Emergency battery pack for home refrigerator?

J

JOhnH

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Our power went out around 9pm the other day due to lightning strike. The power company estimated it would be back on in about 2 hours so I didn't haul out the Honda generator. Also, I has surgery last week and was told not to lift anything over 10pounds for two weeks. I went to bed and when I got up at 5am the power was still off.

But if I had a relatively light weight battery pack that could power my fridge for up to 6 or 8 hours it would be easier to hook up for those time when I don't want to haul out the gas generators.

I've looked at Jackery and a few others, but I'm not sure which would be suitable for a 28cu ft fridge with two ice makers and maybe an electric fan

I don't plan to live in this house for more than another year or two, so I'm not ready to install a whole-house generator or a transfer switch. I have two portable gas generators, including a super quiet Honda that can run the fridge and a few other things at night without having to add fuel every few hours. I use the bigger, noisier one during the day when I need more juice.

With hurricane season in the early stages, I suspect I will be needing a solution soon.
 
I just watched a YouTube video on solid state batteries. Can't remember the name now but there was one that had like 4kw power and weighed 3/5 the weight of the normal ones.

It was Yoshino.

 
The problem with most fridges is the auto-defrost heaters. They pull about 800 watts. Some fridges like to cycle them just as the compressor is started.
The surge load of the compressor motor plus the heaters means your battery pack needs to handle about 1000w continous and probably 1500-2000w peak, which is frustrating, since the actual run load of the compressor is about 150-200 watts.

Any battery pack you get needs to be sized for 1000W minimum. Might end up being about the same size as your Honda generator.
 
AV8R_87 said:
The problem with most fridges is the auto-defrost heaters. They pull about 800 watts. Some fridges like to cycle them just as the compressor is started.
The surge load of the compressor motor plus the heaters means your battery pack needs to handle about 1000w continous and probably 1500-2000w peak, which is frustrating, since the actual run load of the compressor is about 150-200 watts.

Any battery pack you get needs to be sized for 1000W minimum. Might end up being about the same size as your Honda generator.
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All good points. And if it is almost the size and weight of the Honda,then it would only save me the hassle of adding fuel, then draining the fuel from the carb after use. But I am supposed to do that several times a year anyway. I would just prefer if I could choose those times instead of having to react to a power outage. Of course things like "Tru Fuel" help with that issue too.
 
The best thing about a battery is you set it right next to the fridge and it makes no noise, no extension cords, no getting the cord out the door without letting the weather in.... But if you already have the generators, personally, I wouldn't mess with a battery.
 
Do you have a gas furnace or stove? Many portable generators can be converted, and then all you would need is a little plumbing to your gas line and a hose to the gennie.
 
Salty said:
The best thing about a battery is you set it right next to the fridge and it makes no noise, no extension cords, no getting the cord out the door without letting the weather in.... But if you already have the generators, personally, I wouldn't mess with a battery.
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That's probably the best advice. But in the situation the other day, I just got home from surgery the day before and I'm not allowed to do anything strenuous. My wife and I together could have hooked up a battery but all those other things seemed too intimidating at the time.
But I don't plan to have more surgery like that soon.
 
Half Fast said:
Do you have a gas furnace or stove? Many portable generators can be converted, and then all you would need is a little plumbing to your gas line and a hose to the gennie.
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No. Total Electric.
:cryin:
 
JOhnH said:
But I am supposed to do that several times a year anyway.
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After a cane, I just pickle my generator. Run some non-ethanol gas through it, then shut off the fuel and fog the engine as it dies. Drain the remaining fuel, then pull the spark plug and put a few drops of oil into the cylinder and spin it a few times before reinstalling the plug.

Smokes a lot when I restart it, but I’ve gone several years with it stored this way without a problem.
 
Cut a notch in your outside door and screen/storm door, and just use an extension cord.

As already pointed out, a battery with that high an inrush and initial requirement will necessarily be large and heavy.
 
