Posted: 8/27/2010 9:53:12 AM EDT
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Here's a low cost but effective strategy to have low cost refrigeration with the great added value of a nearly free solar and battery bank electrical system.
Multiple birds with one stone! A small chest freezer [TO BE USED AS A FRIDGE] is as low as $150 new. They sip energy and some extra insulation can be added to the top and likely the bottom to improve efficiency. They have surprising capacity. 
Their energy req'ments are ~25 watts per hour, so about 600 watt-hrs per day if they are equipped with a thermostat that limits the cooling to about 40 degrees F. Using an optional thermostat control to simplify operation, figure $50 and half an hour to install. Or skip the control and operate manually. If using solar, 2 golf cart batteries and a Xantrex [or Samlux, etc] sine-wave inverter will cost ~$250 [Sam's and eBay]. Even less expensive would be 2 or 4 used auto batteries and a cheap M-S wave inverter. Cost almost nothing. Now the costly part, solar [do you have lots of sun on warm days, some areas might, some won't] If you need say, 1000 watt hours a day, and have modest sunlight, you NOW have the ability to charge battery packs for tools, refrigerator, some LED or CF lighting at night, computer, some entertainment, etc, A quick search shows solar panels for as low as $2 per watt. http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/solar_panels.htm So, figure about $400 for a conservative 200 watts/hr of solar power [when the sun is shining] Add if you want some automation an inexpensive solar charge controller, abt $25 on sale or used. If you collect a potential 5 hours per day times 200 watt-hrs thats 1000 watts a day, some days you will do better, some days worse. NOTE, a power force multiplier for when you need to utilize EVERY watt available [as in a SHTF or lack of equipment or $$$] is to run the fridge every minute when the sun IS shining and store that 'coolness' in the form of thermal mass IN THE FRIG instead of having a battery bank to store it. Then don't run the fridge at night except maybe once from whatever battery bank you have. Problem solved but will it be capitalized on? The issue with spending hard earned money on a used fridge or a dorm fridge or buying a camper and pulling the tiny fridge out of it is these 'romantiic' solutions are often -BUT NOT ALWAYS- a waste of time and $$$. Have done plenty of them some with great success and some with great failure and everywhere in between. It's a JUDGEMENT and knowledge call. Can you repair the used things you buy. I usually buy what I have a good chance of being able to service. The solution above will cost about $150 for a freezer [look for store sales and commonality to others who have solved the problem], $50 to $170[new] for batteries, [skip the timer for now, you can probably find a used one for $25 later], an inverter, you probably already have one, and solar, about $400. Everything else can be scrounged. It's likely that anyone doing the above will be running a generator from time to time to pump water, run tools, etc. When you do, CHARGE YOU BATTERY BANK and run your fridg off the genny. Don't use a crappy low amp battery charger, use something like this to charge your battery bank from your generator. The 40 amp setting is fine for a pair of golf cart batteries.: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-VEC1093DBD-Battery-Charger/dp/B000EJQJ1G 
I've been using the same one in the trailer for 8 years now and many many hours, they are made by Vector and the above is the ONLY LOW COST VERSATILE one I can recommend. Don't make the mistake of buying the wrong one. About $100 new, half that used. I use them in the mountains, everywhere I have to charge batteries and have found them reliable under circumstances I have others fail. Stay far away from Schumacher chargers. Now in addition to solving the refrigeration issue, you have a complete basic electrical system that will serve many other functions, making the refrigeration component of the system almost free! If anyone uses this info please let us all know how it works out for you. |
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Basically this idea?
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/chest_fridge.pdf |
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Yes however that guy is way optomistic. See my topic: BOL Chest Freezer Conversion, Solar Panels, Evaluation (Page 1 of 3) http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=636169 A chest fridg and a chest freezer are running [I hope  ] right now and my SO loves the system.
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Quoted:
good motivation. I always thought about this, remember seeing your post earlier just need to get the panels here but first I need to get away from the keyboard and put the info to work  Troy, an old saying of mine from years ago, it doesn't matter where or how you start, just get started. 
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I thought they sipped energy, then I got my electric bill in the middle of the summer  . I live in the desert, and my house is small so I keep mine in the garage, but damn. My electric bill in the middle of summer was $550. Holy Shit!!!!. With the A/C only the year before it was $350 max. |
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Quoted:
I thought they sipped energy, then I got my electric bill in the middle of the summer . I live in the desert, and my house is small so I keep mine in the garage, but damn. My electric bill in the middle of summer was $550. Holy Shit!!!!. With the A/C only the year before it was $350 max. there is no was a deep freeze cost 200 a months to run, your also comparing rates between 2 years |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I thought they sipped energy, then I got my electric bill in the middle of the summer . I live in the desert, and my house is small so I keep mine in the garage, but damn. My electric bill in the middle of summer was $550. Holy Shit!!!!. With the A/C only the year before it was $350 max. there is no was a deep freeze cost 200 a months to run, your also comparing rates between 2 years If my deep freeze ran 24 hours a day for 30 days, it would use about $8 in electricity at $0.10 per KWH. I'll have to agree with you. |
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