PROBLEM: Dorm fridge won't run on 1000 watt inverter

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try for bigger blocks like the 1 gallon ones or even the 2 1/2 gallon ones. the larger the mass you start with the longer they last. it also helps to wrap the ice chest in something I used to use neoprene when I used ice chests but anything like a sleeping bag or wool blanket will help. highdesertranger
 
highdesertranger said:
try for bigger blocks like the 1 gallon ones or even the 2 1/2 gallon ones. the larger the mass you start with the longer they last. highdesertranger

The problem though is that it will take up a lot of space or may not fit. The two 2L bottles sits in a way that maximizes the space for my small freezer.
 
and there lies one of the big drawbacks to ice chest, most of the space is taken up with ice. this is were bigger is better, more room for more ice but then you can't move it. highdesertranger
 
Old thread but what the heck. I have an old Coleman green camp cooler wrapped in double reflectix and then I throw an old blanket on it. I use block ice only and can go almost a week n 85-95 degree outside and inside temps. Above 100 it's down to about three days. I don't use it much as I've weaned myself off of cold drinks and trying to keep perishable food. I just feast on the perishables the day I buy them and then drop back to cans and boxes the remainder of the time till I feel like buying something cold again. Never ice cream, but then fatso here doesn't need any more of that. It's all in how you want to eat. Buy watching the flyer s at grocery stores, I vary my diet based on what's on sale except for a few staples.
 
Another thing about the dorm fridge may be the battery. The start up on my window shaker is too much for my 345 Ah bank alone. It requires the boost from the solar to compensate for the batteries resistance. I thought it was my aging battery bank until I saw a you tube where the AC worked fine whan the solar was working but even four 6v at 12.7v couldn't start it at night.

When my batteries are full and the solar is at max the start up is fast enough that the multi meters, clamp on meter and controllers can't show you the true surge required. When something is off and the compressor has a hard time starting the surge is long enough to see. It is easily quadruple the 35 amps needed to run it and that's starting it with the pressure is low. Restarting as it cycled is even worse.

So a single 100 Ah 12v may simply not have the umph to start a small fridge. I'm adding a hard start capacitor to the window shaker to make it easier for my system.
 
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