if you haven't been given this tip already, Put a cup with frozen water in your freezer then add a coin to the top of the cup of ice. If there is ever a power loss and restore without your knowledge the coin will have sunk into the ice or fallen to the bottom of the cup letting you know the food inside may have been compromised.
Long time freezer owner ... First, I am glad you have the freezer up the off the ground. Second, adjust the temp to about 20F. Plenty cold, even in summer. Third, you you will have to manually defrost it. Hopefully you have a large cooler and can transfer everything from the freezer to the cooler for the defrost cycle which will only take an hour on a warm, sunny day. I lost a chest freezer because frost built up under the liner even though there was not a lot of frost on the inside and broke one of the refrigerant lines. One or two defrost per year is all that is required.
Love you guys, just wanted to warn you that stacking your canning like that is unsafe. Seals can be broken and then reseal due to the pressure from above and botulinism can grow. It is colorless and tasteless, and deadly. 2 high only, or put cans in a bigger box so the box takes the pressure from above and not the lid.
We can't survive without our chest freezer that is in the unheated garage. Glad you guys are getting things you will need later, a little at a time. Smart of you.
I run my freezer on a timer. Right now ON around 9 AM and OFF around 5PM. That way is not stressing your battery. The temp does not increase over night in the freezer. (at least nothing that I can see. everything is still frozen)
Keep the freezer full and it operates better. I keep unused space full of 2 ltr bottles filled with water. It helps keep the freezer running efficiently and in case of power outage helps prolong the temperature. As I add food items I remove the bottles and set them aside for later use. It is also a secondary way of adding to water storage.
in the winter you dont need have it plugged in aslong as it is below freezeing so 0watt useage . have it on a pallet or something so you can roll it outside in the winter and roll it in in the summer.
A smaller freezer or refrigerator has a higher surface to volume ratio, meaning that a small freezer has to keep a proportionally larger external area insulated vs. a larger freezer and will therefore be less efficient. Example: Assume a perfectly square freezer that is 1 cu. ft. in volume (1'X1'X1'). It will have an external surface area of over 6 sq. ft once you figure in the thickness of the walls. That is a 1:6 volume:surface area ratio. Now take a 8 cu. ft. freezer (2'X2'X2'). It will have a 24 sq. ft. surface area or a 1:3 ratio. That is a lot less heat loss proportionally.
There's a difference between kilowatts and kilowatt-hours. When you say it uses 220 kilowatts per year, that's an incorrect statement. The tag says 220 kilowatt-hours. Of course it's going to be confusing for the average person when you explain it incorrectly. A watt is a measure of energy flow, like how fast your garden hose is flowing. 10 watts is 10 watts whether it's for an hour or a month. A watt-hour is a cumulative total of energy flow, like how much your garden hose has filled your swimming pool. Using 10 watts for an hour is a total of 10 watt-hours. Using 10 watts for two hours equals 20 watt-hours. And using 25 watts on average to power a fridge equals 600 watt-hours per day, 4.2kWh per week, and 219kWh per year. So your fridge uses about 25 watts, not 220 watts. Using the right units is important if you're trying to teach people to calculate their own solar needs.
I have the next size smaller chest. I put mine on a timer ! It got too cold and I monitor it with a temp gauge. The floor will get the coldest and the top a bit warmer. I really don't use mine to freeze but to cool and I only need it at -1- on its thermostat. On that setting its close to 32 on the bottom but I do keep it indoors. The outside would really make it more efficient in the colder weather. Its very efficient !
I suggest adding a wind turbine, looks like you guys are in an area that gets a good bit of wind. Wind turbines can run day or night as long as there is wind. Your solar will only charge during the day and not that great during the short winter days, go hybrid, wind and solar. good luck!!
also by using 2 liter bottles of water ,you have fresh drinking water when ou take them out.we keep our freezer full and have had the power go out for three days and no lost food.that huge block of ice wont just melt.
Don't know how I got along with out my new 5.2cf freezer for so many years. Going to pack up some snow later in the season to make snow cones in the summer!!!
Ron Smith nope. not that one. the one we have replaces the one on the freezer. stock location but it now can be adjusted from fridge temps to feezer temps.
Ron Smith this is like the one we have but ours was only 21 bucks. best thing to do is google beer freezer conversions. beer makers use these freezers to ferment in. Look at this on eBay www.ebay.com/itm/251971627428
If I was living in a grid down period and had no power, I would move my freezer out into the back yard and leave my freezer just open enough during the very cold winters here in New Hampshire to preserve the food inside of it. And during a summer power outage, do what we do now and run the freezer off the solar & battery / inverter system.
I had been using an ice chest to keep perishables fresh. To do so, I had to buy ice. The cost of preserving my food for 6 months totaled over $1000, for just the ice. During that time, I had been practicing a Buddhist vegan lifestyle and diet. The lessons from that were invaluable; I can not place a price tag on them. Most importantly, I was more focused on the lifestyle transition and nutrition than money. I thought that because I was not shuffling cash into unsustainable choices, I could afford to buy 14 lbs of ice everyday. However, I became aware of all the components required to make ice available including large commercial trucks and large amounts of water and the energy to freeze it. The experience as a whole is invaluable, but there are better and more mindful ways to eat and live healthy. As I see it, the solar powered chest freezer uses significantly less energy to preserve food than a commercial ice supplier.
