Running a fridge on propane?

[DinTulsa]

Roughly how long can I run a fridge on propane in 90 degree heat? I’m camping at a site that has 30amp only so I’m wanting to run my fridge on propane. Will a 20lb cylinder normally last 4 days?

[StirCrazy]

CavemanCharlie wrote:

mr_andyj wrote:
Nobody answered your question. lol.

You can go a month or more if all you do is use propane for the fridge. You might go a month using propane for fridge and the stove. It is the water heater and the furnace (not needed in summer) that gobble gas.
Don't keep the water heater on all the time, just turn it on, heat water, use, turn it off.

There are devices that pair the AC units so that only one will run the compressor at a time. so, both AC units are on, always blowing fan air, but only one is actually running the AC compressor at a time. This is all I know as I have never had two.
You might be out of time to try to investigate and install this for your upcoming trip.

Propane for a fridge is literally about the size of a candle flame. You will not use much propane at all. It is not even worth posting a forum question because it uses so little propane.

You say to turn the water heater on, use the water and then shut it back off. You also say that the propane for the fridge is the size of a candle flame. But, once the water gets up to tempature the size of the flame on the water heater is only the size of a candle too !!

I suppose you could argue that eventually; even though it's insulated; that the water in the water heater will cool off and then the flame will kick back on at full intensity to heat it back up.

But,,, letting the water cool all the way back down to full cold by shutting the water heater off are you actually using more propane in the long run by forcing it to come up from full cold back up to full hot every time ??

Or, is it better, and more efficient, to leave it on and let it kick on and off once and awhile to keep the water up to temp ???

I agree the water heater is ery efficient also, its the furnace that drinks propane. with my old trailer, I had two 30lbs tank and I could go camping over 20 days leaving the fridge and water heater on propane and leaving it on all the time. its the spring and fall when your running the furnace that the propane is used quite a bit more.

Steve

[CavemanCharlie]

mr_andyj wrote:
Nobody answered your question. lol.

You can go a month or more if all you do is use propane for the fridge. You might go a month using propane for fridge and the stove. It is the water heater and the furnace (not needed in summer) that gobble gas.
Don't keep the water heater on all the time, just turn it on, heat water, use, turn it off.

There are devices that pair the AC units so that only one will run the compressor at a time. so, both AC units are on, always blowing fan air, but only one is actually running the AC compressor at a time. This is all I know as I have never had two.
You might be out of time to try to investigate and install this for your upcoming trip.

Propane for a fridge is literally about the size of a candle flame. You will not use much propane at all. It is not even worth posting a forum question because it uses so little propane.

You say to turn the water heater on, use the water and then shut it back off. You also say that the propane for the fridge is the size of a candle flame. But, once the water gets up to tempature the size of the flame on the water heater is only the size of a candle too !!

I suppose you could argue that eventually; even though it's insulated; that the water in the water heater will cool off and then the flame will kick back on at full intensity to heat it back up.

But,,, letting the water cool all the way back down to full cold by shutting the water heater off are you actually using more propane in the long run by forcing it to come up from full cold back up to full hot every time ??

Or, is it better, and more efficient, to leave it on and let it kick on and off once and awhile to keep the water up to temp ???

[Z-Peller]

Many years Arizona boondocking Jan Feb March with temps 70's & 80's....6cf fridge on propane 24-7...stove use for morning coffee and cooking supper...consistently, 20lb 4.5 gal tank would last 12-14 days...30lb 7 gal tank would last 19-21 days.

[mr_andyj]

Nobody answered your question. lol.

You can go a month or more if all you do is use propane for the fridge. You might go a month using propane for fridge and the stove. It is the water heater and the furnace (not needed in summer) that gobble gas.
Don't keep the water heater on all the time, just turn it on, heat water, use, turn it off.

There are devices that pair the AC units so that only one will run the compressor at a time. so, both AC units are on, always blowing fan air, but only one is actually running the AC compressor at a time. This is all I know as I have never had two.
You might be out of time to try to investigate and install this for your upcoming trip.

Propane for a fridge is literally about the size of a candle flame. You will not use much propane at all. It is not even worth posting a forum question because it uses so little propane.

[Vintage465]

Boon Docker wrote:
You will be good for many more days that just 4 days, more like weeks.

Yup.....what he said

[wnjj]

As mentioned above, the water heater is 3x the power of the fridge and uses a significant part of the 30A. I wouldn’t run that on AC if you plan to run the A/C.

[DinTulsa]

I appreciate the feedback. Really hadn’t planned on running 2 AC units, off this 30a until people said they were. My plan is to run the ac and the WH off the 30a, fridge off propane and outside fridge off an extension cord plugged into the 15a on the post. If that doesn’t work I’ll run the wh off propane and the fridge off electric.. Lots of big stuff drawing on a 30a in 95 degree heat!

[afidel]

Btw this is exactly the kind of scenario where I'm looking to go with a Victron inverter plus solar plus large battery bank for my next (fulltime) trailer, the boost function would allow the battery bank to make up for the few amps that the shore plug falls short and the solar plus nighttime charging would keep the battery bank topped off.

[2oldman]

352 wrote:
Why would you spend your money on propane when you have electric??

He explained he's trying to run 2 ac's on 30a.

[afidel]

DinTulsa wrote:
Thank you! Am I understanding g so if you correctly that you can run both Ac units on a 30 amp, given you run the fridge and wh on propane?

It's going to be really, really close, my AC runs 15-16A at full tilt, you might have to turn off your converter. Heck, one 4th of July weekend I could only run a single 13.5AC on a 30A connection with everything else turned off because the park voltage was so low.

[352]

Why would you spend your money on propane when you have electric??

[jdc1]

2oldman wrote:

DinTulsa wrote:
Am I understanding g so if you correctly that you can run both Ac units on a 30 amp,

It's iffy running both at the same time, plus you likely have a converter. I would pay very close attention to heat at your plug.

It's not worth burning up an AC unit to find out. If both units tried starting at the same time....you won't like the results. And, like oldman says, that converter is drawing power too.

[2oldman]

DinTulsa wrote:
Am I understanding g so if you correctly that you can run both Ac units on a 30 amp,

It's iffy running both at the same time, plus you likely have a converter. I would pay very close attention to heat at your plug.

[dodge_guy]

DinTulsa wrote:
Thank you! Am I understanding g so if you correctly that you can run both Ac units on a 30 amp, given you run the fridge and wh on propane?

Unless both have the soft start capacitors, no! You will only be able to run one.