Newbie who just got a C 30 with a refrigerator. Is there a way it can be set up to run without killing the batterys? While at the slip is there a 120v to 12 v converter it could be hooked to then switched to the main battery bank while underway?
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Run the battery charger
Your frig always runs off the batteries. When hooked to shore power the charger keeps them topped off. Underway, the batteries run down unless you do something to re-charge them like run the engine, or have a solar panel or wind generator.
Your frig always runs off the batteries. When hooked to shore power the charger keeps them topped off. Underway, the batteries run down unless you do something to re-charge them like run the engine, or have a solar panel or wind generator.
Fridge at Dock and elsewhere...
Bob Dennis is right. The very best thing you can do is increase the size of your house battery bank. Then when you're away from the dock you'll have adequate power to run your fridge without draining your batteries. Also determine what kind of battery charger you have. If it is an old ferroresonant charger, you'll need to deep six it and get a Statpower three stage charger. The old ferro resonant chargers are guaranteed to kill your batteires. As a newbie, please buy Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Manual for Mechanical and Electrical Systems. It's worth every penny, and will answer many of the questions you are about to ask. Welcome aboard.
Bob Dennis is right. The very best thing you can do is increase the size of your house battery bank. Then when you're away from the dock you'll have adequate power to run your fridge without draining your batteries. Also determine what kind of battery charger you have. If it is an old ferroresonant charger, you'll need to deep six it and get a Statpower three stage charger. The old ferro resonant chargers are guaranteed to kill your batteires. As a newbie, please buy Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Manual for Mechanical and Electrical Systems. It's worth every penny, and will answer many of the questions you are about to ask. Welcome aboard.
insulate, insulate, insulate!
I'm running my fridge 24/7 on the hook, I have 150W of Solar panels and a windgen. Works pretty well but the batteries do gradually decline. Bigger batteries will help when I install them, installing a heavier cable to the fridge helped alot (14Ga to 10 Ga). But what makes the most difference is the additional 2 inches or so of insulation I added around the box, particularly between the box and the outer hull and bottom. You must do everything you can to keep the insulation dry.
I'm running my fridge 24/7 on the hook, I have 150W of Solar panels and a windgen. Works pretty well but the batteries do gradually decline. Bigger batteries will help when I install them, installing a heavier cable to the fridge helped alot (14Ga to 10 Ga). But what makes the most difference is the additional 2 inches or so of insulation I added around the box, particularly between the box and the outer hull and bottom. You must do everything you can to keep the insulation dry.
Reefer Madness
A sophisticated 3 stage battery charger is an excellent device for charging batteries but not the right tool for running a 12 Volt, high current device like a reefer. A better choice would be to use an independent 110 Volt to 12 Volt power supply to run the reefer. You could build one but you can get them fairly cheaply. In fact, an old ferroresonant battery charger might be just the ticket. It is a fairly simple exercise to hook the 12 Volt supply and the battery bank to the reefer so that the reefer uses the 12 Volts provided from the 110 Volt line when there is shore power and automatically switches to the battery bank when shore power is unplugged. You should also take to heart the advice to provide lots of battery capacity. If you'd like a diagram of the automatic switching system e-mail me at <catalina27tashtego@hotmail.com>.
A sophisticated 3 stage battery charger is an excellent device for charging batteries but not the right tool for running a 12 Volt, high current device like a reefer. A better choice would be to use an independent 110 Volt to 12 Volt power supply to run the reefer. You could build one but you can get them fairly cheaply. In fact, an old ferroresonant battery charger might be just the ticket. It is a fairly simple exercise to hook the 12 Volt supply and the battery bank to the reefer so that the reefer uses the 12 Volts provided from the 110 Volt line when there is shore power and automatically switches to the battery bank when shore power is unplugged. You should also take to heart the advice to provide lots of battery capacity. If you'd like a diagram of the automatic switching system e-mail me at <catalina27tashtego@hotmail.com>.
Not a good idea....
Garry, If you read the manual for Adler/Barbour, it specifically states that you should NOT hook up the fridge directly to a 12V supply. You HAVE TO use a 12V battery in the system. You'll blow the electronic module if you don't. I also think that a newer 3 stage charger is a perfect answer to leaving the fridge on and plugged into shore power. A 3 stage charger will "sense" what voltage is needed and provide only that. The older style chargers are "On" all the time and will fry your batteries. Check any of the archives. Get rid of any ferro-resonant (sp?) charger you find as quick as you can. Tom Soko Julandra #659
Garry, If you read the manual for Adler/Barbour, it specifically states that you should NOT hook up the fridge directly to a 12V supply. You HAVE TO use a 12V battery in the system. You'll blow the electronic module if you don't. I also think that a newer 3 stage charger is a perfect answer to leaving the fridge on and plugged into shore power. A 3 stage charger will "sense" what voltage is needed and provide only that. The older style chargers are "On" all the time and will fry your batteries. Check any of the archives. Get rid of any ferro-resonant (sp?) charger you find as quick as you can. Tom Soko Julandra #659
Reefers
Bob; A modern three-stage charger will, after completing the charge, hold your battery bank at a float level of 13.5VDC. The batteries will hardly know there is a load on them, but the batteries will provide the electronic "buffer" need by the reefer control module. Away from the dock, you'll need an efficient way to keep the batts charged, though.
Bob; A modern three-stage charger will, after completing the charge, hold your battery bank at a float level of 13.5VDC. The batteries will hardly know there is a load on them, but the batteries will provide the electronic "buffer" need by the reefer control module. Away from the dock, you'll need an efficient way to keep the batts charged, though.
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