I was so happy to see you preserving your urban harvests. However, I feel the need to tell you that you must remove the rings from your canning jars. You should never store your jars with them in place. The only way that you should stack them is just how you are doing it. In the original boxes. Great job on the homestead and keep those videos coming!
A very good indicator to use in your freezer is a 1/2 full bottle of water. Lay it on its side when freezing the water, and then put it somewhere it can stand upright. Adding a bit of RED food coloring to the water prior to freezing makes a great telltale of the freezer is off for an extended period of time. like if you leave the area for a vacation. If when you get back you check the freezer and the light are on, but the water in the container is all in the bottom of the bottle you know in an instant that the food is suspect. We are frequently away from home, and it is a real comfort to see the bottle standing there with ice from the top to bottom along one side. indicating that there were NO extended power outages in our absence,
Sears may stand behind their appliances but if you have a problem with them you MUST call an 800 number to get it fixed. You can't just take it back to the store - it's not as simple as it used to be. We quit going to Sears for that reason and stuck with a local Ma and Pa type store where they do service what they sell and you don't have to call some 800 number and hope that they come out and fix it sooner than later - what we found was much MUCH later.
I've heard that a great way to make sure that your freezer is working (if you don't have a light or leave it for long periods) is to place ice cubes in a plastic cup in the freezer. If the ice cubes are still the same shape when you check on it, you know that the freezer didn't warm up and then freeze again.
especially in winter, first leave the bottles outside to freeze (or fill a garbage bag with snow), but remember that water expands when it freezes, so leave some air in the bottle.
I was going to post the same comment. I have a large chest freezer and I have 1/2 gallon milk jugs 2/3 full of purified drinking water. If the power goes out not only am I fine for maybe a week but I have drinking water as well. As I use up the food I add another bottle.
Don't forget consumer reports for product reviews and repair history. plastic milk crates can help organize inside the chest (most->least used items. When you mentioned opening the old mini unit I wondered about just mounting it on its back? Will you be using the firelogs again this winter?
i know this is 7 months old, i just recently started watching this channel... but i LOVE the fact that this couple really use their brains and THINK about important stuff... Much love from Finland PorritZ
honestly, unless u have already mentioned that your opposed to propane it's going to be a given that some creature comforts are not yet designed for solar effeciency. hint-( 24kilowatt solar sys). The average solar useage would require the average household to install a 6-9kiliwatt setup. Or about $40k-$50k depending on contractors & quality of solar materials. My wife currently uses about 90 kilo a month which is 3x's the monthly average. I'm ready to go off grid if I can just get Edison Solar to install that $127k solar setup for Christmas. Then I can say we are 100% off grid & loving it!!! Here's the real kicker -- They say the average US home cost between $250k-$275k. Now, considering the amount of electricity needed to operate that 2,000 sq ft home wouldn't it be simpler to build a $150k home & install a $127k solar array & just sell the excess energy back to the electrical company & use the extra cash to buy groceries? I guess I want my independence & luxuries too.
Don't always trust that light, I had a small freezer similar to to yours and my light was on and the compressor stopped working and I lost 100 lbs of meat
I dont know if you have seen it. But else were on the internet there was an brilliant trix to see if your freezer ever lost power and ruined your food, the trix was that you get an cup of water and put in the freezer so the water got frosen and then put a penny on top of it. if you one day opens the freeser and the penny is in the buttom of the cup you know that some thing has gone wrong.
With every video of yours I watch, I fall more in love with you guys. You're doing what my partner and I dream of, and seem to be doing it so well. I love your honesty and realness. Keep doing you, and I'm off to buy christmas presents with your amazon link.
I found all types of fruit trees growing on road sides. I scored when I found a Harry&David pear tree growing across from their orchard below Table Rocks. Good find guys. Great info on the chest freezer. I am putting a timer on mine so it is off through the sun down hours so it is not draining battery power.
A good idea is to put bottles of water in your chest freezer of a day if there is extra space in there, this means they will get very cold and then if you turn off your freezer of a night time they act as a cooling source for many hours and can keep your stuff cool basically all night.
More stuff in the freezer doesn't really change how much heat gets back into it, but it can give a huge buffer zone for things to stay frozen as that heat needs to distribute across more mass. The thing that can raise the efficiency by several magnitudes is extra insulation, if you can double the insulation properly then the power consumption will halve. And obviously letting things cool outside means the fridge gets no extra work, putting it somewhere already freezing also means no extra work.
Be careful doing that because most modern CHEAP freezers have the condensation coils below the surface (not at the back) so insulating the surface will kill it because it can't condense properly.
Have you thought about putting one of those outdoor wireless thermometers inside the freezer so you can see its temp without going out to look at it? Yes they are made to see what the outdoor temp is but nothing says you cant use it to check other things. Just make sure its rated for low temps. The wireless ones generally have a range around 30 feet so can also measure the battery box temp or other outbuildings. For anything long distance wired is the way to go by just running some 5-8 wire thermostat wire during installs so you can have options later.
