WAECO 70 Litre Fridge problem

Your nearest Engel fridge retailer, but it will cost you around $1200 LOL. Good luck
Cheers

Greetings

I would suggest that the product is not fit for the purpose for which it was purchased. A warranty claim involving a full refund would be my thoughts. (Providing it is still under warranty or only just out of warranty)

Approach WAECO outlining your issues with the product and request a full refund ( all in writing). Failure to agree, pursue with your state consumer department.

Regards

Paul

I bought a FF90 and so did a mate about 2yrs ago. Both of our fridges would not work on 12v but would on 240. Fiddled with the high-low switch and then dissconnected the fan and found out that the compressor was not working. We sent them both back to get fixed under warranty and on return mine worked on 12v but my mate did not check his until we were half way to the gulf so we had to run the genset for 100hrs over 6days to keep it working as it was not fixed!! Mine running on the genset until the fuel ran out (8hrs) then automatically flicked to 12v would not fully freeze fish, we took 3days to get home (plus the 6days there) with the waeco 1/3 full and they were still not frozen! I though that was a waeco problem but my mate has a new 60l Engle and it performed the same.

We took the 90l with the genset and thumper on a weekend trip a few weeks ago and on fridge I recon we can get 8hrs out of the Thumper running the fridge at 2deg at 34deg ambient - not too impressive. I am thinking out somehow rigging two batteries up to get 24v as the frige runs better on that - but not sure how I will achieve charging them as that is what the genset does as well as powering the fridge?? Waeco is good as it is compact but only really as a fridge or to keep already frozen foods frozen. I think I need a 40l Trailblazer with dual thermostats to snap freeze the fish and then put it in the waeco.

Fridge problems is the last thing you need on a big trip. Hope you can find someone to fix it. Mine went back to the Gold Coast I think.
Justin

Hi,
We had the same problem with a similar set up (80lt waeco and thumper) on a recent pigging trip. When we left home the thumper was fully charged (or so it said on the display) but after arriving at our destination some 10hrs later we found that there was an error light on the fridge and it wasn't running. We tested thumper and again it showed that it was full but the fridge didn't like it. After arriving home a week later we discovered that the fridge needs something like 12.6v to run and even a small drop in voltage say down to 12.1 the fridge will shut down and an error light will flash as an indication for low voltage. We ended up running the frige for 240v for the rest of the trip (just to keep the beers icey cold) and it ran fine.

Olly

The address i have for Waeco in Melbourne is 2 Mary St, Blackburn 3130.
Customer assistance looks like it is via Queensland 07 5522 1001.
Cheers Mark

Thanks to all for your replies.

I don't really want to go and spend $1299 on a new Engel unless I can help it, but I think those of you who indicated that it was probably a voltage related issue are proibably on the right track.

I have tried running it on a 240/12 volt converter and it works fine and I think I may have a problem with the Thumper because it's on;y displaying two green lights currently instead of three so I will get the voltage checked out first and also try running it directly off the car battery for a while and see whether that makes any difference.

G'Day

I sympathise with you Nigeldaus, and hope you are successful in achieving a full refund under the 'not fit' clause, its real bad that these lemons get out.

I'm an Engel owner and happy, but it still shouldnt happen, although if you check on here, lots more reports of Waeco issues than Engel, everyone winges bout the cost of engels but it has to be said facts speak, I think they are worth it.

I am not one to bang my Engel drum at your misery, I think thats wrong too, but wish you every success in a full refund, that way you can choose again, Engel or otherwise,

Good luck mate,

dont accept less than a refund,

then choose wisely,

have a good un

Ron

Some replies mentioned the Thumpa as a power source. From experience one of the problems may not be the fridge but the Thumpa not having a "full" charge.

I nearly got caught when I first started using Thumpa with fridge. Local expert put (very new) Thumpa on mid to high rate (I think 8-12 amps or so) normal battery charger for a day direct to the + and - terminals, and this fixed the problem for meas it has worked OK ever since. Not identical problem to yours but could be the power source indicating full charge when it has really not been fully charged?

Also from experience a lot of merit in Anderson plugs versus what the manufacturer supplies - ie your power source from the vehicle also (wire size etc) can equal voltage drop.

One way to see if a problem is fridge OR power supply is to run the fridge though the 240V to 12 transformer and to fridge, and if it works problem is likely to be power supply from direct 12 V source or wiring.

BJ

I love my FF - 70