Waeco fridge

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by trebormint, Aug 30, 2013.

  1. If you're thinking about installing a Waeco compressor fridge then don't do what I did....
    Without reading all the literature, I steamed ahead and wasted a lot of time running a cable from the leisure battery to the fridge via a suitably sized fuse and a switch. I matched the cable size to current draw of the fridge, and added a bit for luck! 1.5mm would be plenty I thought. Wrong! As it turns out this clever little fridge monitors volt drop and automatically switches off when the voltage drops below a set point (I think it's 10.7V) so as to protect the battery. Therefore Waeco advises the installer to use 6mm cable to avoid any losses. That's a big lump of copper! But that is what's required unless anybody can tell me they've got away with using something smaller.
     
    TheGazman likes this.
  2. Buying the same fridge was the best thing we have done to the van this year. For a long DC cable run you will need large cable to avoid voltage drop. There is a chart in the manual. I discovered that halfords sells very flexible, large section cable with a silicone jacket for in car entertainment systems. This is what i used and the fridge runs really well. Fridge is behind passenger seat and battery is in engine bay.

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...&productId=754247&categoryId=265890&langId=-1
     
  3. I'm interested which fridge you have and how you find it. How quickly does it flatten your battery? Does your run off mains power 2?
     
  4. It's a CR50 which consumes between 1.4 and 1.7 Ah which will get you through a weekend. It is only 12v but if you're on hook-up then your battery will be charging sufficiently.
    It is a very nice bit of kit which I do recommend.
     
  5. mikedjames

    mikedjames Supporter

    Compressor fridges draw a lot of current for a fraction of a second as the compressor starts. It then drops off a lot. Unlike thermoelectric coolers which drain 4 amps and do b****r all except flatten your battery.

    I have a Euroengel portable compressor fridge / coolbox that cost £40 broken at a boat jumble. One rebuilt switch that had got wet, and it has since worked for years. Needs about 5A to start and 4A to run, averages about 1 to 2A depending whether you are running in 'cool' or 'freezer' mode. It is built around the same compressor as a lot of other small 12v fridges.

    The 10A battery charger in the inverter/charger I have fitted easily keeps up with it on mains power.
     
  6. Is it quiet?:thinking:
     
  7. sANDYbAY

    sANDYbAY On benefits-won't sponsor!

    Our cr50 will freeze water (takes about four or five hours to make ice cubes) keeps ice lollies frozen and lasts for at least three days on the battery. I used domestic 6mm cooker cable to wire mine in. I used the cooker cable from the LB to the fuse box then ordinary wire from the fuse box for everything except the fridge which got cooker cable from fuse box to fridge.
     
  8. Not got a built in waeco, but got one of those big 3way box jobs and that freezes stuff and keeps really cold , best on gas thou!! 45 ltrs so loads of room for beers etc and you can throw it in the awning when you arrive on site so dont need space , sorry its not as per thread but its worth the £ 185 price tag.
     
  9. Bhubesi

    Bhubesi Supporter

    I've just bought a Waeco fridge for my bus.
    I am hopeful that the current draw will be of inverse proportion to the cost of the the fridge!;)
    Tony
     
    sjhjoinery likes this.
  10. They aren't cheap but warm beer is not an option!
     
    3901mick and sjhjoinery like this.
  11. go a waeco compressor fridge in our van

    i didn't look at the instructions but being a sparky i knew to watch out for volt drop and wired it in 6mm anyway
     
  12. Ours is a cr50. I calculated that on a 100Ah battery it should last 3-days. When away a combination of occasional journeys and hook up means its never a problem. The fridge is inches from my head when I'm asleep and I can't hear it.
     
  13. Before I fitted our CR50 I read numerous review and the voltage drop issue was mentioned several times so I made sure the wiring was more than sufficient and I have never had an issue. Great bit of kit and I am always surprised at how much stuff you can cram into it.

    With you @Mark&Laura warm beer is NOT an option :)
     
  14. Anyone ever fitted one in place of the westfalia cool box ? Under the sink. Maybe Father Christmas might bring me one! I've been a good boy!
     
  15. was done in an old camper & bus magazine, just reading through they used a CR50, took out the coolbox unit removed the wooden base, slid the metal frame out, and wooden board on the back etc. appear to have fitted some bits of wood inside ? and a bit along the bottom and voila ... they also fitted a solar panel on the top of the bus (in the space where the fixed roof rack is). Skill level 4 and 24 hours :) whatever that means
     
  16. 4out of 5 or 4 out of 10! ;)
     
  17. 4 OUT OF 5 BUT that's probably because the article included fitting a solar panel up top
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2013
  18. Mine is where the cool box would have been. I had to remove the watertank to get it to fit. I will be fitting an underfloor water tank to replace it.
     
  19. Are they the same size? Or do you have to make up a panel to get it to fit?
     
  20. Thanks for that post, was just about to fit mine with the wrong cable too! Just fitted the right stuff, single core of 6mm to leisure battery for live, earth straight to chassis. Thanks again.
     

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