Don't know if anyone has mentioned this to you. I grew up on a farm and can tell you that a good root cellar not only makes a great pantry. It will also serve in a pinch as a freezer in the winter and protect your food. Especially if its rock lined to keep out pest and you make some nooks in the wall near the entrance to hold your frozen things. You can also build a cold box with an insulated inside door on the cold side of your shack that will make a good winter freezer or fridge. Neither requires gas or electricity. Good luck you two. I enjoy watching your videos.
You could also use the freezer to freeze water bottles with salt in them and buy a large cooler to place the water bottles in. What this does is make the cooler into a refrigerator. Now, you could place your food inside of the cooler for refrigeration. I hope this helps.
He didn't. He needs 600W of panels and 250Lbs of batteries to run that freezer alone, accounting for no more than 50% DoD on the batteries over 3 cloudy days.
I appreciate your video. I need help. I would like to run a freezer just like yours on a small solar system. Just the freezer. Can you help me figure out how many 100ah batteries and how many 100w panels to operate. Everything I can find ranges from giant systems to a couple panels/batteries. I know that there are a lot of variables, but I would appreciate any help you can give. Thanks.
A neat trick if your not sure about continuous power for a freezer is to find a small tupperware box and 3/4 fill it with water and then freeze when frozen throw in a half dozen small stones and every time you open or check the freezer give the box a shake and you should hear a rattle if you get a slosh well that's self explanatory and if the stones are frozen at the bottom you know that the power has been off long enough to defrost the ice and re freeze it and your food stuff is now suspect.....
you could also buy a popsicle and lay it on top of the food, if you open the freezer and the popsicle is now flat yet frozen, your freezer didn't keep temp and refroze so your food may be suspect. Lots of methods out there-just dont forget and eat the popsicle.
I think you need to re- evaluate the current draw from the freezer. .5 amp? i have never seen a compressor that was that low. remember you have to calculate it with the battery voltage not the 120 v.a.c. from the inverter.
Having freezer space is a blessing! That was good that you discussed the power and tradeoffs - nice video. We just added a chest freezer too, showed it in our update video. Unfortunately ours is indoors, but in a cooler area of the house (no central heating). We have lots of garden produce items in there - hard to can basil, leeks, and the like. I am figuring out a root cellar as well - but its a large project. ...perhaps next year. Keep cool !!
when I bought my freezer like yours last year it said in the instructions to not let it get below 50deg in the room where it is sitting. I would double check you paper work FYI
I only have a wood stove for heat. We didn't use it every year and when it got to the low 40's or colder, the freezer on the side by side combo did not freeze at all. The refrigerator seemed ok, but could have just left stuff out, lol.
the main reason not to keep a freezer in cold ambient temperature is probably because you also cool down your compressor and its oil. when the thermostat reaches its setpoint after a long time and compressor starts, the oils viscosity is thick, thus causing more wear on the compressor. how much this lower the life of the compressor you wouldnt know ofcourse if you didnt buy 2 of them, kept one above recommended amb temp and one below for comparison. compressors in heatpump outdoor units made for nordic climate are insulated, and heated when its not running
That is because refrigerators normally have the thermostat in the refrigerator area to keep fresh foods cold. What happens is that the thermostat is set at around 40f so in a cold room of say 38f or below the fresh food area never warms above the 40f so thermostat does not turn compressor on, thermostat sees 38f and thinks all is fine. However, 38f of course food in freezer is thawing out!!! There is normally nothing in the freezer to say hey it's too hot in here! The cooling coils are normally in the freezer, when frig runs most of the cold air flows around in freezer getting it super cold untill the fresh food area says OK I'm cold enough no so turn off. The is only a small amount of cold air blowing from freezer into fresh food area so the freeze gets most of it and freezes while fresh food area only gets cold. If you know this is happening you can heat the thermostat with low heat like air dryer and the frig will turn on and run for awhile.
I would love to learn more about power, and hook ups. Dolor , A/ C and D/C Where could I learn more about this. I have a RV and would love to learn more.
We're aiming to get a 1,700 water cistern buried (with necessary plumbing) before the ground freezes. That'll likely be the next big project (fingers crossed... we're going to be pushing our luck soon) and then.... hopefully we can seriously start finalizing plans for the big home build! We really want to start that in spring.
Was wondering if you considered installing some sort of Wind Turbine technology to supplement your Solar Set up. And have you looked into Wind Turbines ? ps. damn you are strong, lifting and manhandling that freezer.
Jesse, you can buy a root cellar! there is one that's a fiberglass one made to bury. it has a stair and door built in! www.core77.com/posts/36366/The-Groundfridge-Pre-Fab-Root-Cellar
Think about filling as much of the empty space in it with anything you can. Even boxes with newspaper,or milk jugs of water( their square so they take of more air space) . This lowers the amount of air your freezer will have to cool.
Hey guys, I've been really enjoying your vids and I was wondering when you would get around to the topic of refrigeration. Have you looked at some of the DC refrigeration compressors? At this point you're starting to look at "roll your own" solutions, but there are such things as refrigeration compressor units that combine most of the elements needed (compressor, condenser coil, control electronics etc) that you can then fit to your own custom made freezer box. Looking at some of them, like SunDanzer, you can get a ready-made freezer that connects directly to DC. That saves you room on your inverter since it can take power directly from the panels. Other options like Sun Frost are also DC direct, but they are strictly reach-in units, not chest models. They are seriously dedicated to insulation though, the walls are as much as 4" thick! It's also worth considering building one from scratch - more and better insulation, keeping the condenser coils out of the freezer's walls (lots of designs bury those warm coils in the walls of the freezer, which is just weird). There are lots of options to consider when it comes time to look at larger freezer solutions. Love the series.
