operating a chest cooler from one 12 volt battery

[cyberpine]

Seems I've been getting away with it for some time, but sure you are right. Have you heard of anybody running deep cycle (and even a deep cycle Lithium ion) as their starter and charging them with a car alternator? Something like a Stark Power 125AH lithium battery? Some say charging with an alternator is not good, others claim it's fine and they have been running a deep cycle battery under their hood as a starter for 10 years with no issues. I know i'm trying to get away with something here but the ideal criteria is this:

* Just one battery and under the hood
* Charged by my alternator
* Around 1400 watt hours continuous power with no input or damage to the battery and able to crank the engine after a long day of use.

Possible? Any ideas or suggestions?

Ref: https://starkpower.com/product/stark...12-volt-125ah/

Thanks!

[littleharbor]

Doing this to a SLI type battery will wreck it in short order as these batteries aren't designed for cyclic applications.

[cyberpine]

Hello and thanks for your responses, This post is from January 2017, but wanted to update you all with some real world findings. I was able to test an ice maker and mini freezer against my trucks starter battery. Some details about my setup.

* 2012 Ram 1500 with a 5.7 hemi and stock 160 amp alternator.
* My only and starter battery in a Bosch 94r 80ah 140 reserve capacity (what the battery says - says less online)
* 1200 watt Whistler inverter sitting right on top of battery under the hood with very short 4 gauge wires and heavy duty 110v extension chord running under the chassis to the bed.

With this setup It seems I can run most 110v appliances under 750 Watts. I run a microwave and a toaster oven. I can cut and drill through 4x4s .. yet making ice seems to be the greatest challenge.

Ice maker Test: I bought a compact ice maker from Igloo that claims to store 1.5 lbs of ice at a time. Make it in a tiny bucket. Trying to find my notes on what it draws exactly, but it makes ice - maybe four times before my battery hits 11.5v and the inverter stops. In all only enough ice for about two tall drinks are produced because ice melts fast.

Mini Freezer Test: I bought a 1.1 cubic foot 110v freezer from Midea. While running on Max it's drawing 90 Watts (which i thought was way too much). It runs for about 6 hours before the battery gets to 11.5 and the inverter stops. If I run my battery for 20 minutes, it runs another 6 hours. After 3 cycles like this all fluids inside are frozen solid. In some cases if I don't get the inverter on time my battery will not start the truck and I had to jump - not good for the battery of course. If I'm able to run the truck for just 20 minutes a few times during the cycles I am able to maintain frozen bottles in the truck. The freezer does a pretty good job if maintaining ice over night while off. I've seen online other doing this test with a freezer that was only consuming 30 watts, not sure why my freezer is not as efficient. Also think a 12 volt freezer from Dometic would be much more efficient.

Stanley Jumper Test: I attempted running my mini freezer off the Stanley Jumper 1000 watt peak (19AH) device using a 150watt inverter - apparently not enough peak watts.

[J.P.M.]

No more 100% honestly or truth. JUST PC satire. You will never know which answer is real or fabrication.

That's probably a loss for reality, If so, seems to me P.C. just won one.

[Sunking]

Seems to me that dennis461 was in fact agreeing with Sunking (OP is better off simply buying ice as needed).

I knew that and I think Dennis knew that. I think even the OP knows that or should by now. Read all my responses. I pretty much lay it all out so the OP can make an informed decision. Then I had some fun with it and demonstrated how silly stupid folks can be about solar. Go to that other Solar Forum and they would have sold him $2000 worth of equipment right now to cool down his beer.

Its the new improved SK for 2017. No more 100% honestly or truth. JUST PC satire. You will never know which answer is real or fabrication.

[Sunking]

Seems to me that dennis461 was in fact agreeing with Sunking (OP is better off simply buying ice as needed). Dennis's reply was poorly worded and Sunking took it as an endorsement to go solar.

No SK has had a change of heart. He wants everyone to go solar and go broke doing it. It is the PC thing to do.

[SunEagle]

Seems to me that dennis461 was in fact agreeing with Sunking (OP is better off simply buying ice as needed). Dennis's reply was poorly worded and Sunking took it as an endorsement to go solar.

Nah. Maybe SK has seen the light (from solar) and is just saying what people say on other solar website although he did use the "Comic Sans Font" which I use when I want to be sarcastic.

We should all support solar even if it is not economically viable for most people.

[azdave]

But heck this is a solar forum where money is no object, not an economic advisory forum.

Seems to me that dennis461 was in fact agreeing with Sunking (OP is better off simply buying ice as needed). Dennis's reply was poorly worded and Sunking took it as an endorsement to go solar.

[SunEagle]

I think I liked the old SK.

At least he hasn't gone to the "dark side" and become more PC.

[Mike90250]

....But heck this is a solar forum where money is no object, not an economic advisory forum. So please encourage members to spend money, lots of money. Most do not know they can do what they want for a micro fraction of the cost of solar. Someone has to pay my bills and it is not going to be me. Sp please encourage him to spends thousands please. He does not need to know he can do this for less $50. We solar folks should not ever tell him that or we would be out of a job. Imagine if politicians were honest and did things logically, most would be out of a job without the citizens being dependent on them and telling them what they need. Then give it to them for nothing.

I think I liked the old SK.

[Sunking]

I think you will save money and skip some headaches buying ice.