Half Fast said:
After a cane, I just pickle my generator. Run some non-ethanol gas through it, then shut off the fuel and fog the engine as it dies. Drain the remaining fuel, then pull the spark plug and put a few drops of oil into the cylinder and spin it a few times before reinstalling the plug.

Smokes a lot when I restart it, but I’ve gone several years with it stored this way without a problem.
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lol. I've gone decades doing nothing but adding fuel stabilizer and maybe, maybe running it once a year. Still fires up first try.
 
A customer of mine wanted me to swap out a generator on their trailer. Told me to scrap the generator. 6 cylinder Cummins diesel with 480 3 phase output. Weighed 5,300 pounds. Yeah...I'll "scrap it".

Lucky for me I've got 3 engine drive welders I can bring home if I ever need to. Just converted one to propane to use inside warehouse buildings that don't want gas engines being run. Some engines on generators have conversion kits to run on propane. Would solve the stale gas turning to varnish dilemma. Same tank as your grill.
 
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Dana said:
Or run the generator on avgas, which is good for 2+ years.
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I was wondering about that. The manual doesn't say anything except to run non-ethanol gas. It doesn't mention lead.
Sure wish could buy some G100UL.
 
JOhnH said:
I was wondering about that. The manual doesn't say anything except to run non-ethanol gas. It doesn't mention lead.
Sure wish could buy some G100UL.
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No UL94 nearby?
 
I have always used av gas for my generator, replace it with new at 4 years. The old gas is used in no road engines.

In Alaska, av gas in 55 gal drums is stored for much longer, and used to fly.
The downside of av gas is the lead fouls the plugs, they need to be replaced or cleaned after 100/200 hours to prevent hard starting. I have a clothe bag with a spare plug, air filter, and oil filter hanging on the end of the generator. I have not actually replaced or cleaned my plug, and have well over 100 hours, starts just fine.
 
Dana said:
Or run the generator on avgas, which is good for 2+ years.
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I recall leaded gas doesn't play nice with the additive package in (semi)synthetic oils, so you'd have to run the generator on plain ol' dinosaur oil.
geezer said:
As already pointed out, a battery with that high an inrush and initial requirement will necessarily be large and heavy.
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My 100Ah battery+inverter+enclosure comes close to 35lbs. Would run a fridge for about 5 hrs. A Honda EU2000 weighs about 45 lbs.
I do like having the battery back-up, though. Tied to a few hundred watts of solar panels, it covers long-term outages (where gas might become scarce) well enough to provide some basic creature comforts.
 
Put the generator on a dolly and wheel it out to where you need it. Run an extension cord into the house through a window and just use a towel or some foam to seal the bottom of the window across the bottom where the cord passes through. No point in buying a 40lbs battery backup when you already have a generator ready to go. Just put sta-bil in with some non-ethanol gasoline and let it go.
 
GeorgeC said:
FTFY.
A: powerwall
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How many positions would I have to move the decimal point? Do you still think it is worth it considering I am attempting to sell the house?
 
I use a Bluetti EB70S, 716Wh, 800W, 1,400W Peak, LiFePO4
This powers our full-size refrig in the kitchen for approx 8 hrs (with doors remaining closed)
Battery weighs a little over 20 lbs.

I paid $450 for the battery. Currently listed on Amazon for $370.

If (when) the power goes out, this is easily brought out of the basement and hooked up in less than 5 minutes and gives us hours to wait and see if the power returns or if it is necessary to fire up the generator. Even if we are going to use the generator, I am not comfortable running the generator overnight while I am sleeping so the battery would serve that need for me as well.

 
Pretty sure that I have seen you post about being a fan of EGO power tools before. If that is the case then I recommend their power station.
I have used mine to power the fridge and chest freezer after tropical storms and it worked great.
 
Mongoose Aviator said:
I use a Bluetti EB70S, 716Wh, 800W, 1,400W Peak, LiFePO4
This powers our full-size refrig in the kitchen for approx 8 hrs (with doors remaining closed)
Battery weighs a little over 20 lbs.

