Solar Generator for freezer question

[Bearclaw]

I have a small 5.1 freezer that I would like to be able to run off of some sort of solar generator. The only electricalspecs I can find on it are 115v, 60hz &1.7 amps. Any suggestions on what the minimum size of generator could be used? As you can tell I don’t know much about electrical stuff, but just wanting a small plug and play option if the power goes out fir some time. Thanks

 

[Magyars]

Not a direct answer but maybe it will help.
I have a solar set up, with 2 110amp hr deep cycle batteries.
My 3000 watt inverter will NOT run my chest freezer, but I think it's at least twice the size of yours.

 

[Wolfhound]

With those specs your pulling about 200 watts. You would need something generating about 400 watts to allow for charging up for non sunlight hours. I mean running the freezer and charging the battery storage. I would probably go over 800 watts just to be safe. Storage would need to be around 20+ amp hours to run it during the night. Probably be better to have at least twice that. Also, solar ratings are always under full sunlight so cloudy or rainy days won’t get anywhere near the watt rating. Also keep in mind that most inverter ratings are surge and not running rating. If you get a 200 watt inverter to run 200 watts constantly it will either not work or not last very long. Just rough numbers. Do your own research on this. YMMV

 

[cosermann]

Additionally, your freezer will likely pull more current starting up (I’d factor in a 3x surge for that). It should not, however, run constantly as it will cycle on and off.

You can either estimate the duty cycle, or measure using something like one of the plug through watt meters designed for the purpose (ex. Kill A Watt, etc.).

 

[ditcherman]

Firstly, volts x amps = watts, so there's a start.
But in my opinion, this is the wrong question; the correct question is the sunlight question. It's way more of a battery and power management question than a solar panel question. It's not small, it's probably not plug and play.

 

[ditcherman]

Not a direct answer but maybe it will help.
I have a solar set up, with 2 110amp hr deep cycle batteries.
My 3000 watt inverter will NOT run my chest freezer, but I think it's at least twice the size of yours.

That seems odd, 3000 watts is 25 amps, it should certainly run it. Maybe it's the type of load?

 

[Cameramonkey]

That seems odd, 3000 watts is 25 amps, it should certainly run it. Maybe it's the type of load?

Or it cant produce enough current for the compressor start.

 

[ditcherman]

Or it cant produce enough current for the compressor start.

I just can’t imagine that’d be 25 amps. But there I go again, thinkin.

 

[Jaybird1980]

I just can’t imagine that’d be 25 amps. But there I go again, thinkin.

You can't go by the inverter size alone. Assuming the batteries are the only supply then you don't have 3000 Watts available. Assuming the batteries are full charge though you would still have 2600ish Watts, which should run a freezer for a few hours. That said you don't know how many things are being run, or needs of the actual freezer, or wire size, To many unknowns.

 

[ditcherman]

You can't go by the inverter size alone. Assuming the batteries are the only supply then you don't have 3000 Watts available. Assuming the batteries are full charge though you would still have 2600ish Watts, which should run a freezer for a few hours. That said you don't know how many things are being run, or needs of the actual freezer, or wire size, To many unknowns.

Ah, i see my mistake. I read "inverter generator", of which I have a few. He clearly said inverter, and I really know nothing of the battery tech side of things.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Ah, i see my mistake. I read "inverter generator", of which I have a few. He clearly said inverter, and I really know nothing of the battery tech side of things.

I am far from knowledgeable in solar setups.

 

[Bearclaw]

Thanks all for the helpful info. This helps me do some detailed research!

 

[stocknup]

We have a few of the Bluetti solar generators ( which I think the OP is interested in ? ) a self contained unit with Batteries, Inverter, charge controller, etc ........
Our smallest of 2400W has easily ran our freezer by itself . It probably draws around 900w surge on startup but then draws around the 200 ish to maintain . A unit like that could run a similar freezer for around 10 hours .........
With the right sun , 800w of solar can recharge the unit in about 3-4 hours .
In an outage , I actually cycle it myself and turned it on every hour or so just to maintain the freezer temp .( and extend battery life)
If you have time .......get on Youtube "Hobotech" channel . That guy does pretty intensive reviews of various Solar Generators and shows what they are capable of . ( He may seem a bit corny at first , but he is very knowledgeable )

 

[Bearclaw]

We have a few of the Bluetti solar generators ( which I think the OP is interested in ? ) a self contained unit with Batteries, Inverter, charge controller, etc ........
Our smallest of 2400W has easily ran our freezer by itself . It probably draws around 900w surge on startup but then draws around the 200 ish to maintain . A unit like that could run a similar freezer for around 10 hours .........
With the right sun , 800w of solar can recharge the unit in about 3-4 hours .
In an outage , I actually cycle it myself and turned it on every hour or so just to maintain the freezer temp .( and extend battery life)
If you have time .......get on Youtube "Hobotech" channel . That guy does pretty intensive reviews of various Solar Generators and shows what they are capable of . ( He may seem a bit corny at first , but he is very knowledgeable )

Thank you! This was what I was looking for. I was looking at the Bluetti or an Ecoflow. I have watched him. Need to go back over his videos.

 

[bwframe]

Smart move is to fill all empty space in your freezer with frozen water bottles. That will help it maintain frozen food for a long time, as a cooler.

Don't open the door much to check. I don't even begin to worry about mine until it's been without power well over 12 hours.


