Compressor fridge cycling times

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The other evening I timed the cycles as it seemed to be on a lot. Roughly it was 3 1/2 minutes both on and off. Hab box temp at a guess was around 16c and the seal seems good

Is this a lot or pretty standard?

Ty
 
Is it the old 3 way or a electric, mine is lecy and don't cycle too much even in 27/30c
 
Tookey said:
The other evening I timed the cycles as it seemed to be on a lot. Roughly it was 3 1/2 minutes both on and off. Hab box temp at a guess was around 16c and the seal seems good

Is this a lot or pretty standard?

Ty
Click to expand...
16C Ambient is not overly warm for it to cope with. Once down to temperature, I would expect an on/off duty cycle of between 25-33% on, remainder off.
time wise, maybe 20 minutes on, then off for say 40-60 minutes? 3 1/2 on, 3 1/2 off, cycle is quite fast. try adjusting the thermostat and see if that changes the pattern? I did notice on my fridge that even when the duty cycle was roughly the same, sometimes the duration of the on and off would be less than other times - couldn't see why but I think maybe the temp setting could have been a factor?
 
Mine was quite inefficient, mostly due to how it was originally installed, but decided to spend time looking at it and working out and improving airflow (with additional fans) and it made a huge difference in power usage, lower temp, and quieter
I added extra insulation including the compressor compartment which I think stops a lot of noise and stops heat soak back from compressor to fridge.
Details below

 
Our domestic fridge does roughly 50/50 being on for an hour at a time.

Screenshot_20210916-174032_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
Last edited:
I installed a smart shunt to monitor how many amp hours our new compressor fridge uses. We’ll be monitoring over the next few weeks.
 
activecampers said:
Mine was quite inefficient, mostly due to how it was originally installed, but decided to spend time looking at it and working out and improving airflow (with additional fans) and it made a huge difference in power usage, lower temp, and quieter
I added extra insulation including the compressor compartment which I think stops a lot of noise and stops heat soak back from compressor to fridge.
Details below

Click to expand...
My newish type is sealed, no pipes or com to see at the back.
 
The running times of any fridge is very dependent on how good the insulation is and how often the door is being opened.
In the case of camper fridges, as they may sit for long periods not being used there will be a tendency for the compressor seals and any rubber hoses to dry out with resultant loss of refrigerant from the system. This is why in the case of car aircon you are advised to run it regularly to keep the rubber components lubricated.
Unfortunately it is not so easy to top up the refrigerant in fridges as it is assumed that they will be used regularly so that the compressor seals don't have the opportunity to dry out.
It's another case of "use it or lose it".
 
dunfillin said:
The running times of any fridge is very dependent on how good the insulation is and how often the door is being opened.
In the case of camper fridges, as they may sit for long periods not being used there will be a tendency for the compressor seals and any rubber hoses to dry out with resultant loss of refrigerant from the system. This is why in the case of car aircon you are advised to run it regularly to keep the rubber components lubricated.
Unfortunately it is not so easy to top up the refrigerant in fridges as it is assumed that they will be used regularly so that the compressor seals don't have the opportunity to dry out.
It's another case of "use it or lose it".
Click to expand...
The fridge is 25 years old, maybe this is the problem. Obviously I have no way of knowing if it has ever been topped up.

As it is sunny today I am doing an experiment with the thermostat
 
dunfillin said:
The running times of any fridge is very dependent on how good the insulation is and how often the door is being opened.
In the case of camper fridges, as they may sit for long periods not being used there will be a tendency for the compressor seals and any rubber hoses to dry out with resultant loss of refrigerant from the system. This is why in the case of car aircon you are advised to run it regularly to keep the rubber components lubricated.
Unfortunately it is not so easy to top up the refrigerant in fridges as it is assumed that they will be used regularly so that the compressor seals don't have the opportunity to dry out.
It's another case of "use it or lose it".
Click to expand...
Compressor type fridges are a whole different thing to car aircon....
Compressor fridges are hermetic systems (sealed) and won't have rubber hoses/seals to leak.

Car aircon uses a belt driven compressor with a seal around the compressor drive shaft and multiple hoses/seals where leaks CAN occur when the seals dry out and harden.
 
Results:

Ambient 22c and 5 available settings on fridge

Setting 4 (-2.5c)

On 3m 30s
Off 2m 45s
On 3m 30s
Off 2m 48s

Temp increase during OFF of 0.1c

Setting 2 (3.3c)

On 2m 39s
Off 2m 49s
On 2m 35s
Off 2m 57s

Temp increase during OFF 0.3c

I have checked the seal all round there is resistance when opening the door. During experiment seal was slightly broken due thermometer cable.

Any thoughts very welcome as running 50% of the time is going to batter my battery
 
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