power a home refrigerator with a Tacoma and huge inverter?

[M35A2]

even if it was a gal per hour, that would mean that the tacoma would have an easy 10 hrs of runtime and the tundra would have 20 hours.

im good with that. but my alternator amperage seems to be the weak link.

assuming the fridge is 722W. then a safe surge wattage is double. so that would be ~1500w. 1500w/12v = 125 amps.
thats a lot more amperage than i have.

The surge is current inrush and lasts a few seconds. Your battery will handle that as it is a lot less than cranking the engine. Your alternator is not an issue.

The issue will be the cost and efficiency of the inverter.

What will you do if you have to drive somewhere during the power outage?

I understand your concerns about the liquid gold. Very commendable. Store some freezer packs inside your freezer at all times. Gives you reserve capacity during transient conditions.

I suspect that you would be better off investing in a small genset as opposed to the inverter. That will give you much more flexibility. But if you disagree, you do not have to worry about your alternator's ability to keep up with things.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I would imagine the issue with the generator is the "buy in" cost which would be significant (aren't most generators over $500? I have to confess I've never shopped for one) and the thought of spending that kind of money on a piece of equipment that would spend 99% of its time sitting idle, vs using the truck (which he already has) and a less-expensive inverter.
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I think OP is in SoCal where power loss is more likely to happen in mid Summer when everyone is running their AC so I can understand his concern. Here in CO if we get a power outage it's more likely to be in mid-winter.
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However, for less than the cost of a decent generator (I think) you might be able to get a small chest freezer. My experience with chest freezers is that they're very good at keeping things cold and even in the case of a power outage can keep stuff from spoiling for a long time - probably a day or more. There are a couple of reasons for this: First, the top-opening design provides less opportunity for the cold air to escape, and second (more importantly) unlike the fridge that gets opened multiple times ever day (losing cold air every time its opened) you usually only open a chest freezer when you need something out of it, which is not that often.
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We have a chest freezer in our utility room (converted garage) and it's a great place to keep frozen meals, fresh meats, etc. I've seen small chest freezers for under $200, which I'm pretty sure is less than what you'd pay for a generator and even better, you can use a chest freezer year 'round. Our favorite trick is to cook complete meals - lasagna, baked spaghetti, manicotti, chicken enchiladas - and then store them in freezer-safe glass containers with lids. Then, when we need a meal, we just take it out in the morning and put it in the fridge to thaw. By dinner time it's ready to pop in the oven for 45 minutes and voila - dinner!

 

[rexwang]

good point about the battery being able to cover the surge capacity needs.

i have two trucks so in a bind i can always take the "other" truck. or even so, we can take my wifes RAV4. so thats not a huge concern.

our freezer is literally full of either the "gold" or other food items with decently high thermal mass. it would be fine for probably half a day. and to be totally honest, we may never use this system but the stress of it is very great. so, really this might just be a ploy to help alleviate stress and have an actual option if something were to happen.

an ARB fridge/freezer is very expensive, not what i need, and only is capable of temperatures down to 0°F. we are running our freezer at -6°F. also, if need be i can run the home furnace off of this thing if we take turns. no arb fridge.

I in-fact do have a kill-a-watt sitting right in front of me as i type. i was thinking the same thing. only that it doesnt provide min/max values. its a real-time meter that trends usage. so i guess ill just plug it in and watch the screen when it kicks on.

i am still considering a gen-set. however a reliable gen-set ~1500-2000w runs around 600-800 bucks. while a decent inverter of the same wattage is around 200-300 bucks. it would be hardwired and permanently installed in the truck.

its looking more and more feasible. the gen-set is an obvious option but then id have to maintain that too. any reliable generator will be 4-stroke running on gasoline (as opposed to propane or premix). with the kid and life, the added maintenance factor is a huge turn-off. my trucks are always meticulously maintained. and spare parts are readily available.

 

[M35A2]

I would imagine the issue with the generator is the "buy in" cost which would be significant (aren't most generators over $500? I have to confess I've never shopped for one) and the thought of spending that kind of money on a piece of equipment that would spend 99% of its time sitting idle, vs using the truck (which he already has) and a less-expensive inverter.
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Harbor Freight sells small gensets for much less than $500, and with their 20% coupons the cost would be around the same as a decent inverter.

A quick search shows a HF 900 peak/700 continuous for $88.88. That would run the refrigerator in question. Lowes and Home Depot have larger units for $200.

The inverter would also be idle 99% of the time, so the issues are the perceived risk, the acceptable investment, and flexibilities/limiations of the dirrerent alternatives. A simple business case.

In terms of feasibility, the OP's existing vehicle will handle it as long as the inverter is up to the task.

 

[Ozymandias]

Go with a generator, they are so cheap, a good inverter well be more costly and you burn a lot more fuel and also is longtime ideling not good for the engine.

 

[rexwang]

that HF genny is a gen-set but probably not something i would spend money on. and i dont believe the 20% coupons apply to generators (just like they dont apply to floor jacks)

also, im comparing generators that provide "clean" power. most of the cheaper gennys cant provide power to sensitive electronics.

