# Running The Fridge On Ac Inverter Power



## 2500Ram (Oct 30, 2005)

I just got back from a 6 day trip with no electric, minimal generator use and a whole lot of solar sun chasing trying to keep up with my inverter use.

Anyhoo, I have a big battery that I use a small and large inverter to plug my trailer into, think if it like a quiet generator. 12v battery powering a small 150w inverter making 110v ac and then I plug the shore cord into that and have power to 1/2 the outlets in the TT. Very simple and efficient.

So the question, does the fridge try to run on my small 150w inverter? I can't see the fridge being able to run on that small of inverter but alas the fridge is always in the auto mode and cold. I can run my small inverter under load for 7+ days in my garage (done as a test) but I had trouble after just a few days keeping the power up to the battery. I eventually turned the fridge to propane mode only but too late as the battery was dying.

Will the fridge run on that small inverter? What other AC static loads are there in the trailer I'm powering as well.

Thanks


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## 2500Ram (Oct 30, 2005)

Never mind, I have to shut off the converter breaker for the setup to work so the fridge is just running on 12dc.

But are there any other AC loads I can eliminate?


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

2500Ram said:


> Never mind, I have to shut off the converter breaker for the setup to work so the fridge is just running on 12dc.
> 
> But are there any other AC loads I can eliminate?


The other obvious one is the water heater. In my trailer, there is one AC light above the dinette (dumb design IMO), and then there's the clock in the microwave.

However, I'd like to suggest that there's a better way to do what you're doing. You're wasting a considerable amount of energy going from 12v to 110 just to go back to 12v in the trailer. Why not make a patch cable so you could hook your extra battery to the trailer's batteries? (Regular jumper cables would work.)

If you actually need AC for something, what I did was wire an inverter to the batteries via the connection at the circuit breaker box. The inverter just sits on the entertainment console switched off. When I want to watch TV off batteries I move the tv plug to the inverter and switch it on. That way I'm only doing the conversion when I need it.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

All I can think of is switching the fridge to gas (button on front) and the WH to gas. Oh, and don't turn on the A/C.


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## 2500Ram (Oct 30, 2005)

BoaterDan said:


> [However, I'd like to suggest that there's a better way to do what you're doing. You're wasting a considerable amount of energy going from 12v to 110 just to go back to _*12v in the trailer*. _Why not make a patch cable so you could hook your extra battery to the trailer's batteries? (Regular jumper cables would work.)


I'm not going back to 12v in the trailer, with the converter breaker off I'm not charging house batteries. I'm powering 1/2 the AC outlets this way for TV DVD SAT and cell phone charging etc, I could move the hot wire from the other breaker and power all outlets this way but haven't yet and don't see a need. With that small 75w 150w surge inverter I can run a 15" lcd tv, sat receiver, 12" tv dvd combo and a separate dvd player all at the same time, oh ya I have 18w florescent light on as well. I can shut the inverter off when not needed and that leaves the house batteries for furnace/lights etc. So "if/when" the fun toy battery dies I still have the 2 6 volt batteries to stay warm. It's cold at 10,000' this time of year, lows in the mid 30's last week.

For my small 150w inverter to run I have to have all breakers shut off except for the Main and 12v gfi. So off are AC, Microwave, 12v Gen. I plug in my big 2k inverter on the "fun" battery to brew coffee in the morning.

Are there any other AC loads I might be missing?


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

2500Ram said:


> Are there any other AC loads I might be missing?


The only one I see could be the water heater.

I wired the output from my inverter to 3 dedicated inverter outlets. I have a 125 watt and a 450 watt inverter to put on line depending on the loads I expect. Running a flat screen and charging a few toys I only ever need the 125 watt inverter.


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