I see some one already commented on this. Most people do not know that cooling appliances are not designed to operate in freezing weather. We destroyed a refrigerator by leaving it on over the winter in an unheated cabin. We are also connected with a summer cabin co-op. We know of at least 4 cabins that also destroyed new refrigerators by running them over the winter. I was involved in a conversation with a dealer of refrigerators for outdoor kitchens. He said that they are so expensive because of the engineering to operate in the 30 to40 degree range.
Nice solar panel system. Suggestion on getting more out of that panel system. open up the back of the panel and add some tubing that you can run water through. Please use metal tubing as plastic produces some nasty water once heated. Added insulation to the panel backside so the lines do not freeze up and a drain valve and sut off valve for them nasty below zero nights. But, not only will you get hot water on sunny days and wrm water on cloudy days, the solar cells are a silicon product (just like computer chips) and work better when cooled. You can raise the power production by as much as 30%. Also too, there are a number of tutorals here on youtube on savonus rotor generators that can boost your powe supply greatly. You have already had experience with wind there (I remember the first wind storm you had) and why not harness it to your advantage. Nice thing about those rotors is you do not need to do a high tower like you would with propellar generators. Also too, if you have it run two generators, that is twice the power from one unit and a lot cheaper to build and maintain than a wind prop that is 50ft in the air. Also, once you get your freezer set where it will stay, having a "cooling pipe" with a screen on it underground and run by a recycled computer fan to let the earth cool the air coming into the pipe and let it cool down the backside of the freezer so that less energy is used to actually keep it frozen. There should be a compressor towards one end of teh freezer that would have a little radiator for throwing off the heat. The problem is that during teh summer is the hot air is being pushed through that radiator and thus takes more energy to keep the freezer frozen than if it is cool air blowing through it. Not winter mode, but it would not be summer mode in the summer time either.
You need to consider DC appliances. Using solar to convert into AC is extremely wasteful. You've got DC on hand, use it. {Most electric devices convert the AC back into DC inside the device anyways)....you are wasting a large percentage of your energy as heat converting back and forth from the standards.
Hi, greetings from freezing Finland :-) Have you had any idea of adding capacitor to your inverter to take some of those spike loads that those appliances might cause? There are plenty of youtube videos about that subject.
@ Pure Living Crew Really have grown to like your vids more and more. Enjoy how you take the time to explain why you are doing whatever it is you are doing. You made mention that a cellar is something that is on the planning board but down the road. I was curious if you could tip you hat as to what method of cellar storage you are leaning to and why? Have you considered those ultra small earthbag cellars? Thanks for your time and videos.
We're trying to build a root cellar into the footprint of our house... since we'll have a daylight basement, if we put it in the back corner with concrete walls, we're pretty much set, and we won't insulate the bottom of it nor put our radiant floor heating under it... hope that answers your question! We don't want to build a separate root cellar because it seems less work to build a home and cellar in one.
Thanks for posting guys. Great upgrade and a great deal. We even have a sears appliance parts place nearby, so if you're handy you can get parts and make repairs yourself.Like the fan belt for that 30 year old clothes dryer that wore out. Got the idea for the chest freezer from Steven Davis on his youtube channel. He got a cheap temperature controller from ebay, replaced the temperature controller that came with the freezer, and can use it as a refrigerator or freezer by punching in the numbers. I wonder if the electronic controller would make the freezer more efficient due to the precision that it turns the freezer"s compressor on and off. Maybe beyond your needs now, but useful later.
May i ask why you didnt go with a DC based chest freezer? I know they are more expensive, but they seem to use about 40% less energy than same size AC units as well you get to save the energy lost from going from AC solar to DC Batteries and back to AC to your grid.
off grid I missed 2 things TERRIBLY, when I didn't have them 1. freezer 2 good, especially unlimited internet...those were the 2 main things, Also not enough time on laptop for vids and video player for vids. But I read a LOT so stock up of books!!! For reading light I took apart and used solar yard lights, the cheap ones 96cents @ Wally WORLD they WERE THE BEST. At one time I had about 30 on a 'fridge rack hanging from ceiling.....really worked very well. But the ones for a dollar at Dollar Gen had a switch, which helped but put out half the light the ones at dollar tree had 3 bulbs, but half the light. But they had a switch and one day charging can give 2 nights light....
ARB portable refrigerator/freezer is size of largest typical igloo cooler (has a small freezing section, or you can remove the divide and make it a full freezer/refrigerator. It runs at .8 AMP 12V as a fridge. I shit you not. It's like $700 though. And you can turn off a few hours a day, put it on a timer. Oh btw solar panels function better in the cold >< electricty don't give a fuuuck
Hey Dude, why didn't you tell us how much on the solar panels, watts, and price? That would have been much more informative. I've been living without electricity via the grid or solar. Without, except that I have an office in town, 25 miles away that I use to hold my 5 cf chest freezer and I charge batteries for lights and hand drill. I use a generator when I want to sweep or use the table saw etc. I'm looking for a solar kit and hoped to see how much you were using.
hum...your freezer a/c demands are ok...but how much does it drain your batteries because it's powered by your inverter. There are pricey 12vdc freezers too...just saying.
