Older Edgestar Fridge w/out low voltage cutoff...anyone add an external one??

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cjthing

Member
I have an older hand me down Edgestar FP630 63 qt. fridge. It keeps my food and beer cold but have an issue. I have recently found out, via Edgestar, that there is no low voltage cutoff. I have obviously killed the battery and started digging and instead of buying a fridge have found some external voltage cutoffs.

Has anyone else used one of these products to solve a similar issue? I have found posts where people use similar products for saving trailer/secondary batteries etc. Cant find much in the way of using it in my intended fashion.

Example of what I am referring to...

Amazon.com: Victron BatteryProtect BP-65-65AMP - 6-35 VDC [BPR000065400]: Electronics

Buy Victron BatteryProtect BP-65-65AMP - 6-35 VDC [BPR000065400]: Power Inverters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com

My thought is to put this cutoff inline before a "fuse block" in the rear which a number of accessories (including fridge) could be run off of. This way if battery voltage drops the non essential items wont work, which I am fine with.


I am seeing mixed reviews and most are not being used as I intend. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!
 
dreadlocks

dreadlocks

Well-known member
Victron LVD's are really nice, I use em.. they are solid state so they use like 1.5ma, its not going to impact your battery capacity at all.

They are to protect batteries, not the food.. people make mistakes like leaving lights on or something and it can be costly if you have alot of money in batteries.. very few batteries will take a complete and total discharge well, especially if it was not IMMEDIATELY recharged back to 100%
 
J

jonyjoe101

Adventurer
I been using these 0-99 volt overvoltage protection relay for years to protect my batterys. They have over/under protection, they sell on amazon for 13 dollars, I have mine connected to a 30 amp automotive relay, but you can trigger even larger relays. These are fully programmable and very reliable I use them on my expensive lithium batteries. I like the ability to set my cutoffs at whatever voltage I want and the bright LED is a good feature to have.
overvoltage relay.jpg
 
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dreadlocks

dreadlocks

Well-known member
automotive relays are like 100-250ma on average, and in that setup @jonyjoe101 proposes has two mechanical relays so probably double that, it gets worse as you get bigger.. a 200A mechanical relay will pull a few amps all by its self. $24 for the Victron Solid State LVD is worth it.. I was building solid state LVD's manually a decade ago for much more than that.. If your LVD is a parasitic drain on your battery thats far from ideal, especially for a safety device you really don't intend on activating much, if ever.

Victron supports a buzzer output if you want an alarm that your fridge is no longer powered..

I'm using multiple BT ones to shut down equipment in stages, from least important to more important.. since they take up such lil power, and are cheap it'll be nice to idiot proof my system, having it shut off the radios and lights before the furnace and fridge.
 
C

cjthing

Member
Thanks all for the replies, much appreciated!

A little more background may be helpful. This would be used on the main starting battery for the truck, with full-time 100W solar being added soon as well. A second battery is in the plans but that would come last.

I was leaning towards the Blue Sea due to the name once it was mentioned, but the 95ma power usage is a definite downside. The Victron seems promising, does anyone know what voltage cutoff levels are available? The description mentions being able to pick from several voltages but nothing more specific is noted. If the voltage levels are too low it is useless.

thanks again!
 
C

cjthing

Member
Thanks dreadlocks! This seems like a great option. That link is great and the cutoff voltage options seem perfect to me. The "dumb" one seems easy enough to operate, not sure I need the BT function via the App.

I did notice where it mentions the unit needing to be mounted in a "well ventilated area" close to the battery. Is this something that can be mounted under the hood next to the battery which is a "wet bay" and could see water?
 
dreadlocks

dreadlocks

Well-known member
yes its fine, all the electronics are potted/epoxied so its IP67 rated.. well ventilated area because solid state relays convert the lil energy they do use into heat and if you sealed one up in an airtight location it'd likely overheat on yeh sooner or later.. I would try to put it in a cooler spot under the hood, right next to an exhaust manifold it might not last.. its rated full power to 104F, and can do 122F if you de-rate its max by 40% (~39A for the lil one you linked)
 
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C

cjthing

Member
dreadlocks you are the man! Sounds like I know what I need. I don't think I need more than the smallest offering but maybe I do? With the low power draw of the fridge, and little else being run off it, I don't know if a 100 amp is worth it...open to opinions.
 
dreadlocks

dreadlocks

Well-known member
naw the 65a is more than enough.. sounds like you'd be hard pressed to push 10A outta it.. If you wanna run a big inverter or something later just bypass the LVD and keep it shut off when your not actively using it.
 
67cj5

67cj5

Man On a Mission
You can Buy one that fits between you fridge 12v power cord and the Cigar socket for about 20 Bucks from Dometic, You plug it in to your Cigar socket and plug your fridge in to it, So No modifications are needed, But you could always hardwire it in if you wish, The beauty of this thing is that you can take it with you from vehicle to Vehicle and No Mods are needed, Just Plug and Play, I have one for my 12v Cooler. works like a dream.

See Here,

DOMETIC CoolPower M 50U Battery Monitor for Universal 12 V Applications : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

DOMETIC CoolPower M 50U Battery Monitor for Universal 12 V Applications : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors
www.amazon.co.uk
 
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DiploStrat

DiploStrat

Expedition Leader
cjthing said:
... This would be used on the main starting battery for the truck, with full-time 100W solar being added soon as well. A second battery is in the plans but that would come last. ...
Click to expand...

Would argue that if you need a low voltage shutoff, then you need a bigger/second battery first, not last. A low voltage cut off is a bit like looking for a better parachute, rather than designing a plane that has enough fuel to reach its destination. ;-)

If you don't want a classic, isolated camper battery, consider simply doubling up your starter battery, even better, going with two deep cycle batteries. A deep cycle battery may not be as frisky for starting, but two of them should start anything easily. Wire them up in parallel, they way the Big Three do on their diesel trucks.
 
C

cjthing

Member
Thanks again for the replies, that Dometic Voltage monitor is pretty slick, might go that route...

I plan on solar and a second battery, if fitting the second battery was easier it would come first.

Thanks again all!!
 
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