Fridge on 12v

[Busman]

Info please, here's the technical bit fridge has gone tits up on gas, freezer was ok but lower half not cooling it's 100% ok hook up. I can't get at the burner or clean the flu so the question is will it be ok to leave it on 12v. I know this drains the batteries but thinking that seeing as I'm on Crete temperature 30+ every day was wondering if my 2 110amp batteries plus 200amp solar would cope.
Thanks

 

[DandG5515]

My fridge freezer is crap on 12v with most of the freezer melting, mine needs the electrode in the flame cleaning every 3 years which is accessed from the external plastic vents.

 

[Reallyretired]

Most 3way fridges are wired so that 12v can only be used while the engine is running. They draw a fair bit of current too. If your solar really was 200amp it would cope but as it is certainly 200w from which you would only get around 10amp for part of the day the answer must be no.

 

[Manic]

Have you got a bottom fridge vent because the gas burner would be behind that.

 

[autorouter]

3-way fridges take a lot of power compared to compressor fridges. If your fridge has a 200 watt heater element, in theory it could take 200 x 24 = 4800 watt-hours over a 24 hour day. In practice the thermostat will switch it off for some of the time, but 3200 watt-hours is a reasonable estimate of consumption.

The yield from your 200 watt panel, even assuming full nominal output of 200 watts, is only going to be about 1000 watt-hours over a full day, so you can see that's not even close to replacing what the fridge takes out.

The two 110Ah batteries together store 220 x 12 = 2640 watt-hours, but the recommendation is to only use about 50% of that, so again not even close.

You'd have a good chance of keeping most compressor fridges running with 200 watts of solar in good weather.

Many fridges have external vents, and the gas burner is often accessible by simply removing the lower external vent. But I know some, especially with end kitchens, where it's not so simple.

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[Lenny HB]

Dave is your fridge a 7000 series 150lt fridge freezer?
If so it will have either a 170 or 190 watt 12v element a bit too much for your setup for more than a few hours a day.

There is only one cooling circuit if the freezer is working the fridge must be working, the freezer probably feels cold but in reality not that cold.
One other possibility is the heat transfer past on the cooling pipe which transfers cooling to the fins has dried out but unlikely to cause a sudden change in performance.

Sounds like you need Phil to take the fridge out, I've heard he is good at it.

 

[Busman]

Thanks for the replys. Had the bottom vent off but I think I need to push the fridge forward as can't get past the guard on the burner also a pipe needs disconnecting to do this which I'm not attempting.
Oh well plan B it is
Campsites with ehu and a 12v cool box till we get back

 

[gus-lopez]

Thanks for the replys. Had the bottom vent off but I think I need to push the fridge forward as can't get past the guard on the burner also a pipe needs disconnecting to do this which I'm not attempting.
Oh well plan B it is
Campsites with ehu and a 12v cool box till we get backView attachment 412946View attachment 412948

You could always try the desperate measures trick of poking a high pressure airline in around the burner & see whether you can clear any soot or particles ?

 

[Busman]

You could always try the desperate measures trick of poking a high pressure airline in around the burner & see whether you can clear any soot or particles ?

Not a bad idea that Gus