Off Grid Refrigerator Choice?

[John_P]

I need to buy a refrigertor for use off the grid. I am interested in any informaton that compares the relability or longevity of propane powered refrigerators with DC electric powered refrigerators. I can supply either kind of power with about equal difficulty, so the choice for me really becomes one of quality and reliability.

Do you have any direct comparison experience? If you have bought one or the other, how did you choose which type to buy? Can you post any links that offer reviews of either type of refrigerator?

Thanks in advance.

[bee_pipes]

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago102.html

Regards,
Pat

[SolarGary]

Hi,
Not sure about reliability -- seems like both are pretty good.

Propane fridges are much less energy efficient.

You can probably find an Energy Star electric fridge that uses as little as 300 KWH per year -- thats equivalent to about 11 gallons fo propane -- for a full year!

Gary

[Olduvai]

I've done a lot of research on this. I still don't have the money for one but you might search for "fridgefreeze".Low energy consumption, durable, but not cheap.

[Backwoods_Bob]

We went with propane because there is no way I can power a DC fridge through our long, gloomy northern winter.

We have a Fros Tek chest freezer and a Danby refrigerator.

Ten years ago when we bought these appliances I couldn't find many propane units to choose from.
The Fros Tek was the only propane chest freezer I could find, and the only other refrigerator I could find on the market was the Servel. I got the Danby because it was two hundred bucks cheaper than the Servel.

The Danby cost me $1095.00 and the Fros Tek cost me $1950.00

Both units have run fine for ten years now.
The freezer in the Danby refrigerator is the coldest of any I have ever seen.

I did have to change out the orifice on the Fros Tek because of our elevation.
They do requier occational maintenence. The Danby needs to have the burner and stack cleaned maybe once a year and I had to unclog the orifice on the Fros Tek once.

I run the refrigerator, the freezer and our stove with propane and we use fifty gallons of propane every three or four months.

The only trouble with a DC fridge is having enough battery capacity to get you through spells of bad weather. We could never do it this far north.

Hope this information helps!
- Bob

[bigdan]

thanks for asking i also had the same question. go info.