Mobile Freon Refrigeration
Are you considering replacing your 2 or 3 way ammonia absorption refrigerator with a freon-compressor based refrigerator.
If so please give us a call so we can discuss your needs and how to get you into the right unit with the right capabilities!
Call us at 256-784-5133 today!
There are many factors to consider when planning a freon-compressor conversion. We’ve provided an overview of the basics below. You will certainly need to be aware of these, but don’t forget to consider the planned usage of the refrigerator. Venturing down this path without the proper insights and planning can be a very expensive mistake. Let us help you find the right solution.
1. Power Usage
You’ll need to know the power draw of your prospective refrigerator. This will usually be stated in watts and can be found on the manufacturer data plate. Occasionally the data plate will express the measure in amps instead of watts. In the event amps are given you must simply convert it to watts by multiplying the amps and the actual voltage of the power to be supplied (110-120 volts in the U.S.A.). Now you know your “running” wattage. However, typically the compressor will also require about 3 times the “running” wattage to start, also known as a peak voltage. Therefore you will need an inverter that can handle the “running” watts and a peak at 3 times that amount for a short time.
2. Battery Supply
A sufficient battery input will need to be measured in DC amps. To find DC amps, divide the “running watts” by 12 (vdc) and multiply the result by 1.1. For example, a fridge needing 800″running” watts will draw 74 DC amps. The short peak wattage is fairly negligent in concern of battery supply and doesn’t need to be calculated in.
3. Inverters
The data plate on most inverters gives two values. One is the “continuous wattage”. This is the power level the inverter can supply as long as the batteries’ inputs are sufficient. The second is the “peak surge wattage”, or the power level the inverter can supply for a short time.
4. Batteries
RV batteries are rated in amp-hours. As you might have guessed, a battery rated at 150 ampere hours can deliver 150 amps for one hour, or 73 amps for two hours before it is drained of power. As a general rule, you risk damage if a battery is drained below 50 percent of capacity, therefore you can only draw 75 amps for 1 hour. However you should also consider the fact that refrigerators do not run continuously, so you will need to determine how many minutes out of each hour your refrigerator actually runs before determining your full battery power needs.