 

[plh]

good point about the battery being able to cover the surge capacity needs.
I in-fact do have a kill-a-watt sitting right in front of me as i type. i was thinking the same thing. only that it doesnt provide min/max values. its a real-time meter that trends usage. so i guess ill just plug it in and watch the screen when it kicks on.

Peak hold A/C amp capability


http://www.harborfreight.com/clamp-on-digital-multimeter.html

 

[tanglefoot]

We frequently discuss backup power on the other forum I frequent (Priuschat) but I don't think I would use a conventionally-powered vehicle to supply back up power. I'd rather go with a generator, and I wouldn't have qualms of using a Harbor Freight unit--that's the first place I'd go.

Hybrid cars are another story--they produce large amounts of electrical energy very efficiently and only run the engine as needed. A Prius is capable of powering an entire house through a plug-out system or custom UPS, while operating much more quietly and cleanly than a generator. I don't think I would use a non-hybrid vehicle for that purpose, though.

 

[M35A2]

that HF genny is a gen-set but probably not something i would spend money on. and i dont believe the 20% coupons apply to generators (just like they dont apply to floor jacks)

also, im comparing generators that provide "clean" power. most of the cheaper gennys cant provide power to sensitive electronics.

The $88.88 was the price without additional coupons.

In terms of 'clean' power, your refrigerator is unlikely to have sensitive electronics. If you also want to recharge your laptop, the laptop power supply handles filtering. However, many inverters output a square wave and filtering that to a clean sine wave costs $$$$ but again, should not be necessary for the use case you've described.

I respectfully suggest that there is no need to overthink this. Decide on how much you have in your budget. Compare the specs of an inverter at that price point to the specs of a small genset at the same price point. Then review the pros and cons of each approach and decide which you like better. If you go the inverter route, your vehicles can handle it as-is without upgrading batteries or alternators.

Let us know what you decide.

 

[rexwang]

yeah i need to figure it out.

btw, my fridge is one of the "got to have" wifi enabled type. so yeah, it might be sensitive.

i think the consensus is, my tacoma is sufficient to run the inverter (of correct size of course) however a gen-set is probably a better option for my stated needs..

a used gen-set might be the answer for me. unless i shouldnt consider used at all

 

[M35A2]

yeah i need to figure it out.

btw, my fridge is one of the "got to have" wifi enabled type. so yeah, it might be sensitive.

i think the consensus is, my tacoma is sufficient to run the inverter (of correct size of course) however a gen-set is probably a better option for my stated needs..

a used gen-set might be the answer for me. unless i shouldnt consider used at all

Yes to most of that and maybe not on the idea of a used machine.....

.....To tell you the truth, for the scenario you described in terms of what you wish to keep frozen, you do not want a science project - in other words, a used genset. You don't need to be fooling with gummy carbs or anything else. You want to fuel it up and go. A brand-new unit is best. Bring it home, add fuel and oil, make sure it works, then drain the fuel and keep the battery (if it has one) on a Battery Tender.

I would say that that little HF unit (700/900 watts) will do it for you. Your refrigerator draws 722 watts when everything is lit up. Even if the compressor only drew 722 watts, that is close enough. I googled HF generator and the $89 unit came right up.

This way you are always ready to go, no excuses.

Or, of course, the inverter.

 

[1 Bored Clerk]

Store some freezer packs inside your freezer at all times. Gives you reserve capacity during transient conditions.

Babies have been accessing liquid gold for millennia without refrigeration but maybe there are extenuating circumstances.

But, this is the best Idea presented and the idea that makes the most sense out of all of this. Get freezer packs and keep them in the freezer. If the power is out, don't open your freezer unless you have to and be quick about it. I think you could make it at least a full 24 hours if not more.


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[quickfarms]

I have lived in Southern California for decades. All of the power outages that I can remember were do to winter storms.

Two come to mind

In the first one several transformers exploded and we lost power for eight hours.

The other one was a wind storm in December. Again we lost power for about 8 hours but several of my friends were without power for a week.

In nether case did anything in my freezer thaw or melt.

I do have a diesel generator

 

[pugslyyy]

yeah i need to figure it out.

btw, my fridge is one of the "got to have" wifi enabled type. so yeah, it might be sensitive.

i think the consensus is, my tacoma is sufficient to run the inverter (of correct size of course) however a gen-set is probably a better option for my stated needs..

a used gen-set might be the answer for me. unless i shouldnt consider used at all

I think a decent sine-wave inverter wired into your truck's 12V system will do fine. I ran stuff for a couple of days off my Pathfinder when we lost power in Cleveland - though the house get's cold pretty quick so you actually don't need a lot of refrigeration.

A little used generator might not be a bad addition - just make sure it is a sine wave type. craigslist and pawn shops can be good places to check - but probably better deals are to be had in the spring!

I have a 3500W diesel generator on my Fuso that runs 0.1-0.2 gph and draws off my main (100 gallon) tanks - if my power goes out I'm covered pretty well.

 

[k9lestat]

Generator is my call on this. Unless you're wanting a big inverter for your truck and are trying to justify the purchase to the spouse.

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