Whirlpool fridge & inverter

Nathan Berry · 02-18-2020, 07:06 PM

I bought a Whirlpool WRT111SFDM so we could have more fridge space for a family of 5. That’s the same model residential fridge that came as an option in the 2019 Wildwood 31kqbts. I want to be able to run if off of an inverter for longer trips to the campground. I got a 2000W Xantrex pure sine wave inverter. The one that would come in the camper from the factory was a Xantrex Freedom 1200W. I figured at 2000W I should be good. I can’t get it to start the compressor. I’ve beefed up the cables between the battery and inverter to parallel 4/0 copper. Still no luck. The battery is fully charged. Even tried paralleling two batteries.

Any ideas? I was trying not to buy the Freedom inverter since it was twice the cost of what I got.

Thanks

IchLiebeBier · 02-18-2020, 07:34 PM

I have that same fridge with the Xantrex 1200w inverter. 4 gauge wire connects the inverter to the batteries. It all runs fine, and pretty well.

My inverter requires you to push the power button on (at least to run the fridge on battery). It's not automatic.

If you've pushed the inverter button on, and it didn't light up, maybe your fuse is bad.

I don't remember any setting in the inverter that could cause a problem, but maybe there is.

Does it work properly on shore power? If so, I'd say check the DC side fuse.

Kram703 · 02-18-2020, 09:56 PM

Nathan,

Did you try connecting it to your truck or just running it on the TT battery?

**bikendan** · 02-18-2020, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kram703

Nathan,

Did you try connecting it to your truck or just running it on the TT battery?

Most tow vehicles will only provide a trickle charge at best.

Nathan Berry · 02-18-2020, 10:15 PM

I’ve just have it setup in my garage right now. Trying to get it right before I wrestle the old fridge out and new one into the tt.

SlowrideHD · 02-18-2020, 11:01 PM

Whirlpools are a lot more power hungry than an LG in the same capacity and will suck the life from your battery bank nearly twice as fast. But they're cheaper so that is why the RV manufacturers put them in campers.
Have you put any other comparable load on your inverter to see if it is operating as it should? Have you plugged the fridge into shore power to see if it operates properly?

babock · 02-18-2020, 11:40 PM

Measure the voltage at the inverter when you start the fridge. See if it is dipping. If you see it dip, do the same measurement at the battery.

What are you using for batteries? How old are they?

What are you using for a fridge right now?

CHICKDOE · 02-19-2020, 07:37 AM

i like your idea of testing it in the garage!!!

i also like the idea of just plugging the refrigerator into a normal 120 volt receptacle to prove that it is working.

but a voltage tester on the inverter output. our xantrex 200 has a gfci receptacle on it that you will lug the refrigerator into. test to see if you are getting power out of the inverter. you may have to reset the inverter gfci receptacle.

most inverters have a small display panel to show the status. check it to see if it is operating properly and not shut down due to low voltage or some other reason.

finally, you sill need a small transfer switch to switch the refrigerator between either shore power or inverter power. some inverters have this built in. others (such as our xantrex) do not and you will need an external transfer switch. you did not mention whether you have this or not. if you do go double check all the wiring to ensure it is correct to the proper terminals and not reversed.

you'll be able to resolve this easily in the garage. then label all terminals and cables so you install it properly in the rv.

let us know what you find.

**Bama Rambler** · 02-19-2020, 09:17 AM

Can you post pictures of how you have it setup now? Maybe one of us will see something you missed. I learned years ago, it's hard to find your own mistakes.

tomkatb · 02-19-2020, 10:02 AM

Can you plug something else into the inverter to test.

How old and what type batteries do you have?

Starting the fridge takes a lot of battery.

4/0 cables are big enough. Hard to bend and put connectors on. 4 gage is not big enough!

markb422 · 02-20-2020, 10:31 AM

I am looking at a PUMA xle lite tt for my daughter and it has a 11 cu ft refrigerator. I asked the dealer about it and he said it was 12 volt only. Later I looked at the brochure and it has it as a 11 cu ft residential fridge. So when the dealer says it is a 12 volt refrigerator, is it actually a residential fridge with and inverter? Also I cannot find what brand it is.

SlowrideHD · 02-20-2020, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomkatb

Can you plug something else into the inverter to test.
Starting the fridge takes a lot of battery.
4/0 cables are big enough. Hard to bend and put connectors on. 4 gage is not big enough!