I paid $450 for the battery. Currently listed on Amazon for $370.

If (when) the power goes out, this is easily brought out of the basement and hooked up in less than 5 minutes and gives us hours to wait and see if the power returns or if it is necessary to fire up the generator. Even if we are going to use the generator, I am not comfortable running the generator overnight while I am sleeping so the battery would serve that need for me as well.

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Just curious, what about letting the generator run overnight presents an issue for you? As long as you aren't putting it in a garage or other spot where carbon monoxide is a concern, what is the risk?
 
Wheels said:
Pretty sure that I have seen you post about being a fan of EGO power tools before. If that is the case then I recommend their power station.
I have used mine to power the fridge and chest freezer after tropical storms and it worked great.
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You are right and I hadn't thought of that.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Just curious, what about letting the generator run overnight presents an issue for you? As long as you aren't putting it in a garage or other spot where carbon monoxide is a concern, what is the risk?
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A lot of run time for minimum use would be one thing.
Depending on his location, becoming self-propelled and finding its way into someone elses's truck might be another potential issue.
 
AV8R_87 said:
A lot of run time for minimum use would be one thing.
Depending on his location, becoming self-propelled and finding its way into someone elses's truck might be another potential issue.
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Yeah, although chaining it to something affixed to the ground may help eliminate some of that problem. The inverter generators do a pretty good job of staying quiet/low rpm until demand is actually called for. Saves on fuel and noise.

My FIL gave us a 15,000 watt gasoline-powered generator to use for a few days one time, but it was not an inverter style and it was a NOISY s.o.b. lol. I wired it to the welder outlet in the garage to back feed the circuit breaker (main disconnect obviously shut off to protect linemen). The muffler on that generator was glowing orange in the first 10 minutes of running without a load even being on it, as well as the engine speed constantly going up and down. I suspected it had a bad control board of some sort which wouldn't maintain engine speed and it was running rich. I didn't like that at all and decided that I didn't want to run it with the potential for 5 gallons of gasoline igniting next to the house in addition to dirty power being fed to expensive electronics. Luckily the power was back on in 36hrs so no real damage done.
 
I have an Anker C1000. It's small, and light enough to carry relatively easily. 1056Wh capacity with a 2400W peak and 1800W nominal load capacity. I ran my large, five-door fridge for several hours on it without any problem and estimate that it would run the fridge for a bit over 12 hours. Would also be very good for camping or power on a job site.

They also have the C800 which is 768Wh, 1600W peak, 1200W nominal.

More sizes above, and below, those. They go all the way up to portables that can run most of your house and the installed whole-house Solex X1 which is a Powerwall competitor.
 
JOhnH said:
But if I had a relatively light weight battery pack that could power my fridge for up to 6 or 8 hours.....
Click to expand...

You realize you get about 4 hours without doing anything at all, right? And over 24 hours for the freezer? (Assuming you keep them closed.)

How much expense and hassle do you want just to gain a couple of hours?
 
Mikey52 said:
I just watched a YouTube video on solid state batteries. Can't remember the name now but there was one that had like 4kw power and weighed 3/5 the weight of the normal ones.

It was Yoshino.

Click to expand...

Um, no thank you.

A viral startup press release on a common lithium battery chemistry that’s not really “solid state”.

That is being amplified on social media.

That is selling for twice the price or more of conventional lithium power stations with the same capacity.

