Residential refrigerator

[Diesel Pusher]

So does this mean you barely make it through the night until daylight? What size battery bank do you have that is lasting eight or nine hours without solar?

I have no power issues with 400ah of LiFePO4 batteries and 1600 watts of solar. Typically, we'll use between 25% - 36% of battery capacity all day until sunrise the next day when recharging kicks in. Batteries are usually whole again by noon. We use everything… 12v compressor fridge cooling unit attached to Norcold 1210, television, Dometic CFX50 portable fridge/freezer in the basement, all the LED lights we want, satellite radio, charging 2 laptops, 2 phones and internet router, coffee maker, water pump etc. However, two others in our group converted to residential refrigerators, one a Samsung. They have 200ah FLA deep cycle batteries. They get about 8 hours. The other converted to an LG fridge. They have 400ah FLA deep cycle and can go 10 to 12 hours. Neither have any solar. Others folks can go longer depending on battery condition, how they use their power and supplement with as little as 100 watts of solar.

 

[Adamatthebeach]

I have no power issues with 400ah of LiFePO4 batteries and 1600 watts of solar. Typically, we'll use between 25% - 36% of battery capacity all day until sunrise the next day when recharging kicks in. Batteries are usually whole again by noon. We use everything… 12v compressor fridge cooling unit attached to Norcold 1210, television, Dometic CFX50 portable fridge/freezer in the basement, all the LED lights we want, satellite radio, charging 2 laptops, 2 phones and internet router, coffee maker, water pump etc. However, two others in our group converted to residential refrigerators, one a Samsung. They have 200ah FLA deep cycle batteries. They get about 8 hours. The other converted to an LG fridge. They have 400ah FLA deep cycle and can go 10 to 12 hours. Neither have any solar. Others folks can go longer depending on battery condition, how they use their power and supplement with as little as 100 watts of solar.

Great information, thank you for taking the time to explain.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I am very cautious about cycling batteries. It doesn't matter what the technology is, they all have a cycle life. Lithium, cycles are 100% to 0% accumulative. With lead it's about draining to 80% being a cycle.

Ultimately it comes down to the more energy you drain from the bank (use it), the sooner you will have to replace them. Typical flooded batteries have cycle life of 360 to 500 cycles. Translated to real life, that means if you cycle by using more than 20% of it's capacity every day, you can expect 1 to 1.5 years out of a bank!
This is where solar shines, it keeps the batteries from dipping as far down in the day light hours (the more solar the better, the larger the bank the better). The solar supplies as much to the load as it has, and less comes from the bank,meaning the batteries are not being cycled! Timers on loads keeping them from coming on at night, or low use hours Translates to battery not being used.

The above is the reason I have a bunch of solar, and the reason off grid systems have large battery houses. It is also why such systems have much longer battery life.

Keep in mind that when someone says they drain 33% from their battery bank everyday, and says they work great. They have, if using Lithium used 1/3 of a cycle. For those using lead, they have used one of the estimated 365 cycles,or one day of the year life expected.

You can consider a smaller battery bank and reduce replacement cost if you insist on using 20% or more each day, or increase the bank so your using less than 20% of the power, and reduce cycles to increase battery life.

Conservation methods also will reduce operating costs in the long haul.

Hope that gives you more insight!!!