ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- I finally have refrigeration at the cabin. In this video I will unbox, install and review a 'Unique' off-grid solar fridge. I was looking at propane but much happier I went with solar.
The fridge model: uniqueapplianc...
Video timeline:
Introduction
Unboxing: • 'Unique' Off-grid sola...
Install: • 'Unique' Off-grid sola...
Fridge Specs: • 'Unique' Off-grid sola...
After 4 hours: • 'Unique' Off-grid sola...
5 day review: • 'Unique' Off-grid sola...
Conclusion: • 'Unique' Off-grid sola...
LOL. What most folks would call a "crisper" drawer, is what we call a beer cooler. Neat piece of equipment.
Exactly! 👍🍺
Beer.....It’s what I use it for.
It makes the beer taste "crisp". :)
This guy is good!! He shows the label, tell us the temp and the date!! I don't know where he is at?? I like a basement or a cellar, there is a difference!! If the place doesn't have one, I don't want to live there!! The deeper the better!! And thicker walls too!! It can have a dirt floor! Thats even better
Making America Great Appliances! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Canadian quality right there.
You forgot the most important benefit of your new frig. Its solar, its quiet & most important...your ice hauling days are over. 😊 👍 stay safe.
We have the same fridge, turn it on in the spring and shut it it down in the fall. Runs 24/7 without any worries!
I have recently become a member of the Unique fan club. Recently purchased the propane fired chest freezer. We are on grid, but we wanted the additional freezer space and thought we'd give the absorption system a shot. No electronics, not electrical at all. It's our back up for our back up😏
That’s a game changer, congrats!! Coolers and ice are such a mess..
I just received my 6 cubic ft Unique fridge and tried it out....thanks to you and your video I am an extremely happy camper!!!!! It kept my ice-cream nice and frozen...WOW!!! Fabulous product! Thanks for your help! Sue
I know you are going to enjoy it. I bet it will help you enjoy the cold ones 🍺 🍻 cheers my friend and God Bless...
Just a heads up : You are about to hit 17,000 subscribers ! OMG , so happy for you !
Oh thanks kitty. Less than 100 to go....I didn't even realize...lol
Great video Dale, nice upgrade for ya 👍👍👍
Really fine review. That is quite a unit. I could use one in the city. This got me thinking back to the days spent at my grandfather’s camp. He had two caches in the ground. He buried two galvanized garbage cans in the ground with enough left sticking out to be able to put the lids on. Inside he put a wooden “plug” (3/4 plywood or boards) (styrofoam would be good) cut just a bit smaller than the top of the can. This would fetch up about six inches down. Each had a “D” handle attached to pull them out of the can. We put our perishables in these, installed the wooden plugs and put the metal lids on. In the winter, we put fir boughs on top of the cans, then shoveled loose snow over top for insulation. The temperature in summer was ~ 40 deg, not bad but OK. In the dead of winter, milk would not freeze even after a week. You don’t need cold storage with that great fridge, but a cache that doesn’t freeze liquids is a nice asset. Thanks for nice video!
I love the smell of a new fridge !
I am so happy to find your video.! We are installing our unique refrigerator and your video will make it easier as we had some questions you answered! Thank you!
I have heard nothing but good things about that brand! I am going to use that in my place as well.
We have used the th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
Great addition to the cabin Dale.
I really like that the refrigerator was a good investment please more videos love it
im just catching up on your backlog of videos and i wish it was august or September again lol. awesome fridge
Man oh man I wish I could like this video twice. We just bought the unique 10Cuft for our DPMH, we can't wait until it shows up and we install it.
Have a unique frig that is gas ! Cools like crazy! My time at the cabin is coming to an end! Smoke has been bad this year with all the fires! Glad your frig is working out so well!
God Bless Larry! Where you at? Washington, Oregon, or Cali! Been praying for you folks for two weeks or more! Be Safe!!
Hey Dale,
Happy to see you bought into the fridge! Some time ago you responded to questions I had about the stove, and I purchased one for my camp thanks in part to your review.
Well this summer I bought the 9 cu/ft Unique solar fridge. It has been a game changer! I am in NS Canada, and with temps soaring over 30C in summer, it has made life a lot easier with food preservation. Beer stays cold and ice in the freezer as well!
Very happy to see you made the upgrade to a fridge and sure you will never regret it. These appliances seem well made, and I must echo your comments about the fridge being quiet.......you have to stop and pay attention to tell if the compressor is running or not.
