Residential Refrigerator run time on Batteries

[Hvtexskeeter]

I’m thinking about doing some “Dry Camping” this summer and wondering if anyone else has any experience running a Residential Refrigerator on Inverter and Batteries? I have 2 12 volt deep cycles. I have used it on the road for 8-9 hours with no issues. Just wondering if it would run all nite maybe 10 hours and then how long do you think it will take to charge the Batteries up during the day on a Generator? I have a. 2020 310GKR. Thanks in advance

 

[Second Chance]

Lots of variables here. Generally, a fridge draws 6 - 7 amps when running - but triple that for the startup. So, ambient temps and how often the doors are opened and closed really affect the run time and thus current draw. Also, with lead-acid batteries, you only have about half the rated amp-hours before you draw the batteries down far enough to do damage. I'll leave it to someone with more expertise than I have (like [MENTION=22656]SolarPoweredRV[/MENTION]) to chime in with some calculations...

Charging time would depend on how far down the batteries are and the output of your generator coupled with your 55-amp converter/charger.

Rob

 

[Aridon]

Get a kilowatt on Amazon and see how many amp hours it uses over the period. Then you'll have real numbers.

Everyone's usage is different.

 

[JKellerJr]

I’m thinking about doing some “Dry Camping” this summer and wondering if anyone else has any experience running a Residential Refrigerator on Inverter and Batteries? I have 2 12 volt deep cycles. I have used it on the road for 8-9 hours with no issues. Just wondering if it would run all nite maybe 10 hours and then how long do you think it will take to charge the Batteries up during the day on a Generator? I have a. 2020 310GKR. Thanks in advance

I have the standard Samsung residential and 200AH of lithium batteries. From about 9pm to 8am I will use about 40% of my available power or about 80AH. We also use some lighting and a CPAP machine over night so its not just the refrigerator.

During the day the power use will go way up with the temperature and going in and out of it. As far as charging I can't help as my system is totally different and I don't know how long deep cycles take to top off. I know they can't charge as fast as lithium's

 

[Hvtexskeeter]

My 310GKR has a dedicated inverter just for the Refrigerator with a on/off switch inside a cupboard. Don’t think I can power a cpap machine with mine as I can’t find the outlet for it but I’m sure it’s behind the fridge. I have two 3500 predator generators paralleled so I think I can just run one during the day to charge everything back up. It’s going to in the mountains in Colorado so not going to be getting that hot during the day I hope. I keep the Camper at my house so I may do a “trial run” before I leave and see what happens. I also may try to get a watt meter. Thanks all for the help

 

[JKellerJr]

My 310GKR has a dedicated inverter just for the Refrigerator with a on/off switch inside a cupboard. Don’t think I can power a cpap machine with mine as I can’t find the outlet for it but I’m sure it’s behind the fridge. I have two 3500 predator generators paralleled so I think I can just run one during the day to charge everything back up. It’s going to in the mountains in Colorado so not going to be getting that hot during the day I hope. I keep the Camper at my house so I may do a “trial run” before I leave and see what happens. I also may try to get a watt meter. Thanks all for the help

Mine was the same way. I just wired in another outlet (actually 3) directly to the inverter. I added one in my mid buck for a cpap, one in the basement for the outdoor TV, and another in the master bedroom for whatever.

 

[Hvtexskeeter]

Where is the inverter for the refrigerator on the 310GKR?

 

[Second Chance]

Where is the inverter for the refrigerator on the 310GKR?

On most installations, it's on the ceiling of the battery compartment.

Rob

EDIT: from subsequent posts, it appears that GD changed the location of the inverter sometime after January, 2020, to relocate it behind behind the rear basement wall near the rest of the utilities.

 

[JKellerJr]

Where is the inverter for the refrigerator on the 310GKR?

I have a 377, mine was behind the wall in the basement very near the converter

 

[traveldawg]

Where is the inverter for the refrigerator on the 310GKR?

In mine (note year in signature line) it is behind the basement wall. That is also where the circuit for the frig plugs into the inverter. At least that is my best recollection.

One of the early mods I made was to a 2000 watt inverter/converter feeding a sub panel I installed to most outlets in the RV.

btw.... I have 4 Durracell 6 volts AGMs group CG2 and can get a full day of frig on them when I just leave it unplugged from shore power and not using it (although when I did this a few weeks ago I noticed the voltage dropped to 12.1v, I thought that was a bit low). Otherwise, if I dry camp I run generators 2 to 3 hours in the morning and evening and can go for quite a few days (at least 4 as that is the longest I have dry camped).

 

[orbiker]

I’m thinking about doing some “Dry Camping” this summer and wondering if anyone else has any experience running a Residential Refrigerator on Inverter and Batteries? I have 2 12 volt deep cycles. I have used it on the road for 8-9 hours with no issues. Just wondering if it would run all nite maybe 10 hours and then how long do you think it will take to charge the Batteries up during the day on a Generator? I have a. 2020 310GKR. Thanks in advance

I had 2 12v deep cycle batteries. They would barely last overnight.

I now have 4 lithium batteries and a small solar array. With my new system I can see that the frig will use between 80 and 100 AH in a 10 hour period. KEN

 

[Malco1]

On most installations, it's on the ceiling of the battery compartment.

Rob

On mine it is directly behind the false wall in the basement storage.

 

[Hvtexskeeter]

Well nothing scientific here just actual real world results but after using it this summer while dry camping in Colorado at fairly high altitude (9,000 feet) and fairly cool weather 75 during day and fifties at nite my Refrigerator ran fine off the inverter for 10-12 hours each nite and into the afternoon on 2 Duracell Group 31 AGM’ and still showed 50% battery on the gauge on the control panel.

 

[orbiker]

Well nothing scientific here just actual real world results but after using it this summer while dry camping in Colorado at fairly high altitude (9,000 feet) and fairly cool weather 75 during day and fifties at nite my Refrigerator ran fine off the inverter for 10-12 hours each nite and into the afternoon on 2 Duracell Group 31 AGM’ and still showed 50% battery on the gauge on the control panel.

You might want to think about getting a quality battery monitor to see what 50% really is.

Our Solitude is sitting in the driveway, as we get ready to go full-time and the residential refrigerator has been on since we got back from the Oregon Coast. The last 5 days the Victron monitor has said either 79 or 80% in the morning as the sun is coming up (solar charged). We have 4 100A lithium batteries, so pretty much just the frig is using 80AH's over night (daylight to dark).
KEN

 

[BB&LAB]

Where is the inverter for the refrigerator on the 310GKR?

On our 310GK/R it is located on a deck in the basement area right behind the electrical panel, accessible from the basement behind the storage area. To the OP in answer to your question, if I recall correctly our residential fridge uses about 12-amps, but keep in mind that is true when running straight off ac current, when an inverter is involved, as with dry camping, there is a factor roughly of 10 increase in amp draw. We do a fair amount of boon docking, with no issues, though we have a large battery bank.

 

[orbiker]

On our 310GK/R it is located on a deck in the basement area right behind the electrical panel, accessible from the basement behind the storage area. To the OP in answer to your question, if I recall correctly our residential fridge uses about 12-amps, but keep in mind that is true when running straight off ac current, when an inverter is involved, as with dry camping, there is a factor roughly of 10 increase in amp draw. We do a fair amount of boon docking, with no issues, though we have a large battery bank.

Our inverter for the residential fridge is also on the floor. I raised it up off the floor about an inch for the just in case problem. KEN