engel 17 litre fridge/freezer

many thanks stephen,

i am currently trying a little test of my own, hence the delay in responding. my 17 litre engel is full of frozen food and with control set on 3.5 it runs normally but only gets down to minus 10 degrees. with control increased to 4 temp. gets down to 13.5 but the motor runs continuously without stopping. does this sound normal to you? thomas QLD.

Hi Thomas

If you wish to use the unit as a full time freezer, turn the unit to 5 or freeze. Yes the unit will run continuously until it reaches it correct temperature. At this point the compressor will stop running, but not for very long, as it will be running to achieve the frozen state, but yes it sounds like your fridge is running correctly.

As a tip, where possible it is advisable to pre freeze your goods if possible to help with the running of the fridge. If you head to the tropics or if used during our hotter months, you will find that the unit will run continuously and if the ambient air temperature is 36 C or hotter, the thermo fan will cut in to help cool the condenser.


Cheers


Stephen

hi Stephen,

many thanks for your patience, i will respond further as soon as i can compile an intelligent sentence. cheers thomas qld

hi Stephen

maybe youre right and my engel is working as it should, maybe i am expecting too much? you say "at this point, the compressor will stop running, but not for very long" thats what i would have thought, but my strict observation is that it does not stop EVER, AT ALL. my concern is, if it wont cycle at control 4 or above, on a 30 degree day indoors, what can i expect on a 38 degree day on battery power in my caravan? food thawing and refreezing? a bit risky i'd have thought? still you seem to know what your talking about and i do respect that. therefor would you suggest i get a trail-blazer, or something that might perform better?

Hi Thomas

On a 38 C day, on 5 or freeze and you will find that the fridge will run continuously, with no problems what so ever. You food should not thaw and then re freeze, not unless there was a problem, and the biggest help with any portable fridge is to keep the opening up of the fridge to a minimum.

Even running continuously, your maximum power consumption will still only by 2.5 amps per hour and you will find that this is still low compared to so other brands out there in the market.

It is the real hot days that is the real test for any fridge and you should find that your Engel will come through with flying colours, and your frozen products will be rock hard. If staying for any extended time in any one location without power, then solar or generator auxiliary power sources would be recommended.

Yes Trailblazers are a very good fridge, but in extreme conditions, you will find that on freeze setting, most will run continuously. Years ago we had a very unexpected heat wave out at Yulara, with daytime temperatures between 44 - 46 C and it did not get below 36 C at night. Our Engel did run non stop even on fridge setting, but the products inside the fridge were as cold and we could not have been happier with its performance.


Cheers


Stephen

hi Stephen

all sorted, i am most happy with my little engel, many thanks for your patience. many thanks to others who responded to my post cheers thomas qld

many thanks Peter,

with the control set at maximum, my unit does not reach minus 16 and the compressor runs continuously. any further suggestions would be most helpful. cheers thomas QLD

Hi Thomas
If it is still under warranty ,why not take it back
But perhaps first, you should tell us where you have it ,how hot the air temp is around it??
You may have it in a location that is just too hot
Also is it getting a full 12vs at it's terminals when RUNNING ??
Low voltage due to cable size may mean it is not developing full power
How is it connected?

Peter

dear Peter

many thanks for your interest, i have the engel on a table in my kitchen in an engel protective bag during 30 degree days, running on ac240 volts via supplied elec. lead and filled with prefrozen food. with thermastat set at 3.5, temp.gets down to minus 10 degrees, and motor cycles, i.e. rests, [albeit briefly.] set control at 4 or higher and temp gets down to minus 13.5 but unit does not cycle, ___ AT ALL. is this as good as it gets? i cant find any information on what the " NORMAL" perameters are. comparing my unit with other reports of engels left all day in full sun etc. it seems that while mine sort of works, it could be better. cheers. thomas qld

Hi
I think the specs say down to minus 25c
and the max ambient for efficient operation is 40c
Of course very high ambient temps may affect that & will have a considerable effect on the run time
Peter