Residential fridge battery saver mod

[klassic]

Originally Posted by Tryintoretire

Thanks Klassic for your help !!
Here’s my switch for the refrigerator defrost heater.
Again thanks...

Awesome! I think you are the only other person to do this.

Do you have the Fridgidaire?
Tell me that’s not just a simple SPST switch...?
I forget now why mine was so, basically, complex...but using a simple switch wasn’t going to work. It was all because of the fact the one wire was inaccessible.
I need to go look at the fridge wiring diagrams again.
The main brain behind this mod was Mustang65. He completed his studies in electronics and went into the business. I dropped out of my electronics college program in the 2nd year, 1986. Lol.

[klassic]

Originally Posted by Joan617

One more thing, klassic; is the point of the resistor to create a phantom load so that when the control board tries to turn on the heater it "thinks" it's successful? And is there a specific reason that you need to know that it tried? (As opposed to just letting it cycle in the future after you turn it back on)


Angus

Sorry Angus, I just saw your post now
The resistor is to take the load that the heater isn’t getting. I tried a 1/4 watt first and POOF.
It’s not a case of the fridge needing to know that a defrost cycle was “successful”
It is because there was no other way to get the voltage from going to the heater coil. (From what I remember) But, yes, it thinks it did a defrost cycle.
This is almost 4 years ago I did this and I’m having trouble remembering...even looking at that schematic I posted, I’m having trouble following it.

Like I said I’m my previous post, I need to go look at the original fridge schematic again to refresh. It all made sense to me then. Lol.

The whirlpool fridge defrost system could be completely different.

[jasum]

Originally Posted by klassic

Sorry Angus, I just saw your post now
The resistor is to take the load that the heater isn’t getting. I tried a 1/4 watt first and POOF.
It’s not a case of the fridge needing to know that a defrost cycle was “successful”
It is because there was no other way to get the voltage from going to the heater coil. (From what I remember) But, yes, it thinks it did a defrost cycle.
This is almost 4 years ago I did this and I’m having trouble remembering...even looking at that schematic I posted, I’m having trouble following it.

Like I said I’m my previous post, I need to go look at the original fridge schematic again to refresh. It all made sense to me then. Lol.

The whirlpool fridge defrost system could be completely different.

It’s called ‘Old Timers’ Klassic!! LOL

I’m just going to wait until you are allowed back in the U.S. and have you do my refrigerator.

[klassic]

You got that right Jack! I forgot to unplug my shore power from my house the other day. Good thing my cord has 8 feet of slack and I saw it moving in my mirror.

I’m looking at the schematic and reading my messages with Mustang and I don’t know why I/we did it this way.
All I can figure is I wanted lights to tell me what the fridge was doing and that’s why the switch is so complex.
Looks like I could have just put a simple toggle switch in so the defrost heater never sees power.

I found this PM I sent to him... “Either I’m looking at this wrong, or it can’t be done...or I’m just too dumb to figure it out”
Haha. It was the latter.

But having it the way I have it now, with the LED lights, is much better.
I see it going in defrost all the time. Last weekend it defrosted 2 times in 2 1/2 hours. I was plugged in, so no biggie.

[Tryintoretire]

It is the simple SPST switch,so on when shore power ,off while towing.

[Tryintoretire]

I'll let you know if we have a problem,it is a frigadaire

[klassic]

Originally Posted by Tryintoretire

I'll let you know if we have a problem,it is a frigadaire

So you just put the switch between the BROWN wire?
Or the BLUE.
So simple.
Now if someone else wants to do it, it is a simple mod.

I think why I went so complex, is because I didn’t know if the fridge needed to know if it completed a defrost cycle. It has a defrost sense circuit, and I didn’t know how that worked with it’s built in timer. I though it would throw error codes.


I think your method should work fine, as long as you don’t forget to put the switch back.
I’ve left mine off for a week and it never frosted up.

[Tryintoretire]

It’s already on my hook up set of reminders for old men!!

[jasum]

Originally Posted by klassic

So you just put the switch between the BROWN wire?
Or the BLUE.
So simple.
Now if someone else wants to do it, it is a simple mod.

I think why I went so complex, is because I didn’t know if the fridge needed to know if it completed a defrost cycle. It has a defrost sense circuit, and I didn’t know how that worked with it’s built in timer. I though it would throw error codes.


I think your method should work fine, as long as you don’t forget to put the switch back.
I’ve left mine off for a week and it never frosted up.

Klassic I am still going to do mine sometime, probably exactly like you did. I just have not had any time lately to do anything.......besides work.
Have not used the RV at all this year.

Hoping maybe a couple of days around Labor Day.

Have you heard from Mustang lately?

I’ve sent him emails a couple of times and got no response.

[klassic]

Originally Posted by jasum

Klassic I am still going to do mine sometime, probably exactly like you did. I just have not had any time lately to do anything.......besides work.
Have not used the RV at all this year.

Hoping maybe a couple of days around Labor Day.

Have you heard from Mustang lately?

I’ve sent him emails a couple of times and got no response.

I was wondering the same thing the other day.
I checked and saw he had been online recently. Sometimes he heads up to the mountains and stays for a while on his solar. Maybe too hot for him in Tampa.

[jasum]

Originally Posted by klassic

I was wondering the same thing the other day.
I checked and saw he had been online recently. Sometimes he heads up to the mountains and stays for a while on his solar. Maybe too hot for him in Tampa.

Could be why..........it is HOT here!!

[Partner]

Not sure about the Pinout for the defrost. I have schematics. Not sure which wire to cut. Brown wire but which plug. None of them have 9 connections 7 or 8 but no 9.

[Partner]

I believe it is the connector on the left. Just no brown wire at 5

[Tryintoretire]

Sorry, I don’t remember the details.we had hired a local appliance guy to modify as directed.We installed a switch below the door to allow us to disable the defrost cycle while towing .you might look at the old posting ,there were other members who were going to try it.
We were frantic at the time with low battery reserve, during eight hours of towing.

[klassic]

Does this help you?
I’ll have to really dig in to remember how to do the mod I did again after 7 years.

[Tryintoretire]

We have since sold our Pinnacle.It was great while it lasted,and the people we communed with on this site were GREAT.

[Partner]

Thanks Klassic doesn’t really. I was thinking just to add a toggle switch to turn it off or on no lights.

[klassic]

That’s the brown wire there

[klassic]

Not right? (In the picture)
I’m slowly starting to remember.

I did it my way, because I wanted lights, but most of all I didn’t want to just turn the heater off by simply stopping it from getting power, like with a switch.
I didn’t know at the time if that would make the fridge throw a code.
Apparently it doesn’t, because now it’s been done by simply putting a switch on the brown wire.
Mine keeps the power going to the heater, but instead of going to the heater, it is going to a resistor and the led light. Stopping the heater from heating.

[Partner]

Thanks Klassic
Installed the toggle on the brown wire. Fridge ran with inverter 24 hours. Batteries with solar never dropped below 12.3 volts.