Cheers from NS, and special thanks for putting in the time and effort to make videos the rest of us enjoy watching for free. Really appreciate it.
JT
Thanks! So far this fridge is awesome 👌.
That was a good purchase Dale. Glad you have that convenience now. Look forward to your next video. Take care.
Hint from a camper with propane frig. Buy some of the gel packs they sell for coolers lunchbox etc. Bring them from home and place in refrig when you are there. Their thermo mass helps off set open and closing doors. I keep several in freezer and 2 frozen in refrig. Will last two or three days and reduce solar usage. The fuller you can keep it the less it runs. Also if you know anyone in the medical field refrigerated drugs are shipped with gel packs. Sadly FDA and safety require single use. These can be opened and disposed of anywhere but we gave them away. They are food grade and expensive so always seemed a waste. But for additional cooling they are perfect and once they find you will take them you can get a trunk load. Just saving your batteries.
I do the same in the winter, freeze jugs outside then put them in the freezer or frig, really cuts down on the compressor kicking on.
I already did that. 🍺👍
Thanks for posting this review, I'm looking for a fridge for my off grid cabin also-very useful.
Great to see you buying Canadian and supporting our economy eh! lol. I have two friends that live off grid and both use Unique as well. They love it. Good quality. Very little draw on their solar. Glad you like your new fridge. I am half way off grid, but still rely on Sask power for my electricity. I only pay 190$ every quarter so hard to justify the costs of changing over to solar, with power so affordable in this part of the world. I may go full off grid by next summer...you inspire me my friend. We got down to -6 Weds night/Thurs am and that killed off my garden after all my hard work this year. Been a horrible year for everyone, and up here the wild fires, then the tornado.... and my garden survived that, but the -6 was a bit much. Enjoy the weekend. Cheers
Haha. Its great quality. 🇨🇦🍺👍
Great addition for your cabin !!!
Stay safe by putting a fuse between the battery and the fridge! Thanks for reviewing this, it's a Canadian company but the fridges are assembled by "international partners" ... just a heads up.
Thanks for the video I might try this refrigerator.Well I think you should put a table between your stove and your refrigerator because the stove might heat up your refrigerator
I have a thermometer in my freezer and frig sections, that way I can make sure it's dialed in perfectly. Any thought about building a box so the unit is a little taller ? You could even build one that has a door on the front for storage !
Glad you're finally taking advantage of that solar set-up.
Danfoss... you done well, son.
Hey, thanks! 🍺
Thanks Dale great review! 👍👍👍💯💯💯
Nice review Dale! Would love one at my cabin.
I like how quiet it is that’s a nice feature
Dale; thanks for the frig information. I am thinking about obtaining a Unique for my cabin (camp long leaf}. I like the idea of it being made in Canada.
I have to say I am glad you got an off grid fridge and I hope I don't cross the line on saying it's about time. lol
Could you give guidance on wiring directly to battery prior to inverter? Thank you!
Well the fridge is a 12 volt fridge so the wires that are supplied just connect directly to the batter terminals. Positive first and then neg. It's very simple. Or is there something more?
Hey brother I got my NB88 coffee mug today. Great mug . Keep up the great videos.
I have about 6 thousand miles on mine. It's in my off grid cargo trailer. : ). Absolutely LOVE this thing. My trailer inside is only 7.5 ft. X 16 ft. and this thing is WHISPER quiet.
Great review. Keep that fridge/freezer full and the efficiency will go up. If you don’t keep that much food just put water jugs in there. Acts like a battery, storing cold energy.
That’s really cool! Beats coolers for sure! Congrats on your purchase!
Thanks so much for posting this. I'm thinking of getting one of these for the boat. It's got a very expensive Norcold ac/dc marine frig that has never worked well so I'm looking at one of these instead. Thanks again, very helpful.
Nice addition to the cabin.
Love that solar fridge, Dale. What a fantastic addition to the cabin, and to making life a little more enjoyable.
I think it’s quite impressive what is being done with, and accomplished with solar appliances these days.
Enjoy, stay safe, and best regards.
I contacted Unique about 3 months ago and inquired about where their appliances are manufactured and the stated designed in Canada and manufactured in China. I did purchase the Classic Range and Rangehood and I’m pleased with the quality and performance. I’m seriously considering the DC fridge so I really appreciate your video.
