I decided to replace the fuses in the line to the new 760 watt inverter with an 80 amp circuit breaker. I ordered the circuit breaker from eBay for $13 including shipping and it arrived on Thursday. I cut the fuse holders off the cables and connected the circuit breaker. I turned it on and plugged in the fridge. It fired right up drawing about 480 amps for a few seconds and then settling back to 220. I added the TV, StarChoice receiver and laptop to the inverter and it handled everything just fine, allowing the fridge to start and stop without even approaching the capacity of the inverter.
I unplugged the motorhome from the workshop and let everything run off the batteries just to see what would happen. The fridge cycled on and off a few times and the TV played away. After a couple of hours my voltage had dropped a volt or so proving what I already knew. The fridge will be fine running while we are driving and the batteries are being charged by the vehicle but my battery capacity is insufficient to run the fridge overnight while we are boondocking in a Walmart or such. It will be fine while we are stopped for a meal but that is all. This is no problem. I will turn the fridge off overnight and the insulation will keep it cold until we start up the next morning. It will not be used for perishables, only water, juice, beer, etc. When we are in an RV park it will just plug into a regular plug. It will make life much easier traveling in Mexico.
Photo shows a 140 amp breaker, mine is the same only 80 amps.
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You can't say "$13 inverter including shipping" without providing more details!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry Rae, typing error. The breaker was $13 on eBay, the inverter was $79 from Walmart.
ReplyDeleteGood job Croft! Having a small fridge plugged in outside is a huge asset. Other than beverages we manage to fit in fruit.
ReplyDeleteWell done. Hmmm, cold beer, 24-7, is a nice option to have, especially in Mexico.
ReplyDeleteAh, makes more sense. :) Still, $79 is a pretty good deal.
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