Compressor Fridges – A Low Power Solution
Chances are, looking at refrigeration for your new campervan or motorhome will be the first time you have heard the phrase “compressor fridge”. And there would be good reason for that.
A compressor fridge is a low voltage dc powered refrigerator. It uses a small and efficient electric powered compressor to cool the inside of it. It is effectively a mini version of the fridge you have at home — but built to run from a van’s electrical system.
There popularity can be seen by the fact the sheer volume there are to chose from on sites such as ebay
Why are compressor fridges popular in campervans?
- They are very energy efficient using much less power than absorbtion fridges
- Quick to cool, they soon get down to temperature after switching on
- They are very effective at maintaining temperatures even in hot weather
- Running on 12V dc means they can be easily powered off a battery (or 230V ac depending on the model).
- Low power makes them ideal for going off grid, even more so when paired with a solar infeed.
With a compressor fridge typically running on 12v DC, this means you can power one off your standard leisure battery. This potentially gets you away from the need for an expensive inverter setup depending on what else you are planning for your motorhome configuration.
Shapes & Sizes
Compressor fridges helpfully come in a variety of shapes and sizes due to the uses they are designed for. They are also popular with boats and other off grid setups. As such you can likely find one to fit your space in a variety of different configurations. I have found them widely available as;
- Chest-style (top opening) – the most popular and also most efficient design
- Upright fridge with a door – just like a small house fridge but running on 12V.
- Drawer-style fridges – least common. of the options, but proving popular in small camper conversions.
How do compressor fridges work?
As I’m not an expert engineer I’ll keep this fairly simple and easy to understand for you;
- The compressor compresses the refrigerant gas.
- The gas gets hot, and then releases it’s heat through the fridge’s coils (usually found at one end on the chest versions).
- The refrigerant in the system cools as it expands.
- This cold cycle then cools the interior of the fridge for you.
Would you recommend one?
Yes, for a variety of reasons.
The lower power consumption makes them an ideal solution. Although we have a fairly chunky leisure battery in Bertha, the solar panels can easily charge it back up faster than the fridge can consume it.
Shop now for compressor fridges
Safety. As you’ll see in other articles, I’m not a massive fan of carrying gas bottles on board which is what is normally used for absorption fridges. Also, if you are unfortunate enough to have a fire, it is highly unlikely the fire service will go near it if they know there are gas bottles on board.
The variety of sizes and shapes is also a major plus point for me. All being well you should be able to pick up a fridge that fits in the space you have. Rather than having to make a space available that fits the fridge.