Powering Your Fridge on Gas or Electric

The power goes round and round and it comes out here…

Dear Readers,

Here’s an interesting question I found on the RV Tips group.

I am plugged into a 20 amp house power and need to conserve on electric use. Rather than running my refrigerator on electric, I have the option of running it on gas or battery. Which is better?

If it was drawing just off the battery and depleting it, I know that would not be good, but I am plugged into electric, so the converter is charging my battery. I also have the option of running my fridge on gas. What is the better choice?

Normally this shouldn’t make any difference I realize, but I’m having some kind of issue and so I’m trying to get as many things off of electricity as possible because I keep losing power.

Dear Donna,

Here’s how to think about power utilization. When you’re running a propane refrigerator on propane, the 12-volt battery system only powers the refrigerator controls which might need 15 or 20 watts which is about 1.5 amps at 12 volts. So there will be minimal battery discharge and a tank of propane could keep your refrigerator running for a week or more, especially if you have a few solar panels or can plug your RV into shore power keep your batteries charged.

Power requirements

But if you power your 3-way fridge from 12-volts it will draw hundreds of watts of electricity which will rapidly drain your RV battery unless you’re plugged into shore power to recharge it. And that battery power is being replaced from the 120-volt shore power. The power needs to come from somewhere, and in this case it’s still coming from the shore power connection, making a trip through your converter/charger, and finally powering the heating element in your absorption refrigerator.

So, if you’re trying to limit the amount of current you’re using from 120-volt shore power you need to run your refrigerator on propane, not 12-volts DC or 120-volt AC.

Let’s play safe out there… Mike