Run Norcold Refrigerator on Inverter?

[SherpaTravels]

We would like to operate our Norcold 1210 refrigerator in our Precept 31UL on AC from the inverter while driving so we can keep the propane shut off and not run the generator. Is that feasible?

For AC, the refrigerator requires 120v at 3.6A according to the installation manual which I figure to be about 432W. Shouldn't my 1000W inverter handle that easily?

[Grumpy]

I'd check the label on the fridge, most heating elements are 5.5 amps or 660 watts. Also how are you going to connect the fridge to the inverter?

[abarkl]

That begs the question of how long could the batteries support the fridge using the inverter, accounting for the other draw always needed for the fridge, as well as other sensors and parasitic loads.

Many newer RVs come from the factory with a standard household fridge, and many owners also remove the Norcold and install a standard fridge, powered by an inverter.

So the AC side of the fridge would be rewired to the inverter, and it would continue to provide power using "pass through" when connected to shore or genset power?

[Seann45]

Driving down the highway the fridge will hold the cold for up to 6 hours UNLESS you open the fridge door.

[SherpaTravels]

Grumpy, our label does say 5.5 amps, 660 watts. I don't know where I found the other numbers. How to connect the fridge to the inverter was going to be my follow-up question.

Abarkl, we would only run the fridge on the inverter while driving. Our Ford F53 chassis alternator is nominally rated at 175 amps and charges the coach batteries. Replacing the Norcold with a residential one and a larger inverter and the additional batteries I would need seems like more than I'm ready for now (HW has a different opinion). We would rewrire it as you said, similar to how the main TV is connected to the inverter now.

Seann45, we want to keep the option to open the door.

Thanks for the comments.

[hoppers4]

Sure sounds feasible from here. Your rig is different but on my Greyhawk, inverter output wiring runs right through the space at the back of the fridge. This would be an easy mod if you had a similar wiring run.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by SherpaTravels

Grumpy, our label does say 5.5 amps, 660 watts.

That 660 watts is on the 110 VAC output of the invert, the thing you need to look at is what the batteries need to put out to get that 660 watts of AC. If you take the 660 watts / 12VDC = 55 amps on the battery side. So if you have a regular 84Ah battery, that will not even give you one hour of running time. Your TV will not put out 55 amps to the TT based on the line feeding the 7 pin connector. You would need to figure out how often the compressor runs to see if your setup will handle it.

Residential fridges are power hogs, where as I run my regular RV Norcold on the a 1000 watt inverter powered by SOLAR/TV output while traveling.

Don

[SherpaTravels]

Thanks, Mustang. Our Precept 31UL is Jayco's gas Class A built on the F53 chassis, so no TV.

[Mustang65]

The biggest flaw with the residential fridge is the defrost mode. If you could get the wiring diagram for the fridge and add a switch to deactivate it while traveling, would give you a half way decent chance of making it.

I am not sure as to what the max your wiring from the alternator charging circuit is or if it will allow for a lot of amps.

Don