Monitoring your fridge and freezer temps

Yes they look promising. Thanks

I have that system as well and happy with it

Alby, I take it the sensors are placed inside the fridge or freezer, and they wireless no probs ??

Are the batts in the sensors ok with the temps ?
Low temps usually play havoc with batteries of all types.

Thanks, they look like a great way to keep an eye on the one fridge, and might place the other inside the cab somewhere to monitor that . . . at least until maybe one day I might set up a second unit for a freezer too :)

Les I can't recall the battery type (lithium?) they recommend but it is a AA disposable battery that Eveready and Duracell sell in supermarkets etc.
I run one in my fridge and one in our freezer and they have worked just fine
I have had the product for about 3 years and would buy it again

Love the idea of the monitoring.

Does running the wire to the sensor into the Engel (or similar) affect the rubber seal badly?

Same question for the caravan fridge.

bill

Not at all. The standard fridge temperature probe runs through a grommet in the wall of the fridge. I simply ran mine in the same grommet. Luck!!

I got the 12V for the monitor "+" supply and also the sensing from the inside of the electronic control box. The device runs on 7 - 30 V DC from memory. Hence the same 12V DC source can be used for the supply as well.

So it will still operate quite effectively even the the supply voltage from the car's battery was to go low. And thus twe temp and voltage would also be accurate.

To what standard I didn't worry with.

As long as the displayed values appear steady and as expected, and they have over several years, then I am happy that the fridge is performing as shown and that "all is well".

Our two Engel fridges (40L & 21L) are in the car. We don't have a caravan. Can't comment there. Sorry.

I got an inexpensive larger box from Jaycar and mounted this led display unit in it. The LED box is open at the rear.

If you want to investigate further here is a similar listing:

LED Digital Voltage Meter Time Temperature

Ross, I must be lucky, my Engel unit for around $30 lasted for 8 years.
Paul

Paul you are not lucky at all. Engels are fine.

I think that Ross is talking about some kind of stand alone monitoring gizmo. Not the actual fridge.

Our two engel fridges (40L and 20L) perform perfectly. One was purchased new and the other one, that we use as a freezer, came from ebay. And we mainly go off road onto rough and heavily corrugated roads and tracks. They have been shaken up heaps. The most recent trip was a CSR drive and that was almost all corrugations. So I don't know what facts or reports that he could be basing his claim on.

Interested though.

I have the Engel wireless temp monitor and it is a waste of money. The sender does not send a signal once the temp inside the fridge gets below about freezing and even when above that temp with the fridge door closed range is only a few feet.

Garry

Yep , my Engel temp monitor wire leads snapped at the unit - threw it in bin

Maybe this is a case of "cheap is best". WHAT! Did I say that!!! Like my solution.

I also tie all loose wires together with cable ties and try not to use batteries. After all I did install a third battery under the bonnet for all these extra 4x4 accessories. (the bloke who invented them mu be richer than Gates). The only dry cell battery in the kit is a 6V one for a large square torch.

Also had the Evakool one for over 3 years and it worked well as we could see the temp of the fridge in the CT from the tow vehicle. The receiver died this year though so we bought a new one. If we get another 3 years I will be happy.

Two good points mate. Don't over engineer the job and keep the voltage monitoring right at the fridge. That's exactly what we did. The monitor is on the fridge and I get the voltage from inside the fridge electronics. I did them a few years back before the Simpson and Cape drives. Still prefer the smallish, non battery ones.

That is the same as the Engel one I have mentioned above - don't work for long where temps drop below freezing.

Get a wired version.

Garry

I suspect range will be limiting if wireless, and hence the reason mine is co-located with the fridge. In terms of temperature monitoring it appears to works fine at +- temperatures. I was testing the solar panels not too long ago and had the fridge running at sub-zero for an extended period and the wireless temperature monitor was indicating this.

But mind you, I'm not looking for absolute temperatures, but whether it is stable or trending one way or the other. They'll only ever provide guidance...

Looking at one on the dashboard could only mess with your head I reckon!

Cheers, Baz - The Landy

I like the last bit Baz. Agree wholeheartedly and I look for stability as well.