Which doesn’t fast-charge like the actual solid state batteries they’re pretending to be.

en.m.wikipedia.org

Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

Many electric cars use NMC cathode batteries. NMC batteries were installed in the BMW ActiveE in 2011, and in the BMW i8starting from 2013.[23] Other electric cars with NMC batteries include, as of 2020: Audi e-tron GE, BAIC EU5 R550, BMW i3, BYD Yuan EV535, Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona Electric, Jaguar I-Pace, Jiangling Motors JMC E200L, NIO ES6, Nissan Leaf S Plus, Renault ZOE, Roewe Ei5, VW e-Golf and VW ID.3.[24] Only a few electric car manufacturers do not use NMC cathodes in their traction batteries. Tesla is a significant exception, as they use nickel cobalt aluminium oxide and lithium iron phosphatebatteries for their vehicles. In 2015, Elon Musk reported that the home storage Tesla Powerwall is based on NMC in order to increase the number of charge/discharge cycles over the life of the units.[24]

Mobile electronics such as mobile phones/smartphones, laptops, and pedelecscan also use NMC-based batteries.[25] These applications almost exclusively used lithium cobalt oxide batteries previously.[26] Another application of NMC batteries is battery storage power stations.
 
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The fridge part is easy. As others have pointed out, 6 hours you don't have to do anything. A couple of days? A 30 gallon cooler and 2-3 5lb bags of ice. Depending on the cooler and climate, that will keep things cold for several days. Way, way cheaper and easier than a portable generator. The fridge part is easy because you don't have to keep things frozen, just cold, and ice is very efficient at that.

If you have a serious amount of frozen food, then you have a chest freezer already, and those don't have that power sucking frost-free thing going on, so should be easier to run on a generator. Those you can also keep cold w/o power, but it takes dry ice, not regular ice, to ensure things don't thaw. That can be a hassle depending on where you're at... but a few pounds of dry ice in the same 30 gal cooler will keep things solid frozen for a few days, if my memory is right.

If you're talking about losing frozen food in a fridge/freezer, do a quick cost/benefit analysis on this. If you live anywhere where the power is on most of the time, cheapest overall option is to just toss the food after it thaws. The cost of food loss will never pay for the backup power system, because that power system won't last forever.
 
I would spend an amu and go buy a 2200 watt honda super quiet generator. I have been using one at work for over a decade. Small portable and quiet best of all honda quality. Batteries dont last and are far worse for the environment(my opinion).
 
When I was a bachelor I went without a fridge for a few years.
I was not home a lot so really miss it much.
I kept a cooler on the back porch and one winter a bag of ice lasted me 4 months! lol

Now I have a 1000 watt really high hour yamaha generator that is quiet that I can use if needed. Been like 12-14 years since we lost power for more than a few hours.
I have always used non ethanol gas in all of my small engines. Always store all my small engines fuel tanks full so they are ready to go and it keeps water out of the fuel tanks.
 
Few folks that we know that lost their homes in the Thomas Fire we had a few years back that rebuilt did so with solar and battery back up.. They systems are pretty slick, and when power was lost a few months back, they had no issues...

The wife and I are looking at one of these...plugged in, then solar when needed..

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Keep your freezer full, even if just jugs of water. Don't open the door unless you HAVE to. Plan to limit the number of times you open it.

It will stay cold for days.
 
Coincidentally, not too long ago we bought a Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core, for temp fridge backup and for extended boondocking in our travel trailer. With our home fridge plugged in, it was saying about 14 hours to empty.

I then bought a 200 a/h Power Queen LiFeP0 battery. The Yeti requires 14-50v to charge, so I bought a Victron 12-24v converter to step up the battery to charge the Yeti, both for home use and to charge the Yeti as we tow our camper. It’s all rather cobbled together, but works pretty well and looks like it could power our fridge, TV and StarLink for several days.

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Next time I have an extra $3,000 to spend, I’m also looking at an Anker 3800 Solix power station. Good reviews online. Can also get an expansion module and even wire it into our breaker panel.

It’s all probably overkill - in a longer blackout we do have a 10,000W gas generator we can drag out, or just escape to our GA home until the power comes back on.
 
FYI, you do not need to run the fridge full time either. I have a 6500 watt generator. I run it for a few hours in the morning and evening. That cools the fridge and freezers and gives hot meals. Also gives some water (well) for bathing and flushing.
 
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