Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Topic: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged? (Read 1125 times) previous topic - next topic

Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

June 18, 2012, 06:49:31 am

RV in the parking lot. I want to turn my fridge on to cool it down the day before we leave so it'll be cool when we load it up with food. I want to use the batteries instead of propane because I'm not comfortable using propane when it's parked at a storage facility and I'm not present. I do have a 12 Volt fan on the cooling fins that runs 24/7 when powered on.

If I select the 12V option and run it for 24 hours before I can get plugged in - should I worry about running down my batteries? Just never had to think about it before today

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #1 – June 18, 2012, 08:13:03 am

Steve, Why not use the 120V AC when in storage ? If you don't have power use the propane. I would think that the 12V would deplete your batteries real quick. Any resistant type load is hard on them.
Gary B

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #2 – June 18, 2012, 08:21:26 am

Quote from: Gary Bouland – June 18, 2012, 08:13:03 am

Steve, Why not use the 120V AC when in storage ? If you don't have power use the propane. I would think that the 12V would deplete your batteries real quick. Any resistant type load is hard on them.
Gary B

I store it at a storage place with no service. Just a parking place. I decided that I'll just wait until the morning I leave. Don't want to take a chance on draining the batteries.

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #3 – June 18, 2012, 08:29:04 am

You can run it on propane but shut off the ice maker. There is no reason to worry about leaving it with the propane on. I have done it and yes you can have a failure with the propane system but it still needs a source of spark to flame. If it is outside then it is fine, inside you have other worries and if other coaches are around or a spark happens you can have a problem. It is a small tank so you should not have to worry about flooding the enclosed space. I had a regulator go bad and empty my tank in the garage. It did not cause an issue other than getting a regulator and replacing it.

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #4 – June 18, 2012, 08:29:57 am

If this is outdoor storage, were it me, I would run it on propane.

The main reason 3 way refrigerators (12 VDC being the third way) were eliminated was that the 12 VDC heating element provided less "cooling" than did either 120 VAC or propane.

Of course if you have not done the burner area tune-up in years, might want to do that first.

Brett

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #5 – June 18, 2012, 09:11:50 am

The electric element draws 40 amps at 12 volts. Your batteries will be unhappy.

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #6 – June 18, 2012, 03:44:40 pm

I would run on propane unattended because I have good insurance and yearn for a new(er) Foretravel constantly.

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #7 – June 18, 2012, 04:19:08 pm

I boondock and run my fridge on the inverter during daylight hours using power from an 850 watt solar array. Near dark, or on a cloudy day, I switch to propane.
Your batteries will be dead by morning because an absorption refridgerator will run continuously for hours when it is first turned on, depending on temperature. If outside temperature is 80F, your fridge will run continuously for more than 24 hours which would require more than 800 amp hours from your batteries. Four 8D batteries would be dead, six 8D batteries would be deeply discharged.
Propane is safe to use, I leave my fridge running on propane for weeks at a time.

Be sure your refridgerator (motohome) is level before turning refer on.

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #8 – June 18, 2012, 04:45:01 pm

Quote

I boondock and run my fridge on the inverter during daylight hours using power from an 850 watt solar array. Near dark, or on a cloudy day, I switch to propane.

Hi Wyatt,

Long time no see (but then we are not in El Centro ;o)

My U295 ran the fridge on the inverter but my U320 does not.

Are there 2 different outlets I can connect the fridge to 120v?

best, paul

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #9 – June 18, 2012, 06:07:37 pm

This may be duplicate but when my fridge runs on 12v not plugged in for a day, it certainly drains the battery to the point of needing recharging badly. My fridge had a bad switch over device and was running on 12v (and not switching over like it was designed), came unplugged and discharged the battery pretty much overnight.

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #10 – June 18, 2012, 11:13:02 pm

My 3-way acts up and if on full auto sometimes switches from propane to 12v unless I manually push the button for gas or 110 only. If it powers off and back on it returns to full auto (if on) so if I run the genny or plug it in I have to be careful to put the push the button back to the gas or 110 only. This happened once and finished off my batteries. I either leave it plugged in or off. The 12v setting is useless.

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #11 – June 19, 2012, 06:11:07 am

Steve. I would imagine your fridge is a 2 way gas or 110V, something like a Dometic model NDR1282. On gas it requires 12V for the controls and draws very little current, your added fans may be another story, you should be able to look at the link 2000 panel(if equipped) and tell the amp draw, you could always disconnect them. Mine will run severial days on gas and not deplete the batteries. Also the way mine is set up it will not run off the inverter on 110V.

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #12 – June 19, 2012, 06:29:58 am

Paul,

You have two outlets behind the fridge. One is powered through the inverter, the other is not.

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #13 – June 19, 2012, 09:07:04 am

Quote

You have two outlets behind the fridge. One is powered through the inverter, the other is not.

Right. And the one powered by the inverter does not put the fridge on 120v.

There are 2 120v cords from the fridge. One was in the outlet powered by the inverter. The other was in the other outlet.

Putting both cords in the inverter-powered outlet does not put the fridge on 120v.

