quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
My beer with dinner theory is that the high figure is compressor lockup amp draw and your figure is operating amp draw.

Looks like you might be on to something there. Here is where we stand right now.

26 hours into the test and I have some numbers for you.

I have used, 0.83kwh of power.

At rest, it is drawing .08 amps
With the door open it goes to .21 amps
With the compressor running, it shows .95 amps
With compressor running and door open 1.15 amps
When the compressor kicks on with the door open... 6.7 amps

Not too bad considering it's 91 right now and the A/C is off in the Barth.

What's does your "noodling of the numbers" tell you Bill?

The only way to lower this further would be to remove the light bulb or to use an LED type light bulb instead.

Based on these numbers, the 40W bulb is drawing 0.20 amps with the door open and the compressor running. But, it also shows that the bulb is drawing 0.13 amps while at rest with the door open. I wonder why that would be?

Could just be the error of measurement or it could be the wiring inside the fridge is a bit small. Really a pretty small difference. Is it repeatable?
All the numbers look right to me, lock rotor/start load ~7X run load.
Thing I like best is it is close to my predictions for running load. Whew!

quote:

Originally posted by ccctimtation:
Could just be the error of measurement or it could be the wiring inside the fridge is a bit small. Really a pretty small difference. Is it repeatable?

.07 amp difference between compressor running with the door open and compressor not running with the door open.

I wonder if the difference could be attributed to the light still having power but waiting for the completed circuit of the door switch.

Or, maybe the bulb isn't going completely out?

I'll close the switch tonight with the door open and check to see if the bulb is a little dim. Maybe I have a bad door switch?

quote:

Originally posted by ccctimtation:
...or it could be the wiring inside the fridge is a bit small.

Lower voltage being drawn through the wiring to run the compressor would show up as lower voltage to the light too. This is why the light dims just a little with the compressor running. That would also translate into a slightly higher amp draw for sure. So yes, that could be it too.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:

Based on these numbers, the 40W bulb is drawing 0.20 amps with the door open and the compressor running. But, it also shows that the bulb is drawing 0.13 amps while at rest with the door open.

I wonder why that would be?

Instrumentation error. An inductive load from an AC motor does all kinds of things to solid state instrumentation, particularly "economical" instruments. A running motor puts all kinds of hash into the line. Before I started using line conditioners (and giving the stereo its own circuit), my house fridge messed up my stereo, if listening closely.

And:

quote:

Lower voltage being drawn through the wiring to run the compressor would show up as lower voltage to the light too. This is why the light dims just a little with the compressor running. That would also translate into a slightly higher amp draw for sure. So yes, that could be it too.

Probably some of both.

quote:

The only way to lower this further would be to remove the light bulb or to use an LED type light bulb instead.

Either that, or cut down on door open time by having just one brand of beer and one variety of cheese in there.

A photocell to shut off the light except at night, would help, too.

And, for the later manufactured units, manual shut off for the automatic defroster. Defrosting is a power waster on short RV trips.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:

What's does your "noodling of the numbers" tell you Bill?

It tells me that your real-world figures come pretty close to the energy tag figures, especially when light and defrosting are estimated in.

It tells me that 830 watt hours per day could be provided by a single 166 amp solar panel, using the 5-hour rule of thumb, and neglecting losses.

It tells me that 60 amp hours could be replaced by running the gen to power the Iota for ~an hour (into a 450AH battery bank). Microwave and toaster oven generator time will contribute to that.

It tells me that I could buy the Lowe's fridge and another panel for the price of a rebuilt cooling unit.

It tells me that Susan would end up with a larger fridge and arugula that stayed crisp longer.

It also tells me that I could do less worrying about a refrigerator fire if I went to a 120V fridge.

And thank you so much for the good real-world figures.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:
What's does your "noodling of the numbers" tell you Bill?

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
It tells me that your real-world figures come pretty close to the energy tag figures, especially when light and defrosting are estimated in.

This unit is a manual defrost Bill

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
And thank you so much for the good real-world figures.

You're welcome.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
It tells me that your real-world figures come pretty close to the energy tag figures, especially when light and defrosting are estimated in.

This unit is a manual defrost Bill

I am guessing that whoever came up with the annual usage figures made an estimate of door open time for the light and for the manual defrost time.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:
26 hours into the test and I have some numbers for you.

I have used, 0.83kwh of power.

Final numbers... I have used a combine total of 2.26kwh of power for 65 hours of testing.