Yep for 12 days a year a with a cheap ice chest with 3 - $2 bags of ice for 2 weeks. Get a good cooler and 2 bags of ice. That would be the smart money. Heck just the money saved on a conventional Ice Chest wil pay for 10 years of ice. which is about $50 worth of ice over 10 years.

But heck this is a solar forum where money is no object, not an economic advisory forum. So please encourage members to spend money, lots of money. Most do not know they can do what they want for a micro fraction of the cost of solar. Someone has to pay my bills and it is not going to be me. Sp please encourage him to spends thousands please. He does not need to know he can do this for less $50. We solar folks should not ever tell him that or we would be out of a job. Imagine if politicians were honest and did things logically, most would be out of a job without the citizens being dependent on them and telling them what they need. Then give it to them for nothing.

[Mike90250]

Mobile ice maker - I don't see how that's going to work. Ever. The little mini-fridge dorm units are nearly useless toys when plugged at a house. The latches (magnetic door seal) are weak, and the "freezing chamber" is small. Not sure how the ice tray is NOT going to slop water all over the place. The one possible advantage, you may have access to the cooling coils on the back and be able to improve on the heat exchange, and get some more BTU's moving and save a bit of energy.
Are you making ice while parked, or while rolling? Me, I'd just buy ice or dry ice.
Without the specs on the freezer, no idea what the power draw would be on batteries.

Batteries - got any place under the truck bed between frame rails you can stash them ? 2, 6v-200ah deep cycle golf cart batteries are much better then parallel 12V batteries,
Parallel batteries have issues with cycling and equal load sharing, one wears out quicker and then pulls the other one down even faster.

Sealed batteries don't have regular gas issues, but in case of a fault, they will belch gas just like flooded, which stink. Trying to build a well vented box in the bed is a pretty tight space, I'll look for a spot between frame rails.

[dennis461]

You will need more panels then you think, I'm figuring three 100 watt because the fridge will need full power for several hours to make ice. regardless of storing energy for later use.
I think you will save money and skip some headaches buying ice.

[Sunking]

My amp draw might be a lot less than 10amp. might be closer to 5 amps / hour it seems. You see any risk sleeping right next to AGM batteries that are in use? Any advantage to two 6v vs one 12 volt?

All about capacity and how much you need. Example if you need 200 AH, try finding a 12 volt @ 200 AH battery. There are a couple out AGM's out there that size if you can lift them up and afford AGM. But note AGMM cost twice as much and only last half as long as Flooded Lead Acid.

But a good example for you is again the 12-volt 200 FLA battery capacity model. You can use two 12-Volt 100 AH in parallel to get 200 AH. Doing so is going to shorten cycle life. Each 12 volt battery is going to weigh in around 60 pounds each and cost roughly $150 each for a total weight of 120 pounds and cost $300. Or you can use two 6-volt 200 AH wired in series and get the exact same 12 volt 200 AH battery that weighs and cost the same. Difference is using the 6-Volt battery is going to last longer and work better.

For self Notes: Lots of testing and questions that may never be answered until I try.. like

1. how long it would take to fully charge a drained 200AH AGM in parallel with my alternator
2. how long to make ice blocks and what % of the 200AH would be consumed,
3. Life of a AGM that is only used like this 12 times a year. Which is why I was thinking of just using the SLI[/QUOTE]

A1. Depends on how deeply discharged the battery is and the size of the alternator. Example a 200 AH battery with a 100 AH alternator (common size in trucks) around 1.5 hours if the isolator is rated for 100 amps. . With a 100 watt solar panel with PWM controller you show around 10 to 14 days and only if you park where there is no shade from sun up to sun down on a hot summer day in FL. Longer elsewhere. All you really need to know. Quit watching youtube.

A2. Bests me, no one can answer because you have not provided any information and the question is unrealistic. No electric ice chest you buy from Amazon can make a block of ice. A 12 volt 200 AH battery has a total capacity of 12 volts x 200 AH = 2400 watt and only half that is usable or 1200 watt hours aka 1.2 Kwh. About what an efficient Energy Star full size fridge uses in a day after it has cooled down for a day or two and stabilized if you keep the door closed. I gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds. To freeze a gallon of room temp water with 100% efficiency and no heat losses (impossible) requires roughly 3500 BTU's if I remember the formula correctly. It takes roughly 1000 watt hours about half of the energy in a 12 volt 200 AH battery.

A3. Whatever you want to do.

You see any risk sleeping right next to AGM batteries that are in use?

Nope same as any battery type. people do it every night in an RV and off-griders.

[cyberpine]

LOL. I carry a stanley jumper (https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-JC509...y+jump+starter) $69 in the back. And its been solid when I've needed.

My amp draw might be a lot less than 10amp. might be closer to 5amps / hour it seems. You see any risk sleeping right next to AGM batteries that are in use? Any advantage to two 6v vs one 12 volt?

For self Notes: Lots of testing and questions that may never be answered until I try.. like

1. how long it would take to fully charge a drained 200AH AGM in parallel with my alternator
2. how long to make ice blocks and what % of the 200AH would be consumed,
3. Life of a AGM that is only used like this 12 times a year. Which is why I was thinking of just using the SLI

Yeah, In a perfect world a fully charged 200AH battery would serve me two full days/nights without needing solar. Two four hour days making blocks (~40 AH) making ice and two nights running a 3 amp fan for 6 hours each ( ~40AH).