGEL Fridge - solar panel question

voyageur

Adventurer
Amazon panel had bad reviews

I figure whichever set up I buy, I want it to last me a long time. I also want to be able to combine several panels if I need more power.

The reviews suggested the panels were not built as well as the heavier rigid panels and perhaps produced less power per square foot.

Anyhoo... I am still shopping. So far it seems as if Kyocera is one of the more affordable and highly rated PV manufacturers.

It sure is amazing how much information can be gathered from the members on this list. AMAZING!

Voyageur
 

taugust

Adventurer
The amp draw you are referring to (2.5A) is the max draw from the specs. I hooked mine up to AC through a Kill-A-Watt meter. After startup and cooldown, the fridge drew about 0.5A when running. That lowers your amp hours per day to about 20% of the previous calculations. Even allowing for higher draw at startup, that's still not much. Keeping the temp around 32 Deg F, compressor cycles about 50%.
 

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
"I hooked mine up to AC through a Kill-A-Watt meter. After startup and cooldown, the fridge drew about 0.5A when running"

Excellent work - only still flawed:)

ok so here we go - electrics 101.

0.5A @ 110 V = 55 watts

55 watts at 12 V = 4.58 amps...........

Electrickery is funny stuff -

The greater current draw than Engels spec sheet is the
loss converting 110v AC to 12V DC for the compressor...

Hence me saying guestimated consumption.

You'd need a pretty fancy current recorder for fully assesing real world figures
a spot ammeter reading won't give you accurate consumption.

You score a 2 for application but an 8 for trying :victory::)

Sorry I have an awfull sence of humor,

but your input did help in noticing the compressor is on about 1/2 the time- but you don't mention full or empty ?

Thermal mass is another issue which effects power consumption and cycling.

a fridge full of ice for example would take ages to warm up due the mass of ice still frozen.

an empty fridge will warm up concerably quicker as there's no mass.

So a full frozen fridge will cycle less than a 1/2 empty one with 6 cans of beer some damp lettuce and a wedge of Wensledale cheese

Theory is one thing - the practical application needs a little more work as there are so many variables effecting the efficiency.

hence suppliers are rather sketchy on real consumption figures
 

voyageur

Adventurer
Another important question...

What is "Wensledale" cheese like? Similar to? Can we buy it in the states (of America)?

I love to eat cheese but most of all I love cutting the cheese.:wings:

This weekend I am going to leave my ENGEL on for about 48 hours, half full of liquids and solids and see if I can still start my 'Overy. If I can't, I will drive a couple of miles and buy another Optima and a battery combiner/Isolator and a proper switch. I just want to keep my stuff cold without buying ice.

My biggest dissapointment - due to my lack of 12V knowledge, is that I can't load the ENGEL into the center cockpit of our 22' Eddyline, San Juan, sea-kayak and use solar panels to keep it cold for 4 or 5 days, unless I carry a BIG battery. I just wasn't considering all of the facts...

Happy Friday and thanks for all the knowledge...

Voyageur
 

TreeTopFlyer

Adventurer
You'd need a pretty fancy current recorder for fully assesing real world figures
a spot ammeter reading won't give you accurate consumption.

Been lurking for a while, finally found something I could chime in on. We use HOBO software and data loggers to track this, I do lighting and power design.

I will throw one on today at work and turn the fridge on for a few hours and see what the data track looks like. Will report back in later tonight. Results won't be very real world since its about 41 degrees out.
 
Last edited:

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
This may be a bit Brit.......

I tried to spell a famous french cheese and gave up , I was unwilling to let the spelling police lock the thread AKA issues with the sites spelling, grammer and the letter K rules

wngwensleydale_2_sm.jpg


Now I have a little more time...and googled it "Roquefort"

There you go...

Now why do I carry a fancy french cheese..............

I enjoy my food- and love simple cooking

take one chicken breast cut in half like a hot dog bun, fill with the above mentioned odd cheese...wrap in silver foil and chuck on the BBQ-fire-embers

add bacon bits- garlic- cilanthro-pepper and chilli to suit

Blue cheese is similar and cheaper in the states........

Takes as long as a hotdog------------

the taste well sorry not in the same class



Its 11.00pm and I'm one wine tomany.............oops
 

voyageur

Adventurer
Sounds easy to prepare and delicious...

