Portable fridges

Hi all you portable fridge owners, I am curious as to what everyone does with their fridges once you return home from camping or what ever else you have needed the fridge for.

I have ben told by a few people that they just leave it running but plugged into 240v and use it as a beer fridge.

So give us the run down on how you store your fridge when its not on the road with you.

Cheers,
Nath.

Depends on the time, some times it's used as a beer fridge out near the BBQ, depending on what we are doing some times it's left in one of the cars and plugged into 240 overnight. If neither of us plan to use it it just gets stored next to the beer fridge in my old mans shed.

So is it always running even when its in your old mans shed? or do you shut it down?

Nah if it's not going to be used for a little while we just turn it off. Only takes a few hours to get it cold on 240v so rather than run it when it's not really needed we just let it sit there and plug it in before we need it.

Mine lives in the tray
Doesn't come out or get turned off

Mine's stays in the tray, though i do turn it off.

hey nathan,
I have a 60L ARB fridge, when i get home i clean it out n put it in the dinning room, full of cars of drink, holds 90 cans

Only have 35l Engle when not used in the truck spends it's life as a beer fridge. It's being doing that for for 24years! The same fridge No joke. Works as good now as the day I got it. It's the best bit of equipment I have ever owned.

If I have no use for it it just gets cleaned and stored with the lid open. If not it gets filled with cans etc for parties.

Hmmm all this talk about beer and beer fridges is telling me it's time to go and raid the fridge.

Mine gets dried out and stored in a cupboard with the lid slightly open.

tagMan said:

Mine gets dried out and stored in a cupboard with the lid slightly open.

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Ditto, but will come out for any function the kitchen fridge can't handle on it's own.

Mine usually lives in the tub and turned on as needed, with the lid held open so it can dry out and not go mouldy.

If I can be assed enough to get rid of the 50Ah DC (old style) battery in the tub and put in a half-decent 100Ah DC, I might be inclined to leave it on, although the ambient temp in the tub gets quite high.

Mines in the tub on 24/7 100 a/hr battery worked perfect 7 years engle 40 lt

Tappet said:

Only have 35l Engle when not used in the truck spends it's life as a beer fridge. It's being doing that for for 24years! The same fridge No joke. Works as good now as the day I got it. It's the best bit of equipment I have ever owned.

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It=nteresting you say it runs 24hrs and is 24 years old .
I=After spendng countless dollars on an Waeco 80l in repairs.

The repair shop did say that once an engel is running ( warmed up ) there is very few parts that wear.

I have a 60l Engle and I think its the best thing I ever bought. When I get home I clean it and let it drie out and then it gets stored in the spare room with the lid open.

micksnavara said:

It=nteresting you say it runs 24hrs and is 24 years old .
I=After spendng countless dollars on an Waeco 80l in repairs.

The repair shop did say that once an engel is running ( warmed up ) there is very few parts that wear.

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Yes mate, that is no exagduration. 24/7 apart from when I have gone overseas about 6 times for a couple of months at a time, so take off a year.

When you think about it the prinicpal is not different from a normal domestic fridge. Electric motor runs in an inert mix of freon and oil so theoretically should go for a very long time. Seen old round shoulderd fridges, must be heaps older still running.

Only maintenance I have done is keep the Evaproator coil clean and now days it runs with a smear of vaso around the lid seal, there getting a bit old and stiff. Oh an one coat of paint.

Thanks for the input fellas, its good to hear how well all these things seem to last weather or not they are left running or turned on and off as needed.

Tappet has the record for not only the oldest fridge but for how long its been running for. Thats a Bloody killer run i hope my 40lt ENGEL lasts that long or even half that amount of time and i would be stoked.

Thanks again.

Yep, cleaned and stored with he lid open.
Somewhere I read suggested a monthly run for 24 hours was also a good idea, so if we haven't been away, I try to remember to do that.

^ Regular use is important.

The reason (I've been told) is the seals. They're kept moist by operating the device, so that prevents them from shrinking or cracking. Works the same for your air conditioning.