Saying that something uses "100 watts MORE every day"? For the retired little refer ...did you mean "100 watt HOURS"? Which is a few pennies typically? 1000 watt hour power company might charge 20 cents for? SO 100 is one tenth of that...2 cents per day ....just sayin
Wait a second, 100 watts more per day? Does that mean a 100 watt load? How many hours per day that runs is the other side of that figure. Over the years I've used everything and found the superinsulated DC chest freezers to be the best choice, but they don't give those away.
Several people have mentioned turning a freezer into a refrigerator, but you could also convert that mini-fridge into a chest freezer, with just a little modification. A little extra, external insulation will also help either one. www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Convert-a-mini-fridge-to-a-chest-refrigerat/?ALLSTEPS
That's what our off grid freezer runs .6 kilowatts or 600 watt hours a day. I also have one that I converted to a refrigerator. It runs on 220 watt hours a day. Are you able to keep your batteries up in bad weather? Winter here in the Pacific North West are challenging for sure. I wont see the sun for another 7 days!
Hiya. It seems to me you're avoiding commenting on the election (maybe it's just in the works, who knows), but I was curious about how this election might affect off-grid living. I don't currently live that lifestyle, though I would like to one day, and I was wondering if you had any possibilities/challenges you have had to consider because of the election. I know it's a little bit out there, but I'm really curious about how a Trump presidency would affect a budding homestead. Keep warm in the coming months!
monica.. look up your county extension agency. they have many books and sometimes videos on canning and freezing foods. I 've been doing it for 35 years. It's not hard just time-consuming.
if you haven't been given this tip already, Put a cup with frozen water in your freezer then add a coin to the top of the cup of ice. If there is ever a power loss and restore without your knowledge the coin will have sunk into the ice or fallen to the bottom of the cup letting you know the food inside may have been compromised.
Long time freezer owner ...
First, I am glad you have the freezer up the off the ground.
Second, adjust the temp to about 20F. Plenty cold, even in summer.
Third, you you will have to manually defrost it. Hopefully you have a large cooler and can transfer everything from the freezer to the cooler for the defrost cycle which will only take an hour on a warm, sunny day.
I lost a chest freezer because frost built up under the liner even though there was not a lot of frost on the inside and broke one of the refrigerant lines. One or two defrost per year is all that is required.
I recommend moving the canned goods away from the stove and sunlight. A cool dark place, perhaps beside the freezer. Cheers!!
Freezer dissipates heat... so not beside the freezer or fridge.
Love you guys, just wanted to warn you that stacking your canning like that is unsafe. Seals can be broken and then reseal due to the pressure from above and botulinism can grow. It is colorless and tasteless, and deadly. 2 high only, or put cans in a bigger box so the box takes the pressure from above and not the lid.
We can't survive without our chest freezer that is in the unheated garage. Glad you guys are getting things you will need later, a little at a time. Smart of you.
I had One of those freezers,they are great,you won't lose all the cold air when you open the door,they float too,mine did,floated away in a hurricane.
I run my freezer on a timer. Right now ON around 9 AM and OFF around 5PM. That way is not stressing your battery. The temp does not increase over night in the freezer. (at least nothing that I can see. everything is still frozen)
Keep the freezer full and it operates better. I keep unused space full of 2 ltr bottles filled with water. It helps keep the freezer running efficiently and in case of power outage helps prolong the temperature. As I add food items I remove the bottles and set them aside for later use. It is also a secondary way of adding to water storage.
in the winter you dont need have it plugged in aslong as it is below freezeing so 0watt useage . have it on a pallet or something so you can roll it outside in the winter and roll it in in the summer.
62K + subscribers, congrats. I love how you two just figure it out which is the best way to learn!
A smaller freezer or refrigerator has a higher surface to volume ratio, meaning that a small freezer has to keep a proportionally larger external area insulated vs. a larger freezer and will therefore be less efficient. Example: Assume a perfectly square freezer that is 1 cu. ft. in volume (1'X1'X1'). It will have an external surface area of over 6 sq. ft once you figure in the thickness of the walls. That is a 1:6 volume:surface area ratio. Now take a 8 cu. ft. freezer (2'X2'X2'). It will have a 24 sq. ft. surface area or a 1:3 ratio. That is a lot less heat loss proportionally.
There's a difference between kilowatts and kilowatt-hours. When you say it uses 220 kilowatts per year, that's an incorrect statement. The tag says 220 kilowatt-hours. Of course it's going to be confusing for the average person when you explain it incorrectly.
A watt is a measure of energy flow, like how fast your garden hose is flowing. 10 watts is 10 watts whether it's for an hour or a month.
A watt-hour is a cumulative total of energy flow, like how much your garden hose has filled your swimming pool. Using 10 watts for an hour is a total of 10 watt-hours. Using 10 watts for two hours equals 20 watt-hours. And using 25 watts on average to power a fridge equals 600 watt-hours per day, 4.2kWh per week, and 219kWh per year.