I can't imagine running 4/0 to a 2000 watt inverter! If the distance from the battery bank to the inverter is less than 5 ft, then a 1/0 cable should be sufficient for even the most demanding loads on the inverter. And you would have to have a HUGE battery bank to supply 150 amps at 12 volts for any length of time.

babock · 02-20-2020, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlowrideHD

I can't imagine running 4/0 to a 2000 watt inverter! If the distance from the battery bank to the inverter is less than 5 ft, then a 1/0 cable should be sufficient for even the most demanding loads on the inverter. And you would have to have a HUGE battery bank to supply 150 amps at 12 volts for any length of time.

With a 7 foot one way(14 round trip), there is a 0.1V drop with 4/0 and a 0.21V drop with 1/0. For me, I went with 4/0. With lithium like I have, not a big deal. With a FLA and all the internal voltage drop, it becomes a bigger deal as batteries age and capacity goes down. Need every tenth of a volt you can get.

For me it was around $120 for my 4/0 and it would have been $65 for 1/0.

**Bama Rambler** · 02-20-2020, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markb422

I am looking at a PUMA xle lite tt for my daughter and it has a 11 cu ft refrigerator. I asked the dealer about it and he said it was 12 volt only. Later I looked at the brochure and it has it as a 11 cu ft residential fridge. So when the dealer says it is a 12 volt refrigerator, is it actually a residential fridge with and inverter? Also I cannot find what brand it is.

It's hard for us to tell which fridge it may come with not knowing the model of the RV. However, them just saying 'residential' is kinda vague. It sounds like a 120 volt model, but they've started putting strictly 12 volt compressor models in them, so it could be either.

I'd call the dealer and ask for the specific make and model of the fridge. The 12 volt units appear to be built more for RV's than the 120 volt residential units are, but time will tell.

markb422 · 02-20-2020, 01:03 PM

When the dealer said it is 12 volt only I was surprised because I was not aware that they are putting refrigerators in rv's now with 12 volt compressors. But I am aware of 120 volt with an inverter.

formerFR · 02-20-2020, 01:28 PM

Nathan, why are you changing the inverter already installed by the factory? It is plenty sizable to run your 120v fridge... 1200 watts equals 10 amps - no residential fridge will require that much, regardless.

chaps2018 · 02-20-2020, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markb422

...I was surprised because I was not aware that they are putting refrigerators in rv's now with 12 volt compressors...

I saw them in new 2018 rigs. https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Refriger...QaAhorEALw_wcB

**ependydad** · 02-20-2020, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by formerFR

Nathan, why are you changing the inverter already installed by the factory? It is plenty sizable to run your 120v fridge... 1200 watts equals 10 amps - no residential fridge will require that much, regardless.

Agreed. I’d bet something else is afoul.

SlowrideHD · 02-20-2020, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babock

With a 7 foot one way(14 round trip), there is a 0.1V drop with 4/0 and a 0.21V drop with 1/0. For me, I went with 4/0. With lithium like I have, not a big deal. With a FLA and all the internal voltage drop, it becomes a bigger deal as batteries age and capacity goes down. Need every tenth of a volt you can get.

For me it was around $120 for my 4/0 and it would have been $65 for 1/0.

Your calculations are spot on for 150 amps (of course). That's one of the reasons when I upgraded my system in the cabin that I went to a 48 volt system. I can run #2 cables. One 48v bank is less than 3 feet to the inverter, the other 48v bank is about 6ft away. The two banks are paralleled. My inverter is a 3600 watt pure sine wave so at max output I have a 0.14v loss (but that is only 0.27% at 51.5v

Interesting stuff on here, you can really learn a lot!

IchLiebeBier · 02-21-2020, 05:23 AM

The current draw from the inverter will depend on the appliance draw, not the inverter size, right?

In my case, and the OPs I think, the total draw on the cable will be fairly small. The fridge draw is a max 6.5 amps at 120, so 65-ish at 12v. Is this correct?

The ampacity charts on the net all seem to have different answers, but the most conservative of them that I found say 70 amps max for power transmission for 4 gauge at my cable length.

If this is wrong, someone needs to talk to FR, because 4 gauge for the inverter is what came on my camper. And I'll change the cable out. (Serious question BTW).

If the OP plans on adding anything else on the inverter, I can see the increased cable size.

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