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[Cameramonkey]

Smart move is to fill all empty space in your freezer with frozen water bottles filled only 80% full. That will help it maintain frozen food for a long time, as a cooler.

Don't open the door much to check. I don't even begin to worry about mine until it's been without power well over 12 hours.


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FIFY. Remember water expands when it freezes around 15%, kids.

 

[snapping turtle]

Hmmm the old freezer issue.

Normally if the grid is down at our house it was wind damage or ice damage to power lines. (Minus the poor farmer who hit the cable and power lines with a tractor once)
Let’s stick to this for now and not other issues of war riots and government seizure of all power in the united states cause I can not control those.

Ice damage means it is frozen outside and I would just shift to outside storage. Three days was the max I was out of power in an ice storm when I lived with my parents. It stayed frozen outside for three days.

Wind damage can come at all times including freezing weather. The possibility of long term outage is always there with us living in tornado area. So I have a gas/propane/natty gas generator with enough propane to last a good while. Cost of a good generator was 599 plus some propane tanks and a long 240 volt power cable. Had plenty of tanks because I buy them when I see them for sale. The cable I made myself because I can.

I do the redneck whole house generator. I have a plug outside that feeds the AC unit normally. Installed a disconnect to the AC unit. Shut off all breaker in house. Tape the mains in the off position so they don’t get turned on. Flip the switch to JENNY outside. Start the generator up. Turn on breakers in house as needed. The two refrigerators are good to go and the chest freezer is easy enough to run on another breaker. Lights in kitchen. Flashlights everywhere else. Heat works fine off JENNY since we have propane.

When I did this work the portable battery’s were very expensive then the solar power to run them. I get 7800 watts off JENNY. 9000 on gasoline. I can run water pump from well. Heat and food storage and a tv for news. Lights if I need them. The battery to just run the freezer would need to no trip from surge startup current which should be 800-1600 watts. (Depending on age and size of freezer) most portables will not supply that surge. Now I do see some that will do 1500-2000 watts now but you would need 2 (one charging and one running. I think the jackerry 1500 watts would run a big freezer but again charging solar you would need two they cost 1600 each plus solar panels.

3200 plus solar panels and the sun has to shine on them.

As solar and battery storage becomes less costly I can see a whole house style solar and battery system installed to keep energy costs down being something I would look into. 12k seemed to be the starting point to do 8-10k watts and if you add some type of gravity battery system. A JENNY to top off the batteries in the system in case of no sun would still be in the mix somehow.

I think when I retire I might go solar. Maybe a hydrogen generator will be available by then and I can go that way since I will be working for a long time in this economy.

Ps a friend over lands and spent 2k plus on a 12 volt system to power some lights and a portable fridge. The fridge cost over 1k. He said ice was costing him to much. Work has plenty of ice machines and I just ask if I can fill the coolers up before we head out.

 

[Leo]

Use ampere hours to rate the batteries. Continuous vs peak is a way they trip you up.

All those car batteries that brag "600 AMPS!" are NOT 600 amp batteries. Yes, they may peak 600 into a heavy load for 1 second, but are likely only around 40 ampere hours (at 12 volts) when in fully charged, perfect condition. You can shift the figures, ie: 40 amp load for one hour, 20 amp load for 2 hours, 10 amp load for 4 hours, etc. as long as the load vs. time equals 40.

If that battery is pushing an inverter to 120 volts, it is 1/10 of 40 amperes minus the inverter losses, which may be as high as 50% depending on the circuitry.

Likewise what ever you take out, you have to charge the same way. A 1 ampere photocell will take 40 hours of full sunlight to recharge that dead battery, a 4 amp charger will take 10 hours, etc.

Even if it is called a generator, a battery pack that you can carry with one hand will not run much for very long. The specs they give you is salesman specs, not reality specifications.

 

[Leadeye]

Get a genny, propane tank, and a disconnect. Use a power management system like jmarriot has or something similar. Remember that most of what you are looking at is a week or less without electricity. Cover the basics and you'll be fine. Trying to plan for much longer and more widespread outages brings up a host of other problems as nearly everybody around you will have no electricity at all.

I've got a good system that does the heavy stuff automatically and I use the extension cord shuffle to distribute power where I need it. I'm looking at solar more to charge tools, computer/communications and do odd jobs.

 

[bwframe]

Get a genny, propane tank, and a disconnect. Use a power management system like jmarriot has or something similar. Remember that most of what you are looking at is a week or less without electricity. Cover the basics and you'll be fine. Trying to plan for much longer and more widespread outages brings up a host of other problems as nearly everybody around you will have no electricity at all.

I've got a good system that does the heavy stuff automatically and I use the extension cord shuffle to distribute power where I need it. I'm looking at solar more to charge tools, computer/communications and do odd jobs.

I picked up a smaller gas generator just before a hurricane was due to hit in my daughter's vicinity. I got an email add advertising generators on sale. Light bulb went off in my head and I ordered one. Five years later, I took it out of the box.

It's good to have hobbies that practice going without power. We had an outage for 4ish hours a couple weeks ago. It was 17 degrees outside.

I lit a couple of deer tallow candles and put them in their candle lanterns. A couple hours later, I lit a big Dietz lantern to join them in heating the closed off bedroom/bathroom space. Then went back to bed, listening to FNC playing on my phone, hooked to a power bank.


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