So your fridge uses about 25 watts, not 220 watts. Using the right units is important if you're trying to teach people to calculate their own solar needs.
I have the next size smaller chest. I put mine on a timer ! It got too cold and I monitor it with a temp gauge. The floor will get the coldest and the top a bit warmer. I really don't use mine to freeze but to cool and I only need it at -1- on its thermostat. On that setting its close to 32 on the bottom but I do keep it indoors. The outside would really make it more efficient in the colder weather. Its very efficient !
I suggest adding a wind turbine, looks like you guys are in an area that gets a good bit of wind. Wind turbines can run day or night as long as there is wind. Your solar will only charge during the day and not that great during the short winter days, go hybrid, wind and solar. good luck!!
also by using 2 liter bottles of water ,you have fresh drinking water when ou take them out.we keep our freezer full and have had the power go out for three days and no lost food.that huge block of ice wont just melt.
Don't know how I got along with out my new 5.2cf freezer for so many years. Going to pack up some snow later in the season to make snow cones in the summer!!!
Happy with the freezer. Uses less power; about 56 watts at 0.83 amps running !!!
you can turn one of those chest freezers into a fridge. very little power use. we converted one with a new thermostat off ebay for our solar.
www.northernbrewer.com/johnson-refrigerator-thermostat?gclid=CjwKEAjw-uDABRDPz4-0tp6T6lMSJADNoyPbo5hKFknGRP6nfMUjAI3T_DCRqorOE5SKRSCcRorhQxoCPu7w_wcB
Ron Smith
nope. not that one. the one we have replaces the one on the freezer. stock location but it now can be adjusted from fridge temps to feezer temps.
nice, have a link?
Ron Smith this is like the one we have but ours was only 21 bucks.
best thing to do is google beer freezer conversions. beer makers use these freezers to ferment in.
Look at this on eBay www.ebay.com/itm/251971627428
thanks
If I was living in a grid down period and had no power, I would move my freezer out into the back yard and leave my freezer just open enough during the very cold winters here in New Hampshire to preserve the food inside of it. And during a summer power outage, do what we do now and run the freezer off the solar & battery / inverter system.
I had been using an ice chest to keep perishables fresh. To do so, I had to buy ice. The cost of preserving my food for 6 months totaled over $1000, for just the ice. During that time, I had been practicing a Buddhist vegan lifestyle and diet. The lessons from that were invaluable; I can not place a price tag on them. Most importantly, I was more focused on the lifestyle transition and nutrition than money. I thought that because I was not shuffling cash into unsustainable choices, I could afford to buy 14 lbs of ice everyday. However, I became aware of all the components required to make ice available including large commercial trucks and large amounts of water and the energy to freeze it. The experience as a whole is invaluable, but there are better and more mindful ways to eat and live healthy. As I see it, the solar powered chest freezer uses significantly less energy to preserve food than a commercial ice supplier.
I was so happy to see you preserving your urban harvests. However, I feel the need to tell you that you must remove the rings from your canning jars. You should never store your jars with them in place. The only way that you should stack them is just how you are doing it. In the original boxes. Great job on the homestead and keep those videos coming!
A very good indicator to use in your freezer is a 1/2 full bottle of water. Lay it on its side when freezing the water, and then put it somewhere it can stand upright. Adding a bit of RED food coloring to the water prior to freezing makes a great telltale of the freezer is off for an extended period of time. like if you leave the area for a vacation. If when you get back you check the freezer and the light are on, but the water in the container is all in the bottom of the bottle you know in an instant that the food is suspect. We are frequently away from home, and it is a real comfort to see the bottle standing there with ice from the top to bottom along one side. indicating that there were NO extended power outages in our absence,
Sears may stand behind their appliances but if you have a problem with them you MUST call an 800 number to get it fixed. You can't just take it back to the store - it's not as simple as it used to be. We quit going to Sears for that reason and stuck with a local Ma and Pa type store where they do service what they sell and you don't have to call some 800 number and hope that they come out and fix it sooner than later - what we found was much MUCH later.
I've heard that a great way to make sure that your freezer is working (if you don't have a light or leave it for long periods) is to place ice cubes in a plastic cup in the freezer. If the ice cubes are still the same shape when you check on it, you know that the freezer didn't warm up and then freeze again.
Is there any benefit to adding external insulation to the freezer? It seems like a cheap upgrade which would reduce power requirements.
The fuller you keep your freezer the more efficient it will be. If you dont have it full take some 2ltr bottles of water and put in there.
Exactly, well said
especially in winter, first leave the bottles outside to freeze (or fill a garbage bag with snow), but remember that water expands when it freezes, so leave some air in the bottle.
Is that an excuse to justify making more ice cream?
I was going to post the same comment. I have a large chest freezer and I have 1/2 gallon milk jugs 2/3 full of purified drinking water. If the power goes out not only am I fine for maybe a week but I have drinking water as well. As I use up the food I add another bottle.
That was my other question, thanks for the info'.
220k year / 8.76 = ~25 w / hour. No biggie.
Problem comes with stuff that spikes in amp usage when it start up.
I have the same fridge and been using it for years off my solar :)
Don't forget consumer reports for product reviews and repair history.
plastic milk crates can help organize inside the chest (most->least used items.
When you mentioned opening the old mini unit I wondered about just mounting it on its back?
