New electric fridge data

jtdiesel65

...maybe somebody will find this useful...

Finally took the plunge.

We replaced our Servel RGE400 propane fridge with a 20.6 cu ft Kenmore Energy star unit rated at 408 kwh/yr.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04678252000P

We're remodeling the kitchen, so it's not in its final location and the ice maker is not hooked up. I have it shut off.

However, so far in it's first week of operation and with the ice maker off, the fridge is using 0.76 kwh/day. House temps have been around 60-65 at night and 65-70 in the day. There are two of us.

Windsun

Re: New electric fridge data

If it is only using around 800 WH per day, then in many places adding a single 125 to 175 watt (or so) panel to a system would be enough to supply it.

We stopped using the SunFrost and similar (super expensive) refrigerators a long time ago, simply because it made no sense in most cases where an inverter was present. Even with the losses in battery and inverter, it was still a lot cheaper in the long run to use an Energy Star rated standard refrigerator and buy an extra panel.

icarus

Re: New electric fridge data

jtdiesel65 wrote: »

...maybe somebody will find this useful...

Finally took the plunge.

We replaced our Servel RGE400 propane fridge with a 20.6 cu ft Kenmore Energy star unit rated at 408 kwh/yr.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04678252000P

We're remodeling the kitchen, so it's not in its final location and the ice maker is not hooked up. I have it shut off.

However, so far in it's first week of operation and with the ice maker off, the fridge is using 0.76 kwh/day. House temps have been around 60-65 at night and 65-70 in the day. There are two of us.

Curious,,,

I have been using Dometic LP fridges for years off grid. How much propane were you using in an average month? I use about 15 gallons a month for cooking, hot water and fridge. Somewhere I have the calc on my propane consumption but it would be interesting to compare.


If you are really only using .76kw/day it is something I may have to consider.
Icarus

Ralph Day

Re: New electric fridge data

Icarus,
Check out Woods products. I replaced my 16 year old Woods fridge with a new one, larger, less money than previouslyh spent...and it only uses .47kw/day.

Ralph

jtdiesel65

Re: New electric fridge data

I have no hard data because I do not have a device to measure the individual appliance. I also use propane for hot water, dryer, stove and backup generator. I'll have to look at my records to see how much propane I use per year. I think it's about (or was) 400-450 gallons. I get propane delivered twice per year and the last one a few weeks ago was 223 gallons (which was $954 !)

According to the documentation it is about 1.1 lbs/day for the Servel. I think propane is 4.2 lbs/gal...so a bit under 100 gal/yr for the refrigerator. I'm not sure if these fridges would use more as they get older. My Servel is 9 yrs old.

Hot water is probably my big use of propane. Although this past December was about the harshest on record with maybe 3 days of full sun, the generator pretty much never comes on. I should probably do interval starts to exercise it. The dryer might be 3 loads per week. The stove, or rather oven, is pretty heavy use in fall and winter months. In summer, we cook outdoors or use the cooktop mostly.

Now I'm curious. I'll have to dig out my documentation and see what these other appliances are rated at.

BTW, the fridge is on sale for the next two days. Kenmore also had a 18 cu ft one that was rated for 383kwh/yr.

System2

Re: New electric fridge data

Ralph Day wrote: »

Icarus,
Check out Woods products. I replaced my 16 year old Woods fridge with a new one, larger, less money than previously spent...and it only uses .47kw/day.

Ralph

WOW!! That's getting pretty close to the .3kw/day that my chest fridge uses. Awesome!
Wayne