I will try your recipe this weekend...

Another ENGEL question. Mine arrived from Texas today and it looks and works like new. On the rear of the top there is a sticker that says "TURBO FAN cooling booster". Is the feature on all of the MT35's or is this a nice extra feature?

Thanks to this list, I got a great ENGEL at an unbelievable price. $150.00. Yee Haa! His ad said he "wouldn't ship" - it turned out, he was glad to. Only took three days to get here to South Florida, from Texas. Thanks FedEx. I have wanted one of these for years and now I have one, without breaking the bank.

Voyageur - getting ready to go solar.
 

teotwaki

Excelsior!
"I hooked mine up to AC through a Kill-A-Watt meter. After startup and cooldown, the fridge drew about 0.5A when running"

Excellent work - only still flawed:)

ok so here we go - electrics 101.

0.5A @ 110 V = 55 watts

55 watts at 12 V = 4.58 amps...........

Electrickery is funny stuff -

The greater current draw than Engels spec sheet is the
loss converting 110v AC to 12V DC for the compressor...

Hence me saying guestimated consumption. ---SNIP-----

The AC to DC converter is probably a switching power supply and might be 85% efficient so essentially more power is pulled off the AC mains than is supplied as DC power to the Engel. The fridge may be pulling about 4 Amps at 12 volts.
 

JIMBO

Expedition Leader
:sombrero: My MT35 ain't got NO sticker, it just works "cool"


I will try your recipe this weekend...

Another ENGEL question. Mine arrived from Texas today and it looks and works like new. On the rear of the top there is a sticker that says "TURBO FAN cooling booster". Is the feature on all of the MT35's or is this a nice extra feature?

Thanks to this list, I got a great ENGEL at an unbelievable price. $150.00. Yee Haa! His ad said he "wouldn't ship" - it turned out, he was glad to. Only took three days to get here to South Florida, from Texas. Thanks FedEx. I have wanted one of these for years and now I have one, without breaking the bank.




:smiley_drive::victory::safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO
 

voyageur

Adventurer
Man-O-Man

Jimbo,

I love that Tentrax off-road trailer. Someday...

We have been enjoying our Kelty. Green River 6, tent, here in flat, level, dry Florida, but when we start heading west, I don't want to depend on favorable terrain.

Also your ENGEL is a lot newer model. I can't wait to get mine out of my living-room and into the outdoors.

Have a great weekend,

Voyageur
 

JIMBO

Expedition Leader
:costumed-smiley-007:sombrero: I know the feeling


Jimbo,

I love that Tentrax off-road trailer. Someday...

We have been enjoying our Kelty. Green River 6, tent, here in flat, level, dry Florida, but when we start heading west, I don't want to depend on favorable terrain.

Also your ENGEL is a lot newer model. I can't wait to get mine out of my living-room and into the outdoors.

Have a great weekend,

Plug that sucker in to your house (120vac) and leave it on ALL THE TIME

Mine is never off, and don't forget to use the basket, so you can open/close quickly

Enjoy

:victory::costumed-smiley-007:safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO
 

TreeTopFlyer

Adventurer
Data Logs

Granted this was logged during 40 degree day. When it warms up I will hook up a temp sensor to track the temp inside the Ex to get a better idea of how it will react when the weather is a little warmer out.

My fridge is a Norcold 630C, hey it's old but the price was right. $50 from a garage sale of a friend. Never used, still had the tie straps on the cables. The nameplate says 3.5A for 12V. The logs show pretty much that, just a little over 3A. The thermostat was at #2. The compressor was cycling every hour, then I left work around 3ish. I had the heater on in the truck which accounts for the compressor starting to cycle 2x per hour, I like it warm in the Ex.

Hope this helps.
 

Attachments

  • Norcold_41_Degrees.zip
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UK4X4

Expedition Leader
mmm I only get one data point 1-1 and nothing else.

can you check and re-post if required as we are genuinely interested
 

voyageur

Adventurer
Man this ENGEL is cool.

:victory:​

Sitting in my living room (78 degrees) thermostat is between 1 & 2 and my milk is frozen. Holy Moly - I don't know about power consumption , but it sure keeps beer ice-cold.

This is ging to be the best $150.00 I ever spent...

"Cool" Voyageur
 

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