Will you be using the firelogs again this winter?
i know this is 7 months old, i just recently started watching this channel...
but i LOVE the fact that this couple really use their brains and THINK about important stuff...
Much love from Finland
PorritZ
Jessie loves Alyssa or else he gets no ice cream! Love the videos you two... keep up the good work & the videos coming!
.....you two r crazy....love it!!..great vids😄
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there are a LOT more efficient models for off grid that use 12,24 or 48 volt DC for both freezers and chest fridges.
honestly, unless u have already mentioned that your opposed to propane it's going to be a given that some creature comforts are not yet designed for solar effeciency. hint-( 24kilowatt solar sys). The average solar useage would require the average household to install a 6-9kiliwatt setup. Or about $40k-$50k depending on contractors & quality of solar materials. My wife currently uses about 90 kilo a month which is 3x's the monthly average. I'm ready to go off grid if I can just get Edison Solar to install that $127k solar setup for Christmas. Then I can say we are 100% off grid & loving it!!! Here's the real kicker -- They say the average US home cost between $250k-$275k. Now, considering the amount of electricity needed to operate that 2,000 sq ft home wouldn't it be simpler to build a $150k home & install a $127k solar array & just sell the excess energy back to the electrical company & use the extra cash to buy groceries? I guess I want my independence & luxuries too.
Don't always trust that light, I had a small freezer similar to to yours and my light was on and the compressor stopped working and I lost 100 lbs of meat
We unplug our chest freezer in the winter! No need to keep It drawing solar power! The outside air will keep its contents frozen!
I dont know if you have seen it. But else were on the internet there was an brilliant trix to see if your freezer ever lost power and ruined your food, the trix was that you get an cup of water and put in the freezer so the water got frosen and then put a penny on top of it. if you one day opens the freeser and the penny is in the buttom of the cup you know that some thing has gone wrong.
itex136 q
With every video of yours I watch, I fall more in love with you guys. You're doing what my partner and I dream of, and seem to be doing it so well. I love your honesty and realness. Keep doing you, and I'm off to buy christmas presents with your amazon link.
I bet the more expensive DC freezers are more efficient. It could save money in the long run.
I found all types of fruit trees growing on road sides. I scored when I found a Harry&David pear tree growing across from their orchard below Table Rocks. Good find guys. Great info on the chest freezer. I am putting a timer on mine so it is off through the sun down hours so it is not draining battery power.
A good idea is to put bottles of water in your chest freezer of a day if there is extra space in there, this means they will get very cold and then if you turn off your freezer of a night time they act as a cooling source for many hours and can keep your stuff cool basically all night.
Keep that freezer packed full and it'll work even less to keep it cold.
mikeallenbrown1 And if you don't have enough food keep jugs of ice to keep it full.
mikeallenbrown1 Also use extra insulation in the summer.
More stuff in the freezer doesn't really change how much heat gets back into it, but it can give a huge buffer zone for things to stay frozen as that heat needs to distribute across more mass.
The thing that can raise the efficiency by several magnitudes is extra insulation, if you can double the insulation properly then the power consumption will halve.
And obviously letting things cool outside means the fridge gets no extra work, putting it somewhere already freezing also means no extra work.
Be careful doing that because most modern CHEAP freezers have the condensation coils below the surface (not at the back) so insulating the surface will kill it because it can't condense properly.
Sears has been flirting with bankruptcy. Just FYI. Love you two's humor!
Have you thought about putting one of those outdoor wireless thermometers inside the freezer so you can see its temp without going out to look at it? Yes they are made to see what the outdoor temp is but nothing says you cant use it to check other things.
Just make sure its rated for low temps. The wireless ones generally have a range around 30 feet so can also measure the battery box temp or other outbuildings. For anything long distance wired is the way to go by just running some 5-8 wire thermostat wire during installs so you can have options later.
I thawed my turkey outside in a cooler with the help of a remote, we were in the high 50's so I added ice to keep it lower.
Did you also compare with other bigger chest freezers , Going even bigger might not mean alot more power.
Ice cream and power tools! lol
you guys are living the dream, keep up the good work
Don't know if anyone has mentioned this to you. I grew up on a farm and can tell you that a good root cellar not only makes a great pantry. It will also serve in a pinch as a freezer in the winter and protect your food. Especially if its rock lined to keep out pest and you make some nooks in the wall near the entrance to hold your frozen things. You can also build a cold box with an insulated inside door on the cold side of your shack that will make a good winter freezer or fridge. Neither requires gas or electricity. Good luck you two. I enjoy watching your videos.
You could also use the freezer to freeze water bottles with salt in them and buy a large cooler to place the water bottles in. What this does is make the cooler into a refrigerator. Now, you could place your food inside of the cooler for refrigeration. I hope this helps.
Be aware freezers have a minimum operating temperature for the environment they are in, I believe it's because of the oil in the compressor.
How'd you get your knowledge about solar and converting correct amount of power required? Great videos...I'm hooked.
Lots and lots of research and practicing ;-)
Pure Living for Life
Seconding Mike, I would REALLY like to see you convert another freezer to a refrigerator. Thanks.
Go Power IC2000 is pure sine wave.
