themexicandoctor
Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2011
- Posts
- 1,619
The original thread; https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5/adding-a-new-dc-fridge-during-a-la-heatwave-11025.html
1. Make sure that not only do you have the Solar & Battery Capacity to accommodate the increased amp hour draw but that your System is in perfect condition.
I attributed my "teething problems" to the Novakool R3800 I installed when in fact it had NOTHING to do with the new fridge but EVERYTHING to do with a loose ground/negative connection near the shunt (?), on my DC Charging system.
Yours truly was the problem, NOT Novakool & because I had very little demand before adding the Fridge I was blissfully unaware of the issue until closer examination by a RV Professional.
The issues of continual cycling, high amp hour draw were all symptoms of this poor connection that was suggested as a possibility from the beginning by the Head Engineer of Novakool.
Novakool Suport was phenomenal, I was put in touch with their Head Engineer as mentioned, in fact he would call me each morning to follow up & make sure I was happy.
2. My suggestion, unless you are technically gifted, have your Solar & Battery System set up by a Professional & if like me, my system was 18 months old, have it checked as per #1 prior to installing the fridge.
My system may have been running at a loss for 12 months or more, having worked its way loose under the bowels of my Chevy.
3. Ensure that you have a reliable way of reading your usage, I have a Victron BMV712 that for a while I was doubting but now that MY Connection issue has been resolved, the unit is Golden.
I also have a Victron MTTP 30/100 Charge Controller, ditching the 15/75 unit as 250 watts was pushing it to its limits (it would have been fi e because I started with a 170 watt Go Power system but gave the PWM Controller it came with to my installer & instead, added the Victron but a month after, I added a second 80 watt panel & this was pushing the 15amp Controller to its capacity).
Make sure you have good batteries*. I only buy Lifeline AGM's & presently have 2 x Group 27 100ah 12 volt units that I thought could also have been the problem despite never, ever having an issue with Lifeline.
2 weeks ago we gave them a Capacity Test & even though my rig system was faulty, after 2 years they passed with flying colors.
*despite being configured in the Mickey Mouse Roadtrek Versatile configuration, one unit behind the rear passenger side, on top of the exhaust (last week I recorded a record high of 52 Celsius traveling on the freeway), and the other 3 feet away (6 feet of cabling), in front of the rear tire & then a long run to the shunt on the drivers side of the vehicle. There is a work around that Booster detailed before in order to correct what is an imbalance if charging because if this distance bit by the time I had done that it would have been 50% as expensive of the reconfiguration below which is far superior.
*in a week or so the rig will be reconfigured with the batteries being moved up under the bed behind the drivers side rear door. I had already purchased 2 x Group L4CT 225ah 6 Volt Batteries because I was going to have them placed next to the battery box & the 6 volts fot better than the 12 volts in the space between the rear tire well & that box but I might just keep the 12 volts, they are good for 7 years plus.
4. Make sure you have enough ventilation behind the fridge, above & below but then again, if you are upgitting a Roadtrek like I did, it comes with more than enough existing venting cut out for the old 3 Way. As one Marine Refrigeration Guru told me, the heat produced by a DC unit is infinitesimal compated to a 3 Way.
5. Expect a Novakool to run, in a hot climate, 50% of the time, at the stated amp hour draw. Up to the R3800, the draw is listed as 2.2amps or 26.4 amp hours.
The larger units, R4500 have a 4.4 amp hour draw or 52.8 amp hours over a 24 hour period.
I will include a chart of the stated amp dtaw & you can also download it from Novakool's website.
6. The only other DC Compressor Fridge manufacturers I would recommend are Isotherm, Vitrifrigo & Truck Fridge *.
Isotherm make the smaller, low level units that are marketed under the TruckFridge label here in the USA.
Both Isotherm & Vitrifrigo, are the same company also. And both of them share their average 24 Hour Amp Hour Draw alongside each of their models, not TruckFridge.
At the same time, you can purchase additional technology known as the ITEC & ISEC, that acts to drop that stated draw by 30% or more.
Isotherm & Vitrifrigo have more advanced cooling technology than Novakool but they all ise the same proven Danfoss compressors, plus I believe that the finish on the Isotherm & Vitrifrigo, are better, inside & out.
Versus Novakool whom are based in Canada, has a greater network of service providers & focus on keeping it simple.
The other deciding factors for me as Roadtrek 190 owner is that I could slide in either the R3800 or the R4500 with addring just 3/4 inch plywood platform base with no cabinetry rebuild - fits perfectly.
And the fact that the R3800 & R4500 have the motor/,heat producing components down below where I already have existing Roadtrek cutouts & above, the same upper cutouts that provide the necessary Chimney Effect without any duct or cabinetry modifications.
7. Buy yourself some www.sensorpush.com Bluetooth Temperature & Humidity Sensors that you can affix inside your Freezer, Fridge or anywhere you wish to monitor such metrics.
Not only do they give you accurate readings from 100 feet away in real time they also give you averages in numerical & graph form by the Minute, Hour, Day, Week, Month, Year in an easy to see, easy to read & understand format.
No need to get on your knees & squint at a gauge or open the door of your fridge & defeat the purpose. They are pricey at $40 but to me, worth every penny.
I have one in the Front Cab (now doing duty in the Freezer temporarily), one attached to the back wall of the Fridge, one attached to the upper cabinet of my Rear Lounge/Sleeping Area & one underneath the bed, next to my Inverter, soon to be a Battery Compartment.
8. Overall, I am ecstatic about the performance of the Novakool & there is still some fine tuning to take place.
My Electrical system needed repair but for a while I was pointing fingers at Novakool who graciously walked me through the entire process.
Now my system is resolved, my entire Electrical system is performing to its capacity & it hardly notices that the DC Fridge is there.
