What does my fridge run on?

[SheikhLala]

We’re parked outside the father in laws with no hook up, bearing in mind he’s a sparky amongst other trades, I’ve said it’s not good enough!!
I left the fridge set to use battery, assuming that it used the leisure batteries and they would be recharged by the solar but the fridge is slowly getting warm and the starter battery voltage is 12.6.
Switched it onto gas and all seems to be fine but will check later to make sure.
Should the fridge run off the leisure batteries?

 

[tonka]

Most 3 way fridges only run off the battery with the engine running. They consume a fair bit of power on 12v. Also be aware that 12v battery setting is really just to help maintain the temperature once the fridge is cool, not to actually cool the fridge down

 

[Brains]

Depending on age and make and model the normal default setting is:

If EHU is available the fridge will run on 240v electricity.
If no 240v electricity then the next default setting is gas.
If no 240v or gas then it will run on 12v electricity, but that tends to be only a cooler, not a fridge.

If you are driving, the fridge will keep cool on 12v
When you stop, after 15 mins, the gas will start, unless 240v available

 

[Two on Tour]

We’re parked outside the father in laws with no hook up, bearing in mind he’s a sparky amongst other trades, I’ve said it’s not good enough!!
I left the fridge set to use battery, assuming that it used the leisure batteries and they would be recharged by the solar but the fridge is slowly getting warm and the starter battery voltage is 12.6.
Switched it onto gas and all seems to be fine but will check later to make sure.
Should the fridge run off the leisure batteries?

Your fridge will only run on 12v when the engine is running and not from your leisure battery.
Ours performs best on hookup, so I take it that your FIL has not had much to do with absorption fridges in motorhomes.

 

[Minxy]

We did the same as you with our first 'proper' MH, parked up somewhere, left the fridge on 12v as we weren't planning on being long, and returned to runny ice-cream! It was only then that we found out that 3-way fridges normally only run on 12v when the engine is running, other than that it has to be EHU or gas.

The exception to this was a Rimor we had which would actually run on 12v without the engine on ... no idea why, it was just a quirk of them at the time.

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[xsparks]

Unless it's auto changeover you will need to select gas and start the ignition process which could be auto or manual depending on the model.

 

[funflair]

We did the same as you with our first 'proper' MH, parked up somewhere, left the fridge on 12v as we weren't planning on being long, and returned to runny ice-cream! It was only then that we found out that 3-way fridges normally only run on 12v when the engine is running, other than that it has to be EHU or gas.

The exception to this was a Rimor we had which would actually run on 12v without the engine on ... no idea why, it was just a quirk of them at the time.

You are of course right about their being exceptions, our N+B Flair would run from 12v if you manually selected it, not sure that it would ever select itself on "AES" (Automatic Energy Selection" though.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Best switch to gas or ehu not 12v, you will soon have a flat battery.

 

[Tombola]

and remember they use very little gas and usually perform well on it

 

[Brains]

We’re parked outside the father in laws with no hook up, bearing in mind he’s a sparky amongst other trades, I’ve said it’s not good enough!!

You need a Three pin plug to CForm socket converter.
About £7-8 quid online.
Also widely available from camping or boat shops

An essential bit of kit for anyone who may occasionally park outside the houses of friends or relatives.

I'd be inclined to buy all three versions at the same time:

British 3 pin plug to Cform Socket
(as pictured above, the most useful of them )

European 2 pin plug to Cform socket
(European version of above, still some campsites in southern Europe that have domestic sockets)

CForm plug to British 3 pin socket
(Which then means you can run a conventional domestic extension cable from a campsite EHU bollard)

I also have a 3 way Cform plug/socket
Meaning I can join two cables together, plus add two more cables if needed.
It has been used more than once in overcrowded European campsites!

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[Brains]

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