When I purchased my Unique stuff it was still manufactured up in Canada but maybe they moved production like everyone else. I really like my stove and the solar fridge is decent enough. Could have used a bit more powerful compressor but then I suppose power consumption would go up.
Very Nice, good sized. We’ve Never needed more than that that w 2 children.
And it’s half the price of a propane 3 Way Fueled model. 👍 lovin it. Oh and Enjoy !
My eyes lit up around 6:18.... I never thought to change the term/use of the "crisper" to a "beer cooler"! I love it and plan to use it!!!
Nice score Dale. I’ve had the same fridge for 5 years at our Offgrid Maine cabin too. It’s a great performer. I should’ve done a review on my channel. Now I don’t have to, you’re all over it.
Keep up the good work. TJ
Thanks! 🍺
Great looking refrigerator there , Dale . I thought that you already had one of the electric ones there at the Cabin . This new solar one is very nice . Don't let your beer freeze though , it just isn't the same once it thaws . GREAT review for those looking for solar appliances . Oh, I forgot to comment on the new logo . I really like it a lot . You have the Bear , the Cabin , and my favorite part , the Ax in the log . ( you know how much I enjoy the wood spitting ) Hope to see another grilling video soon . Cheers !
Wood splitting video coming soon! 🍺
Glad this has worked out for you, Dale.
Gotta have a fridge, and whoa... solar powered!
Just the right size and exceptionally well manufactured.
I'll bet after a while longer, you won't even notice the compressor kicking on...
Its great, I barely notice it now. And the beer is cold! 🍺👍
Always enjoy your videos Dale! Good review my friend! Hope that solar fridge works well for you! Actually I didn't think you had enough juice for it! Hope you do! Be safe!........ You need a dog my friend! LOL, I know you have heard that before! Find you a middle aged dog, not a pup. I know you said it would scare away local critters! But the two legged kind would be nice to have a heads up on! God Bless!
I love a good unboxing and that's an awesome fridge. Great efficiency and wonderful that you can keep your brewskis and food cold without hauling ice. Nice that the compessor is very quiet without sucking a lot of power. Nice that its not made in you know where too. 😊👍
That's crazy how efficent that is!
I have the retro style 12 volt refrigerator and a very similar solar system. You will require your generator and a charger in the winter to top up your batteries. Refrigerator uses quite a bit of power. I keep mine between 3 and 4 on the settings.
Good luck with the new fridge. I have an 8 cubic ft propane Unique fridge that works awesome. I have a much smaller solar setup than yours so I went with the propane. Unique makes a very high quality product.
It would be great if it would come with its own solar set up
If thats possible
Setting one up today.
The problem I have with solar panels is the many days we have rain or overcast. I love the idea of living off the grid. I am trying to learn all I can about preserving food for the time needed. Someone tell me, is raising goats for food and milk a good idea? Of course milk is used for other foods.
that is awesome man. yeah common sense on how to use it
Congrats. Please, I need the schematic diagram of your upgraded solar system, including fuses/breakers and earthing of the solar panels and others. Please, attach it for download. Thanks.
I like the fridge. We have a propane one at camp but in the next couple of years would like to put in solar. When our fridge goes we will.look into getting one of these.
Love the fridge. I still haul coolers for camp. Maybe solar and fridge is in the future. Thanks for the info and great video. Thought the test would be a cold one not a water 🤔
It was a cold water ;)
Beautiful
Woooooo 🥶 Danfoss saw nothing but Good Reviews about them. 👍
Very nice.
Now you have to get a shower setup..........
Enjoy the weekend!
Great review! I got to get one of those fridges
I would have thought you would have had a cold one going cheers
Another great review, thank you from 🇨🇦.
Nice review, smart guy, subscribed, cheers from 'Straya.
Great review! Sounds like a very good unit so I took a note.
Suggestion: change out your lead/acid batteries for lithium, specifically lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4). I built a portable 400 watt solar generator built on two Battle Born batteries wired in parallel. Nominal capacity of my system is 200 amp hours. You would actually increase your capacity, however, because BB overbuilds the batteries and you can discharge them 100% of the rated capacity. I just ran a discharge test on mine. I used 193 amp hours before the inverter went to protect mode and shut down. The batteries have a built in system that would have shut down the load on it's own but I didn't get down that far. Compared to lead/acid, you might have a rated 200 amp hours but effectively it's only 100 because you can't take it down more than 50% without killing the batteries. Also you get 3,000 - 5,000 charge cycles with lithium after which you still have 80% of the original rated capacity. Compare that to 500 - 600 cycles for lead acid before you have to replace them. Downside is the upfront cost. $$$$. Cheaper in the long run though. Cheers and thanks for the review!