Moreover, the Novakool is perfect for my needs ...
1. Make sure that not only do you have the Solar & Battery Capacity to accommodate the increased amp hour draw but that your System is in perfect condition.
I attributed my "teething problems" to the Novakool R3800 I installed when in fact it had NOTHING to do with the new fridge but EVERYTHING to do with a loose ground/negative connection near the shunt (?), on my DC Charging system.
Yours truly was the problem, NOT Novakool & because I had very little demand before adding the Fridge I was blissfully unaware of the issue until closer examination by a RV Professional.
The issues of continual cycling, high amp hour draw were all symptoms of this poor connection that was suggested as a possibility from the beginning by the Head Engineer of Novakool.
Novakool Suport was phenomenal, I was put in touch with their Head Engineer as mentioned, in fact he would call me each morning to follow up & make sure I was happy.
2. My suggestion, unless you are technically gifted, have your Solar & Battery System set up by a Professional & if like me, my system was 18 months old, have it checked as per #1 prior to installing the fridge.
My system may have been running at a loss for 12 months or more, having worked its way loose under the bowels of my Chevy.
3. Ensure that you have a reliable way of reading your usage, I have a Victron BMV712 that for a while I was doubting but now that MY Connection issue has been resolved, the unit is Golden.
I also have a Victron MTTP 30/100 Charge Controller, ditching the 15/75 unit as 250 watts was pushing it to its limits (it would have been fi e because I started with a 170 watt Go Power system but gave the PWM Controller it came with to my installer & instead, added the Victron but a month after, I added a second 80 watt panel & this was pushing the 15amp Controller to its capacity).
Make sure you have good batteries*. I only buy Lifeline AGM's & presently have 2 x Group 27 100ah 12 volt units that I thought could also have been the problem despite never, ever having an issue with Lifeline.
2 weeks ago we gave them a Capacity Test & even though my rig system was faulty, after 2 years they passed with flying colors.
*despite being configured in the Mickey Mouse Roadtrek Versatile configuration, one unit behind the rear passenger side, on top of the exhaust (last week I recorded a record high of 52 Celsius traveling on the freeway), and the other 3 feet away (6 feet of cabling), in front of the rear tire & then a long run to the shunt on the drivers side of the vehicle. There is a work around that Booster detailed before in order to correct what is an imbalance if charging because if this distance bit by the time I had done that it would have been 50% as expensive of the reconfiguration below which is far superior.
*in a week or so the rig will be reconfigured with the batteries being moved up under the bed behind the drivers side rear door. I had already purchased 2 x Group L4CT 225ah 6 Volt Batteries because I was going to have them placed next to the battery box & the 6 volts fot better than the 12 volts in the space between the rear tire well & that box but I might just keep the 12 volts, they are good for 7 years plus.
4. Make sure you have enough ventilation behind the fridge, above & below but then again, if you are upgitting a Roadtrek like I did, it comes with more than enough existing venting cut out for the old 3 Way. As one Marine Refrigeration Guru told me, the heat produced by a DC unit is infinitesimal compated to a 3 Way.
5. Expect a Novakool to run, in a hot climate, 50% of the time, at the stated amp hour draw. Up to the R3800, the draw is listed as 2.2amps or 26.4 amp hours.
The larger units, R4500 have a 4.4 amp hour draw or 52.8 amp hours over a 24 hour period.
I will include a chart of the stated amp dtaw & you can also download it from Novakool's website.
6. The only other DC Compressor Fridge manufacturers I would recommend are Isotherm, Vitrifrigo & Truck Fridge *.
Isotherm make the smaller, low level units that are marketed under the TruckFridge label here in the USA.
Both Isotherm & Vitrifrigo, are the same company also. And both of them share their average 24 Hour Amp Hour Draw alongside each of their models, not TruckFridge.
At the same time, you can purchase additional technology known as the ITEC & ISEC, that acts to drop that stated draw by 30% or more.
Isotherm & Vitrifrigo have more advanced cooling technology than Novakool but they all ise the same proven Danfoss compressors, plus I believe that the finish on the Isotherm & Vitrifrigo, are better, inside & out.
Versus Novakool whom are based in Canada, has a greater network of service providers & focus on keeping it simple.
The other deciding factors for me as Roadtrek 190 owner is that I could slide in either the R3800 or the R4500 with addring just 3/4 inch plywood platform base with no cabinetry rebuild - fits perfectly.
And the fact that the R3800 & R4500 have the motor/,heat producing components down below where I already have existing Roadtrek cutouts & above, the same upper cutouts that provide the necessary Chimney Effect without any duct or cabinetry modifications.
7. Buy yourself some www.sensorpush.com Bluetooth Temperature & Humidity Sensors that you can affix inside your Freezer, Fridge or anywhere you wish to monitor such metrics.
Not only do they give you accurate readings from 100 feet away in real time they also give you averages in numerical & graph form by the Minute, Hour, Day, Week, Month, Year in an easy to see, easy to read & understand format.
No need to get on your knees & squint at a gauge or open the door of your fridge & defeat the purpose. They are pricey at $40 but to me, worth every penny.
I have one in the Front Cab (now doing duty in the Freezer temporarily), one attached to the back wall of the Fridge, one attached to the upper cabinet of my Rear Lounge/Sleeping Area & one underneath the bed, next to my Inverter, soon to be a Battery Compartment.
8. Overall, I am ecstatic about the performance of the Novakool & there is still some fine tuning to take place.
My Electrical system needed repair but for a while I was pointing fingers at Novakool who graciously walked me through the entire process.
Now my system is resolved, my entire Electrical system is performing to its capacity & it hardly notices that the DC Fridge is there.
Moreover, the Novakool is perfect for my needs ...
