Inverter-Compressor Refidgerators in the USA

Dave Angelini · September 2015

lkruper wrote: »

I have only heard about surge in the context of a spike in the power draw of an appliance (like a compressor) at start up. What is the utility surge to which you refer?

All the things listed above from other posters and add the neighbor next door ARC welding from a 200 amp main or the HAM with a rally big Tube amplifier. Latent damage adds up and one day your IPAD does not!

softdown · September 2015

One can easily get an AC meter that gives them a read out of available voltage. One may find certain trends develop. If one spent the money, I'm sure they could even get something that logs the available voltage.

Low voltage is hard on equipment. So are spikes of course.

sonofcy · July 2016

I have had a Samsung 29 cu ft refrigerator that uses the Digital Inverter compressor since 2010. As I recall all Samsungs have been using this technology for quite a few years now. I did a 24hr kill-a-watt test and it used 2.073kWh.

animatt · July 2016

Where are you located sonofcy?
Ambient temps where refrigerator is located?

bill von novak · July 2016

Regular motors have much lower power factor. In commercial and industrial connections there is penalty for low power factor and rebates for higher power factor. An inverter technology motor will have power factor close to unity (or 1) which not only results in lesser electricity consumption but also help get rebates on better power factor.

Two issues there:
1) They do not necessarily have lower power factor. "Pure" motors often have poor power factors, but most devices include capacitors to compensate the power factor and bring it back quite close to 1.
2) Residential consumers do not pay more for poor power factor devices anyway.

If you are planning to use Solar PV for air conditioner, then it is the best to use inverter technology air conditioner or refrigerator as it not only reduces the size of PV panels because it consumes lesser electricity, it also reduces the size of inverter to be put along with the PV panel.

This is not an issue with grid tied solar (the vast majority of solar installations out there.)

simmtron · July 2016

I have a Samsung inverter fridge for my off grid house in Mexico, it is 13.5 Cf and cost $300 us. Power factor seems to be around. 6 to. 7. When inverter starts up it will be 10 watts then 40 watts then 60 watts then may go to 90 watts or 110 watts if needed. Daily usage over a week was 0.91 kWh per day ( average 92 f temps) . I run it from a 300 Watt sine wave inverter. I think the problem with getting smaller fridges in the states is that they do there marketing like the auto industry there, sell only bigger as there is a bigger profit in it.

jonr · July 2016

I have noticed that A+++ rated European refrigerators seem to be much more efficient, even after you account for the size. Maybe it's the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants. Or maybe just a different rating system.

petertearai · July 2016

suspect a different rating system

BB. · July 2016

Yea... A lot of things are approaching the limits for energy conservation with standard technologies and energy energy efficiency. The low hanging fruit (CFL and LED lighting, reduction of waste energy in electronics, limits of physics for conversion of energy into light and moving hot air from fridge to outside cabinet).

There are things that can be done--Such a adding many inches to insulation in walls and refrigerator walls--At the cost of additional materials and larger footprints vs actual internal space--But no major game changers on the horizon.

Next step is to reduce usage (turning stuff off, using tablet computers vs laptop or desktop computers, smaller/fewer refrigerators/freezers per home, smaller homes, less A/C/heating, etc.).

Better batteries will make some of the stuff out there "easier"--But better batteries have their issues too (expense, cycle life, dangers of various chemistries, etc.).

-Bill

Inverter-Compressor Refidgerators in the USA

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