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Old 01-25-2022, 02:09 PM   #1
Brian S
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Residential refrigerator power needs

Picking up a new high country next month with a residential fridge. We always had traditional RV fridges. We don't boondock but may find ourselves overnight with no power hookup (Walmart, park, etc.). How much battery power does the 26 cubic foot fridge use? Wondering if two group 31 AGM batteries would get us through the night if we didn't use heat, coffee maker and hair dryer.

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Old 01-25-2022, 03:35 PM   #2
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Simple answer…don’t sweat it, you’ll be fine.
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Old 01-25-2022, 09:19 PM   #3
twindman
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Doesn't a residential fridge always have it's own battery and inverter? If so it won't affect the usage of the microwave, etc. Oh wait, I read somewhere that the inverter runs other things on the new models- is that right?
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Old 01-25-2022, 10:19 PM   #4
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On the low end, according to my web search, a refrigerator uses 404 wKh per year, or a little over 1100 watts per day. Ohms law (watts = v x amps) shows 1100/12 or about 92 amps per day. A group 31 AGM battery is about 100 amps, 50 amps usable. Two batteries gives you 100 amps usable. On 100 degree day (you probably won’t be at Walmart), you could be close. Best of luck.
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Old 01-26-2022, 06:54 AM   #5
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Once you've finished raiding it for the day shut it off. No need for it to run while overnighting if not being opened. Turn back on when rising.
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Old 01-26-2022, 07:12 AM   #6
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Once you've finished raiding it for the day shut it off. No need for it to run while overnighting if not being opened. Turn back on when rising.
In reading this I thought a timer could be put on it. Set it to run a few hours then it shuts off. Splitting the difference between off or on all night.
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Old 01-26-2022, 07:26 AM   #7
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Speaking as someone with a residential fridge and two group 27 lead acid deep cycle batteries, I have yet to have a problem overnighting without shore power.
Again, simple answer…don’t sweat it, you’ll be fine.
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Old 01-26-2022, 07:32 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rames14 View Post
On the low end, according to my web search, a refrigerator uses 404 wKh per year, or a little over 1100 watts per day. Ohms law (watts = v x amps) shows 1100/12 or about 92 amps per day. A group 31 AGM battery is about 100 amps, 50 amps usable. Two batteries gives you 100 amps usable. On 100 degree day (you probably won’t be at Walmart), you could be close. Best of luck.
As a new HC owner, I had the same thought / question as Brian S. Really appreciate being a part of this group. The bit about researching the model fridge for it's annual wKh usage to come up with the number for watts used per day had not occurred to me. Thanks for bringing this up so that the numbers could be put into the proper formula. Aggravating that I didn't think of this on my own.
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Old 01-26-2022, 11:14 PM   #9
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Your NEW Montana will have 200 watt solar as standard, the sun will help keep the batteries charged
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Old 01-27-2022, 07:14 AM   #10
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We have a 375FL Montana High Country with a Residential Refrigerator. It came with 2 batteries. I'm still using the same original batteries.

We don't boom-dock very often, but the longest we HAD to go without electricity to the camper as 3 nights, when the truck broke down and we ended up in a motel for 4 days over a long week-end and the camper was parked in the motel parking lot and absolutely no way to keep it plugged into electricity.

Our Samsung residential refrigerator kept everything frozen for the entire stay. I turned on the inverter every 8 hours and let it run for 2 hours. I did this for 4 days and I maintained the cycle. Yep, that meant getting up in the night too, but everything stayed frozen during the duration. We also brought things like, milk and our soft drinks into the motel and put that in the motel room mini-refrigerator so we wouldn't open the camper refrigerator door any more than we absolutely had to.

On another occasion, we had to stop at a motel and we left the truck and camper hitched in the parking lot. I left the inverter run all night, and we were not plugged into shore power. I did unplug the trailer from the truck too. Next morning, the inverter was still humming along. Refrigerator was fine, and still had power to move the slides.

So, if you are just doing an overnight, I think your refrigerator running off the battery via the inverter will do just fine.

When traveling, we always keep the inverter turned on so the refrigerator continues to run. The truck is constantly charging the trailer house batteries, so there's no great concern about draining the trailer house batteries.