I could not see any breaker tripped. Where else should I look?

best, paul

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #14 – June 19, 2012, 09:53:55 am

Quote from: Paul Smith – June 19, 2012, 09:07:04 am

Right. And the one powered by the inverter does not put the fridge on 120v.

There are 2 120v cords from the fridge. One was in the outlet powered by the inverter. The other was in the other outlet.

Putting both cords in the inverter-powered outlet does not put the fridge on 120v.

I could not see any breaker tripped. Where else should I look?

Paul - check for power at both sockets of the duplex outlet wired to the inverter. It could be that only one is wired up.

Michelle

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #15 – June 19, 2012, 10:00:08 am

Quote

> On: Tue Jun 19, 2012 Paul Smith Wrote:
Quote

Right. And the one powered by the inverter does not put the fridge on 120v.

There are 2 120v cords from the fridge. One was in the outlet powered by the inverter. The other was in the other outlet.

Putting both cords in the inverter-powered outlet does not put the fridge on 120v.

I could not see any breaker tripped. Where else should I look?

Paul - check for power at both sockets of the duplex outlet wired to the inverter. It could be that only one is wired up.

Thanks, Michelle.

But that wasn't it (unfortunately)

Both sockets are powered.

best, paul

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #16 – June 19, 2012, 10:15:32 am

Paul,

I don't understand. The coach is not plugged into a pedestal, right? Only one outlet has 120v-provided by the inverter. You plug both fridge cords into this outlet. You still have no power to either the refrigerator side or the freezer side? That would say your fridge heating element has failed.

If you plug your shore line into a pedestal. You plug both fridge cords into the outlet that was not powered in the first test. What happens?

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #17 – June 19, 2012, 10:36:40 am

Quote

I don't understand. The coach is not plugged into a pedestal, right? Only one outlet has 120v-provided by the inverter. You plug both fridge cords into this outlet. You still have no power to either the refrigerator side or the freezer side? That would say your fridge heating element has failed.

I ran that test yesterday. With both fridge cords plugged into the outlet powered by the inverter (which I today proved both outlets are powered), the fridge did not run on 120v as it does when connected to a pedestal.

Quote

If you plug your shore line into a pedestal. You plug both fridge cords into the outlet that was not powered in the first test. What happens?

I just now started the above test.

But when I removed the cord plugged into the outlet not powered by the inverter to move it up to the top socket and make room to plug the second cord in - the propane lit even though I'm plugged into the pedestal.

At my age I get confused under ordinary conditions. This is getting a bit much ;o)

What's going on?

best, paul

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #18 – June 19, 2012, 10:54:04 am

Quote from: Paul Smith – June 19, 2012, 10:36:40 am

But when I removed the cord plugged into the outlet not powered by the inverter to move it up to the top socket and make room to plug the second cord in - the propane lit even though I'm plugged into the pedestal.

Looks to me like your refrigerator is on "automatic". Turn it off, move the plugs, then turn it back on.

Craig

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #19 – June 19, 2012, 11:01:45 am

Quote

Quote from: Paul Smith

But when I removed the cord plugged into the outlet not powered by the inverter to move it up to the top socket and make room to plug the second cord in - the propane lit even though I'm plugged into the pedestal.

Looks to me like your refrigerator is on "automatic". Turn it off, move the plugs, then turn it back on.

True. It IS on automatic.

But when I disconnected from the pedestal propane DID NOT light, even tho inside the fridge showed it was on propane.

That probably explains why when I turned it on propane the other night to get more heat to the system than 120v offers, it did not cool at all by morning.

best, paul

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #20 – June 19, 2012, 11:33:27 am

Quote

Quote
I don't understand. The coach is not plugged into a pedestal, right? Only one outlet has 120v-provided by the inverter. You plug both fridge cords into this outlet. You still have no power to either the refrigerator side or the freezer side? That would say your fridge heating element has failed.
I ran that test yesterday. With both fridge cords plugged into the outlet powered by the inverter (which I today proved both outlets are powered), the fridge did not run on 120v as it does when connected to a pedestal.
Quote

If you plug your shore line into a pedestal. You plug both fridge cords into the outlet that was not powered in the first test. What happens?

Plugging both cords into the outlet not powered by the inverter, and disconnecting from the pedestal, propane lights.

Connecting to the pedestal the fridge switches to 120v.

Since the fridge works OK on 120v perhaps a rebuild of the propane is in order.

best, paul

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #21 – June 19, 2012, 08:55:09 pm

I have no electric in my outdoor storage yard so I run the fridge at least a day before departure to cool down on propane.

In addition, I usually turn the house battery disconnect to the off position when I leave, the fridge stays on and cools down, it works but does anyone see a problem doing this?

Thanks,
Tony

Re: Can I leave my fridge on 12V for 24 hrs unplugged?

Reply #22 – June 19, 2012, 09:06:17 pm

My Norcold requires 12V even if plugged into 120V AC. 12V powers the display/processor. In other words, no 12V, no work. A lot of rigs supply 12V to the CO sensor and fridge with the battery switch off.

Pierce