Unique UGP-80L1-W, Danfoss/Secop Fridge

[WanderingCanuck]

It's been almost a week since I picked up my new fridge/freezer.  I'm not yet in a van, but I'm spending about half my time in my own house (renovating for fall sale, hopefully) and the other half where I work (about 1.5 hours away, staying with relatives).  It's a good opportunity to try some things out and begin to purchase some of the things I'll need/want in the next stage.  I decided that a fridge would be the first step, and I have taken that step.

So, overall I have to say that I'm impressed with the low energy consumption.  Most of the week I had it set to 4°C and -12°C.  I started off the initial cooling on shore power, then for the next few days I tried to just run it off my truck's starting battery with two driving/charging sessions of about 30 minutes each with 10 hours between (my drive to/from work each day).

I had anticipated this would be a complete impossibility - to the point that I had stowed away my battery charger for when I killed the battery and needed a boost.  However, I was pleasantly surprised at the performance and didn't have any problems starting my truck.  Based on very rough observation, in about 28°C weather inside my truck with the windows open ~2", the fridge side reached a max of about 9°C and the freezer side just barely crept above freezing at around 2°C.  This was after sitting in the sun for about 10 hours.  I'll estimate that after about 4 hours the low battery shut-off feature was kicking in, so this is praise for both the compressor and the insulation.

Plugging into shore power at night easily attains the set points and leaves more battery charge to keep the unit running longer the next day.

One thing I've noticed about the power adapter though, is that it gets VERY warm.  It's rated at 120W input from 120VAC, but the fridge is spec'ed at 33W draw on the 12V side.  I thought switching power supplies were more efficient than that!  Why the discrepancy?

Also, a small annoyance is that there's supposedly an app that allows you to connect via Bluetooth to monitor and change settings.... but it's nowhere to be found on their web site or via Google searching.  I have emailed regarding this, but have started to count the days with no response.  This isn't a deal breaker for me, but it's a small red flag for the company.

In the next little while I'm going to try to source a solar panel that will get re-used in my eventual van setup.  On a bright day I'm thinking this might be enough to keep just the fridge going.

Manufacturer Product Page:
http://uniqueoffgrid.com/product/portable-solar-acdc-powered-fridgefreezer-80-litres/

User manual with specs:
http://uniqueoffgrid.com/wp-content/uploads/UGP-80L1_W_Manual_Eng_final.pdf

 

[John61CT]

Looks like could be a great product, if time proves build quality and customer support.

The company seems well committed to the off-grid market.

The app issue I'd ignore.

Dented ones $500-600 seems worth it if seller has good return policy.

What other similar sized dual compartment units are out there?

 

[Weight]

Here you are john. http://uniqueoffgrid.com/category/solar-appliances/

 

[John61CT]

Yes, already read that. I meant competitive offerings, dual units from other vendors in a similar size.

 

[WanderingCanuck]

Yes, already read that. I meant competitive offerings, dual units from other vendors in a similar size.

I mentioned in another post that I had been considering a Whynter fridge prior to this one. I think they would be very similar, and possibly less expensive. The problem for me was getting my hands on one here in Ontario, Canada. If it was possible, I wasn't able to locate one through any reasonable channel.

The Unique is made in China and has a few telltale signs thereof. The manual is written with very good english but there are some phrases that don't sound quite right. The parts diagram showing names of parts is also suspicious ("Temperature Control Box", as opposed to "Thermostat") but this is perhaps subjective. It doesn't qualify as "Chinglish" in my book, but overall it doesn't flow as though it was written by a native english speaking technical writer, but I have seen 1000 times worse with other products! This is by no mean a reason for or against the purchase though, just something I notice.

I suspect their products are contract built and imported. This is increasingly common even for smaller companies and quantities. With good oversight some decent products can be created with lower price (and probably a better profit margin on the local markup).

I'd give the overall fit and finish a 90% score. I dropped 10% due to the sticker on the front panel not being properly adhered and aligned, though it has since flattened out and I've been able to get it mostly straight. Also one of the front hinges doesn't latch quite as tightly as I'd have preferred - but it still compresses the seal adequately. I could probably do some adjustment to this if I cared to. The cover that comes with it is unsurprisingly "cheap". It's a heavy nylon exterior with a mylar-like interior. There are some pockets on the front that are somewhat useful for the AC adapter and such. The windows and cutouts somewhat obscure the control panel, but I've kept it on for the slightly better insulation it offers. Eventually I plan to do some custom additional insulation when it's sitting in place so I'm considering the cover "disposable".

And finally, I'm in a fixed location for the weekend and have been able to power it constantly either by driving or connecting to shore power (via a 12V/2A charger on the vehicle main battery). It has had no trouble maintaining -16°C and 2°C (my current set points) within +2/-0°C any time I've checked it. I do try to minimize the amount of time it's open, and plan my accesses efficiently. I'm considering replacing the interior compartment lids - hollow plastic - with custom cut pieces of rigid foam, maybe 1" thick or so. This should help maintain the temperature in the compartment that isn't being accessed.

 

[WanderingCanuck]

Interesting. I just noticed that Home Depot Canada now has this same unit listed for sale on their web site. I don't think it was there when I was first looking, but I could have missed it. The price is about the same as where I purchased mine.

 

[closeanuf]

Not all of us are able to convert C to F; could you help us out with the translation?  Please.

 

[John61CT]

Just ask your phone

"How warm is 18° celsius?"

or

"How cold is 20° below zero fahrenheit?"

and she'll tell you, also popping up a conversion calculator