Residential refrigerators are different than RV gas/electric refrigerators. But even an RV gas/electric refrigerator still has dependency on the RV battery, even when flipped over to electric.
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Old 01-27-2022, 08:27 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by twindman View Post
Doesn't a residential fridge always have it's own battery and inverter? If so it won't affect the usage of the microwave, etc. Oh wait, I read somewhere that the inverter runs other things on the new models- is that right?
I think that the model year, floor plans and option packages make a difference as to how these things tick. I know there are even differences in our EXACT trailer depending on weather it was made early in the ‘21 model year or later in that same model year.
To answer your question, on OUR ‘21 5’er, the inverter doesn’t run other things per say, the inverter powers a circuit of 5 outlets throughout the trailer. They are labeled with a yellow sticker so we knew which ones they were until we got used to them. The trailer has 2 batteries that are hooked up in parallel and run everything 12v, including the inverter. The inverted outlets are:
1) pop up outlet in the countertop to the right of our range.
2) outlet behind the living room tv that the tv pugs into
3) outlet behind the theater seats.
4) outlet to the left of the dresser in the bedroom
5) outlet behind the cabinet between the oven and the fridge.
That last one is where the fridge plugs into.
A transfer switch plugs into the 120v outlet of the inverter, and when shore power is hooked up, that transfers power from the inverter to shore for that circuit. Simple. But from what I read here, ymmv.
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Old 01-27-2022, 08:29 AM   #12
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Modern reefers use very little power. I did a test after getting our first 5r. Under an ambient temperature of ~60°, our big LG ran 36 hours before dropping the pair of factory installed marine deep cycle batteries down to the shut-off point of the inverter (10.5 volts). Not really good for the batteries but I was just testing. I was not running any other 12 volt stuff to my knowledge.
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Old 01-27-2022, 07:13 PM   #13
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Best example I can give on the Samsung residential fridge is my run from Wisconsin to Florida. I drive 300-400 miles per day 4 days or more?. Stop by 3-4 pm each day at rest area or truck stop etc. Never any hookups. Leave my slides in on my 2019 3121 RL, use bathroom, bedroom, Fridge for meals. Leave my rig parked thru the night with inverter and fridge powered on the two 27 series batteries. Continue on for 4-days or more before I get to a place where I can plug in. My truck has 220 amp alternator which chargers batteries throughout the travel day. I have been traveling like this through out last year to present and have not had any issues with fridge not running while traveling or battery issues. Maybe I am lucky?

A few weeks back the fridge temperature was slowly climbing but after cleaning the coils she is back to maintaining 36-37 degrees.
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Old 01-30-2022, 01:27 PM   #14
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Are you sure that's a 26 cubic foot fridge? Standard equipment for the High Country is an 18 cubic foot residential, with a 13 gas/elec optional. Our HC has the 18 (Samsung 3-door). A 26' would be 36" wide.
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Old 01-30-2022, 01:45 PM   #15
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When time comes, upgrade your batteries to some less expensive AGM type. They'll last longer then standard lead-acid. Most expensive AGM's aren't any better. In meantime always check fluid level & use distilled water to top off.
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Old 01-30-2022, 01:47 PM   #16
H. John Kohl
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I have the Samsung 18 Cft residential (electric only) refrigerator.
I have the Victron battery monitor which tells me the amp hour draw per hour.
At Quartzsite I logged an average of 9.5 amp hours when only the refrigerator inverter was running and ghost current draws.
So I suggest a minimum of 10 amp hours per hour for a calculation. 10 hours times 10 amp hours is 100 amp hours.
Good luck.
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Old 01-30-2022, 02:41 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twindman View Post
Doesn't a residential fridge always have it's own battery and inverter? If so it won't affect the usage of the microwave, etc. Oh wait, I read somewhere that the inverter runs other things on the new models- is that right?
Yes, it runs several outlets which include the TV and such. Having said that, for the OP I offer the following. We too have a RF and occasionally stop for the night done where. When you’re off shore power all your lights and the outlets connected to the inverter, which include the fridge, will work. But, if you’re just stopping overnight to sleep, just leave it on, turn everything else off, obviously you won’t be running AC, furnace, etc, and go to bed. If you wake up early which you should at a Walmart you have PLENTY of battery left. Like a previous poster stated, don’t sweat it.
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Old 01-30-2022, 05:13 PM   #18
Gary F.
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fridge power

My fridge is on 15amp breaker that is also tied into outlet in bedroom that powers TV
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Old 01-30-2022, 07:40 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian S View Post
Picking up a new high country next month with a residential fridge. We always had traditional RV fridges. We don't boondock but may find ourselves overnight with no power hookup (Walmart, park, etc.). How much battery power does the 26 cubic foot fridge use? Wondering if two group 31 AGM batteries would get us through the night if we didn't use heat, coffee maker and hair dryer.

Thanks all!
I metered mine with a KillAWatt meter and it uses 1.5kWh per day. Just doing a simple conversion (no inverter losses) then 1500/12 is 125AH. That is for 24 hrs so assume maybe 40AH for overnight. Your AGM's should be ok as long as they were fully charged at your last campground.
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Old 01-31-2022, 07:36 AM   #20
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we have a 295rl with a ge fridge.. as Masterdrago quoted our fridge will run fine for about 36 hours and then the inverter will turn off as the factory installed batteries will drop to 11.7v. the factory solar will not be able to keep up. switched to 4 6volt agms and now I am gettting 72 hours.
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