Camp fridge Propane or Solar Power

[sawbill]

No doubt about it, propane can be a pain to use especially with a fridge that doesn't run all summer.
So my neighbor says I can install a 1000 W solar powered system that will run the fridge all summer. Probably the lights too. According to him it would cost around $3000 to have it up and running.

I'm using propane right now but don't really have a handle on how much my fridge uses because it doesn't run all the summer.
My manual says gas consumption on low flame is 14 g/h. What the heck is 14 g/h? I buy by the pounds as does most everyone around.
Just trying to figure out whats cheaper and most practical.

[oldbill]

I would guess 14grams per hour. 454 grams in a pound. So 32 hours per pound of propane?

[Wahoo]

A neighbour at my lake just installed a $15K solar/battery system to run a 120V fridge because he was so pissed when his 8 year old, $2k propane one died this spring. Super impressive hardware and batteries but costly. He did it to code and pulled a permit too. They rave about how fast a $400 12 cu ft 120V cools down - in a few hours as opposed to days with the propane.

The other camps just leave the fridges running from June through September and have told me that their 8 cu ft fridges consume just over 1 pound of propane a day. (The numbers above look correct BTW but there is low flame and high flame which is PROBABLY 33 g/h - do the math!)

$3,000 bucks for a budget system? Hard to say but it is possible. I'd like to see a component list and the batteries he chose. A fridge doesn't consume all that much power when it is running (starting the compressor is another thing) and can get by on a modified sine inverter (which would keep cost down). It is deciding that you're going to start plugging other things in that causes the problems.

[JMatthews]

I'm thinking a generator would be way cheaper and offer some flexibility for other uses. Something to consider.

[Fisherman]

A fridge doesn't consume all that much power when it is running (starting the compressor is another thing) and can get by on a modified sine inverter (which would keep cost down).

Some compressor motors don't minds MSW inverters and overheat, others fare much better on PSW. Costs more but less aggravation.

[woody1948]

No doubt about it, propane can be a pain to use especially with a fridge that doesn't run all summer.
So my neighbor says I can install a 1000 W solar powered system that will run the fridge all summer. Probably the lights too. According to him it would cost around $3000 to have it up and running.

I'm using propane right now but don't really have a handle on how much my fridge uses because it doesn't run all the summer.
My manual says gas consumption on low flame is 14 g/h. What the heck is 14 g/h? I buy by the pounds as does most everyone around.
Just trying to figure out whats cheaper and most practical.

I doubt it very much Ken, a fridge is going to use around 750 watts and that's about what you will actually get from a 1000w system, and that is only when the sun is shining. Now you need batteries and enough power to charge them everyday to keep your fridge cold in the dark.

[gunter]

Don't forget when the fridge reaches temperature setting it will not run until temperature drops.