Fridge startup issue

Motor, Motor Maintenance, Winches, Cooker, Heater, Fridge, Battery, Battery Charging, Shore Connection, Instruments, Autopilot, Anchor etc
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JoeClark
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon 06 Nov 17, 10:59
Your Country: New york

Fridge startup issue

Post by JoeClark »

Hello,

Only remaining (and very annoying) issue is when my fridge starts up, the inverter screams, coughs a few times so all my LED lighting turns on and off a few times, and then eventually everything is OK.
Some more information: Inverter is a 1000W pure sine wave. 2 X 100Ahr FLA batteries. Fridge is a modified chest freezer (installed a bulb thermostat so I can set to 38F or so). KillaWatt mater reads about 90-100W while it is running, but it isn't fast enough to show me whats going on during the startup cycle.

As I said, everything else in the cabin is great, but the fridge (compressor?) must be putting a helluva drag on the inverter. I understand that startup for the compressor will be a lot but the peak for the inverter is supposedly 1500 or 2000W I forget. I tried another inverter (thanks to Costco's return policy) I bought a 1500W inverter with a 3000W peak in hopes of ruling that out. That particular inverter just shut down completely when the fridge came on. C'mon, I find it very hard to believe that this little chest fridge is pulling THAAAAT much power at startup.
But oh well, maybe it is. My solution for the past year or so has been to put the fridge on a timer so that at night it shuts down and at least lets us sleep.

Question: Is there such a device that would somehow slow down the huge startup current that the fridge compressor is pulling, and calm it down or somehow spread it out over a few seconds? Before I just disable the beeper on the inverter I thought I would check with you guys

Does anyone else have a fridge or freezer on solar, and does the startup cause problems?


I didn't find the right solution from the internet.
References:

https://www.solarpaneltalk.com/forum/of ... rtup-issue

whiteboard animation
Steve B.
Posts: 235
Joined: Thu 02 Nov 06, 1:58
Your Country: USA, Whidbey Island WA

Inverter Scream

Post by Steve B. »

My bet is either mushy battery bank due to age or insufficient charge.
Next, insufficient wire size feeding the inverter.
Third, poor or corroded connections to inverter input.

It is either one or more or all of the above.

I installed a 200 aH Lithium Phosphate battery bank several years ago.
We also have 440 watts of solar panels.
I can turn on my 1500 watt sine wave inverter to run the hot water element for 20 minutes and take a hot shower.
Also, my wife uses her 1650 watt hair dryer for about 5 to ten minutes every morning with no problem.

Your problem has got to be voltage drop to the inverter, no question about it.

Steve
Double Horizon
Posts: 440
Joined: Wed 09 May 07, 0:18
Your Country: USA

Post by Double Horizon »

Hi Steve - would love to see a picture or two showing how you mounted that much solar on a DF 1000.
Last edited by Double Horizon on Tue 14 Nov 17, 16:57, edited 1 time in total.
Larry - Former Owner DF-1200
Steve B.
Posts: 235
Joined: Thu 02 Nov 06, 1:58
Your Country: USA, Whidbey Island WA

Solar panels on DF 1000

Post by Steve B. »

We have an arch on the stern with 2 120 watt semi flexible panels end to end in a V shape which is in a line from the aft ends of the amas to the aft end of the rudder.
It's high enough to walk under and is basically the height of the boom at anchor.
It also serves as an aft mounting for our shade canopy which is about six feet wide at the stern, goes to both cap shrouds at the split above the amas.
The forward end clips to the bottom of the boom ahead of the windshield.
I opened up a slot in the bottom of the boom for sail slides to support the canopy so we have standing headroom in the cockpit.
The canopy weighs about a pound, goes up in 3 minutes and fits in a mesh bag.
There are a couple of walkable semi flexible 100 watt panels on the amas.
Aurinco, no longer in business :cry:
All panels are wired in parallel and all get sun even with the big ripstop canopy in place.

Please click on any of the photos to see them enlarged!

Image Image Image Image Image

Steve
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