Anybody Use A Large Propane Fridge in Kitchen?

[dhopkins55]

I thought with so many in this forum who use firewood to heat their homes, perhaps a few of you might also be a little more electrically independent by also using a propane fridge in the kitchen. I'm looking to replace our electric fridge with a propane model, 15-18 cu ft, and get away from very high electricity bills from the Upper Peninsula Power Company, as well as the worry about power outages. I've switched all other appliances from electricity to propane, with only the fridge left.

I know a propane fridge is costly, won't cool hot items as quickly as an electric one, and there also some issues of sooty exhaust in a kitchen over time. Have even seen some dual purpose electric/propane models, but they appear to be 10cu ft or less.

Suggestions or experiences/lessons learned?

Thank you in advance. (Moderator - if there's a better place for this, please feel free to move it!)

 

[MNfarmer]

I have never bought from them but check out lehmans.com, they have some gas refridgerators in their catalog..

 

[dave_dj1]

The only experience I have with a gas fridge is at my brother in laws camp. We just use it in the fall for deer hunting. The fridge was there when he bought the camp. He had it professionally refurbished and after the first season he came to the conclusion that it not being vented to outside it was causing headaches. His brother was about the only one to complain about it, he took it out and put it into storage and refuses to let anyone have it. I'm not 100% sure if it was the fridge or the fact that it was just so damn dry in there from the VT Castings Defiant blazing away. (see how I kept this firewood related?) LOL
Just a FYI, the camp is more like a house, two story with 4 bedrooms up and one down, completely insulated, good windows/doors and indoor plumbing but not tied to the grid except via a Honda 5000 watt generator. I have used them in campers forever and never had any problems but they are vented out the roof.

 

[Mac88]

Google "propane refrigerator efficiency". There's some "for sale" listings on there as well.

 

[tld400]

I would think with the price of propane it would be more to run a gas one. I dont think my fridge uses too much electric. Everthing is electic in my house except for using just the woodstove for heat and my bill is around 110 in the winter. Used to be over 400 before woodstove. I would like to know how much people save using gas appliances v.s. electric ones.

 

[Uncle John]

I would do some serious research of electric vs. propane before I leaped.

 

[woodguy105]

I've been reading about how off the griders will take a chest freezer and convert to refrigerator. The reason being, its heavily insulated and each time you open the door you don't have all the nice cold air just flowing out on to the floor and uses less energy and better cycle times and in the event of power outages the unit hold temp better as well. There is a way also to reset the unit so its original motor and components are used but not to maintain freezing temps.

It is not as convenient as a stand up fridge but I know some have retrofitted shelves to make it better.

Just an fyi... could be a propane unit on the market with similar features or if your handy something to make & from a have in the garage for backup.

 

[Virtshoe]

I have a cottage which is off grid. Electricity is next door, but with about a 700 foot distance to string wire. The cost 10 years ago would have been over $10,000 so I put in solar electrical to run lights and a small tv and stereo. Smaller power tools are all rechargeable battery powered. The larger power draws are for pumping water, stove and refrigerator. Water is gasoline engine pumped to a tank up a hill behind about once a month in the summer and feeds the plumbing by gravity. The pump is also available for fire extinguishing (hope never needed). The stove and refrigerator are propane and work well. We control what goes in the refrigerator and use one less than 10 cu ft. It has been serviced only once in seven years to clean the burner to keep combustion clean. It has a connected CO detector which shuts off the burner if the battery runs out or the CO level gets too high - the exhaust is right inside the cottage. Heating is by a Malm wood burning fireplace. When building the cottage I installed code wiring so if I ever want to go to the grid, I (or a subsequent owner) can. It is fed from the solar charged batteries by an inverter. The cottage is built into the hill so the front part of the lower level is direct walkout while the back is undergrade. It has pex piping in the cement floor so when I get the time, $ and inclination I can add radiant heating with a propane water heater or an outside wood furnace.

 

[blackdogon57]

Seems like a step backwards to me. Solar electric maybe something you want to look at. The technology is there and the prices to set up keep getting lower.

 

[Patrick62]

check your costs, it is workable

I am going to get me a NEW! one this year. the cost is high, about a grand...
They have the ability to run for many, many years. The propane use is quite low on the new ones. I recall something about 1.1 pounds per day. depending on your cost of propane (or electric) it can work out to be cheaper to operate!

The big advantage is that if you have a larger propane tank(s) more reliable than electric.

 

[John R]

We have a gas fridge at camp, we vented it outside with a 4" duct work.

 

[timbrjackrussel]

I've been reading about how off the griders will take a chest freezer and convert to refrigerator. The reason being, its heavily insulated and each time you open the door you don't have all the nice cold air just flowing out on to the floor and uses less energy and better cycle times and in the event of power outages the unit hold temp better as well. There is a way also to reset the unit so its original motor and components are used but not to maintain freezing temps.

It is not as convenient as a stand up fridge but I know some have retrofitted shelves to make it better.

Just an fyi... could be a propane unit on the market with similar features or if your handy something to make & from a have in the garage for backup.

This similar to what I did.
Freezer to fridge conversion | Living Off the Grid: Free Yourself
The small Dometic propane fridge would take too long to chill down in the hot summer. I got a new 5 CFT. chest freezer, added a thermostat from a bottle cooler, put on a Xantrex 2KW. true sinwave power inverter Power Inverter, Pure Sine Wave Inverter, Marine Inverter, PROwatt SW and put it to 2 Deka 8D batteries set in parallel http://www.mkbattery.com/documents/8802DEKA Solar Enchanced Gel.pdf . I use a small generator Hyundai Power Equipment to charge up the batteries while we run the toaster or coffee maker. Hope to add a 300 watt solar panel to charge up while we are away

 

[Uncle John]

I have limited knowledge on this subject.
But the only people I know that use gas refrigerators do so because electricity isn't available.

 

[dhopkins55]

Seems like a step backwards to me. Solar electric maybe something you want to look at. The technology is there and the prices to set up keep getting lower.

That is on the research list! Just looking at what options make good sense. I do appreciate all the comments to this point!

 

[CRE1992]

My family has a large propane refrigerator at an offgrid cabin we have in Upstate NY. If you get one just remember they don't cool off nearly as quick, so when you stand there with the door looking for something with it open or trying to figure out what you want it is going to take awhile for it to get back down to temperature. Other than that we have never had a problem with it knock on wood.

-Charles