Those L16s are good for about 1200 cycles if I stay above 50% so they should last for a few more years but when the time comes I'm going to look at lithium. Hopefully the price will come down a bit.
They are great. I have the 9.0 cu ft Unique fridge and their 4 burner range top at our cabin.
Sloar fridges are amazing.. South Africa has its first solar fridge by Defy... Works off solar and or electricity.. Defy has solar chest freezer.
Man, I hear you about hauling ice in! I'm going on 3 months off grid and keep things cool in a 77 quart Lifetime cooler. Takes around 30 to 40 pounds of ice a week. I'm seriously looking at getting one of these refrigerators!
You won't regret it. No more ice and the beer is always cold. 🍺👍
Extremely love that thing though talking like a check over here. I got no problems buying one of those and replacing it with a different compressor when the time comes. Embraco or something.
That's awesome Dale, very happy for you. I am going to share this video to John T.
Great video! Thanks for putting so much time and research into your content.
Good solar scheme
I have the exact same refrigerator in my RV. Love it, only issue I have is that I can not figure out how to get the shelves out! Any help would be appreciated 😊 oh, and I got mine from Home Depot.
Thank you for the video, Dale. I am just starting my journey to bring water and power to my off-grid property. Electric grid connection is available, but the cost to connect is $25,000+. I am thinking propane appliances and a solar well pump. How do you pump water at your cabin?
awesome review!! super helpful with me making a decision for my off-grid fridge!
Thanks for the review.
That's a nice charge controller.
Thanks for all the Information on this!
Seems 100ah battery can handle it, nice vid, complete details
Very nice. I hope to one day purchase one. I have been without power since March and have have been using a cooler. Hoping to save enough soon to purchase a small solar system. Have watched so many videos and am still unsure what to buy to power a fridge, bathroom and 2 bedrooms. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you
Nice addition!
It looks like a nice fridge but I checked the price on it and it is a bit pricey but I can see why it’s 12 volt not a big market for 12volt stuff compared to a AC powered fridge of the same size
Nice! Cold beer without haulin’ ice! 🍺🍺❄️
Excellent detailed video!
Another thing that affects efficiency is frequent opening the refrigerator/freezer door. The cold air spills out and the compressor has to cool/freeze the compartments. The cooling capacity of the unit is just about 2000 BTUs/hr. As you alude to, don't expect home appliance performance form this unit. But it's a lot better than hauling ice. With it being 50" H, it will sit in my van very well. Hmmmm....
I hope your new fridge lasts! bought a Unique fridge 10.3 cu ft. that stopped working after 1 year and 11 months. After troubleshooting with the Unique tech, they sold me a controller and new thermostat for $242 which did not fix it because it was the compressor. They were very apologetic as they nicely explained that the fridge only has a one year warranty and the compressor was no longer under warranty. I paid almost $2000 for a fridge that didn’t last 2 years. When it did run, it was very noisy, and iced up a lot inside. So again, I hope your fridge lasts longer than mine did.
I had to get a replacement because of a compressor issue but since then it's been great. A buddy of mine has had one for a few years now and it works great. I feel you pain though, that's a lot of money for something not to work.
I need a small fridge for my truck camper. I can't go bigger than a 4.4 cubic foot fridge. Went to their website. They don't make them I guess? Bummer...!
Great information! Love the videos.
Can you leave a generator running unattended?
Good unboxing video 👌🏼
That's an awesome fridge. I regret not getting a freezer in mine I think. Maybe I can afford one of those later lol.
What size panels are you using to drive the fridge? Do you have to have a separate charge controller or is it direct plug in? Thanks
I have a much bigger system than yours and my college size fridge kills my power in a few over cast days. I'm curious to see this
Thanks that was very interesting.
Hay Dale thanks for all the information I will look into unique for sure.I have a larger solar system and am only running a small 110 volt electric bar fridge it's not keeping up.When the frige starts it uses 10 amps on initial start up and is killing my batteries . I've heard the 12 volt compressor is ideal ,just wondering how you feel about it now that you have had it awhile and how does it hold up on consecutive cloudy days are your batteries doing fine ,I too am tired of ice runs . Any info would be appreciated Thanks Dale, ps great name by the way