Maximizing your 12V power – Manually adjusting your fridge load?

Submitted: Sunday, May 29, 2011 at 11:53
ThreadID: 86615 Views:4893 Replies:8 FollowUps:13
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This topic was provoking some interesting trains of thought as part of an overall strategy for maximizing your power levels while out travelling. I have always believed in manually adjusting the fridge load by turning it up or down according to conditions. These conditions involved the current state of the battery, the temperature of the freezer/fridge, the ambient temperature, the charging source (Vehicle alternator/solar/AC) and whether I'm stationary for a while or on the road.

I found that juggling the controls, particularly when running two fridges, was a key factor in maintaining battery charge or taking advantage of differing power sources, particularly solar. Nothing has changed now that I have moved to the big-mother 80L combo. I am certainly not adverse to actually putting a blanket over the fridge and shutting it right down overnight if the ambient conditions are right (ie; it’s a cold desert night). Others recommend turning it up high at night and then shutting it down during the day to maximize charging ability.

Of course a fridge alone is often easier to maintain and adjust than a freezer but I for one will still manually vary the load as part of an overall power management and conservation strategy. Keen to know others thoughts on this issue.

Cheers Mick


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