Camping Fridge/Freezer Instead of a Chest Freezer

Lbias4action on 05/01/2023 - 15:15

Regular fridge/freezer is always full. I freeze meats bought on special and I generally cook on an industrial scale.

Chest freezers are cheap upfront, but figured I'd be paying for it in my electricity bill.

What's people's thoughts on buying a camping fridge/freezer instead due to the low power draw and running it indefinitely?

I know they're very efficient however I have no idea if they will last, if run continuously long term.

Was thinking something like this:

https://www.jaycar.com.au/80l-brass-monkey-portable-dual-zon…

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • brendanm on 05/01/2023 - 15:25
    +3

    Chest freezers are cheap to run.

    • ESEMCE on 05/01/2023 - 15:38
      +4

      Find it hard to believe that a camping fridge would be more efficient than the most efficient whitegood appliance.

      • lgacb08 on 05/01/2023 - 19:13

        Yes, camping fridge is ok for chilled but once you start using it for freezing you'll find thermal insulation becoming an issue due to lid design, also ice build up will be a lot faster than the regular chest freezer.

  • c64 on 05/01/2023 - 15:37
    +1

    why is it going to be cheaper than a standard chest freezer to run?

  • Thrawn on 05/01/2023 - 15:40

    Insulation and seals of a camping fridge is usually not that great… I doubt it's going to be more efficient than a chest freezer

  • wombat81 on 05/01/2023 - 16:03

    I guess you could look at a 3way freezer and run it off gas? They're very efficient from gas, but whether it'd be cheaper than a 240v chest freezer, I have no idea. You could also get a Lithium deep cycle battery and a 12v solar panel and run a 2 way freezer for "free".

    I have a 12/240v Dometic freezer in my hilux that costs me $0 to run but there is significant outlay in the solar/battery charging system.

    • lgacb08 on 05/01/2023 - 19:16

      No, gas fridge will be very inefficient due to inherent poor energy conversion. You only find it cheap due to perceived low cost of gas but detailed calculations will prove otherwise.

      • wombat81 on 05/01/2023 - 22:49

        I tend to agree, but you'd have to do the calculations to confirm.

        • lgacb08 on 06/01/2023 - 09:25

          I'd do the half math for you, my 55l fridge uses about 0.15kwh a day in fridge mode but won't be more than the 0.33kwh of the chest freezer when it's in freezer mode. That converts to $30 in annual electricity max, tell me if you can run a fridge on gas on a single bottle for the whole year.

  • jizmo on 05/01/2023 - 16:36
    +1

    168Ltr Aldi freezer $349. 88ltrs more and $400 extra to pay the power bill with.
    236kWh per year at 30 cents = $71
    Your double the size and 5 1/2 years ahead in power before starting
    https://stirlingappliances.com.au/product/168l-upright-freez…

  • sepa on 06/01/2023 - 11:52

    If you want it for camping as well as home use, go for it, otherwise I'd buy a cheaper 240V freezer. Camping fridge/freezers run off 12V for off-grid use with battery/solar setups in caravans, 4WDs, etc but if you run them off 240V via an adapter, you lose energy in the conversion back down to 12V. Small 240V freezers are surprising efficient and usually better insulated than a camping fridge. You do the maths, but my money is on the 240V freezer being more efficient, as well as much cheaper.

    • sepa on 06/01/2023 - 12:14

      For a maths starter, my old 92L Westinghouse upright freezer, not the most efficient, uses an energy rated 230 kWh per year = 630 watt hours per day. The 12V equivalent is 630/12 = 52 amp hours/day. How does this compare to a similar size 12V freezer (not just fridge)?

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