He didn't. He needs 600W of panels and 250Lbs of batteries to run that freezer alone, accounting for no more than 50% DoD on the batteries over 3 cloudy days.
If your want power, look up mrtestlonian wood stove operating generator, fridge , lights and battery charger.
This was a informative yet hilarious video, huckleberry anything takes priority lol
Your solar panels are pretty far from your batteries. How much lost do you have because of this?
Alyssa, I like you better than Ice Cream
Todd Dembsky
I am looking to power a Desktop PC with 100% solar. the power supply is 850W. the computer is use for Graphic and video editing an as a local server.
Just curious if you guys had thought about doing an earthship or passive solar home.
I appreciate your video. I need help. I would like to run a freezer just like yours on a small solar system. Just the freezer. Can you help me figure out how many 100ah batteries and how many 100w panels to operate. Everything I can find ranges from giant systems to a couple panels/batteries. I know that there are a lot of variables, but I would appreciate any help you can give. Thanks.
A neat trick if your not sure about continuous power for a freezer is to find a small tupperware box and 3/4 fill it with water and then freeze when frozen throw in a half dozen small stones and every time you open or check the freezer give the box a shake and you should hear a rattle if you get a slosh well that's self explanatory and if the stones are frozen at the bottom you know that the power has been off long enough to defrost the ice and re freeze it and your food stuff is now suspect.....
you could also buy a popsicle and lay it on top of the food, if you open the freezer and the popsicle is now flat yet frozen, your freezer didn't keep temp and refroze so your food may be suspect. Lots of methods out there-just dont forget and eat the popsicle.
I think you need to re- evaluate the current draw from the freezer. .5 amp? i have never seen a compressor that was that low. remember you have to calculate it with the battery voltage not the 120 v.a.c. from the inverter.
Having freezer space is a blessing! That was good that you discussed the power and tradeoffs - nice video. We just added a chest freezer too, showed it in our update video. Unfortunately ours is indoors, but in a cooler area of the house (no central heating). We have lots of garden produce items in there - hard to can basil, leeks, and the like. I am figuring out a root cellar as well - but its a large project. ...perhaps next year. Keep cool !!
when I bought my freezer like yours last year it said in the instructions to not let it get below 50deg in the room where it is sitting. I would double check you paper work FYI
That's what mine said, but it's been in my unheated basement (that can get below 40) for a couple of years now with no issues.
I only have a wood stove for heat. We didn't use it every year and when it got to the low 40's or colder, the freezer on the side by side combo did not freeze at all. The refrigerator seemed ok, but could have just left stuff out, lol.
the main reason not to keep a freezer in cold ambient temperature is probably because you also cool down your compressor and its oil. when the thermostat reaches its setpoint after a long time and compressor starts, the oils viscosity is thick, thus causing more wear on the compressor. how much this lower the life of the compressor you wouldnt know ofcourse if you didnt buy 2 of them, kept one above recommended amb temp and one below for comparison.
compressors in heatpump outdoor units made for nordic climate are insulated, and heated when its not running
That is because refrigerators normally have the thermostat in the refrigerator area to keep fresh foods cold.
What happens is that the thermostat is set at around 40f so in a cold room of say 38f or below the fresh food area never warms above the 40f so thermostat does not turn compressor on, thermostat sees 38f and thinks all is fine. However, 38f of course food in freezer is thawing out!!! There is normally nothing in the freezer to say hey it's too hot in here!
The cooling coils are normally in the freezer, when frig runs most of the cold air flows around in freezer getting it super cold untill the fresh food area says OK I'm cold enough no so turn off. The is only a small amount of cold air blowing from freezer into fresh food area so the freeze gets most of it and freezes while fresh food area only gets cold.
If you know this is happening you can heat the thermostat with low heat like air dryer and the frig will turn on and run for awhile.
why do you have to have your freezer so low couldn't it be like 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 Celsius)
I would love to learn more about power, and hook ups. Dolor , A/ C and D/C Where could I learn more about this. I have a RV and would love to learn more.
So what are u guys thinking the next project will be to progress the homestead?
We're aiming to get a 1,700 water cistern buried (with necessary plumbing) before the ground freezes. That'll likely be the next big project (fingers crossed... we're going to be pushing our luck soon) and then.... hopefully we can seriously start finalizing plans for the big home build! We really want to start that in spring.
Was wondering if you considered installing some sort of Wind Turbine technology to supplement your Solar Set up. And have you looked into Wind Turbines ?
ps. damn you are strong, lifting and manhandling that freezer.
I'm a refrigerator Tech you don't have to run that freezes at -6 when food freezes at 32 bring your temperature up
You know there is a way to convert your chest top freezer into a fridge which is insanely efficient. Goggle it :)
Jesse, you can buy a root cellar! there is one that's a fiberglass one made to bury. it has a stair and door built in! www.core77.com/posts/36366/The-Groundfridge-Pre-Fab-Root-Cellar
Think about filling as much of the empty space in it with anything you can. Even boxes with newspaper,or milk jugs of water( their square so they take of more air space) . This lowers the amount of air your freezer will have to cool.
I am curious what kind of solar did you brought for freezer? I noticed three big panels. Can you give us a link? Thank you
Hey guys, I've been really enjoying your vids and I was wondering when you would get around to the topic of refrigeration.
Have you looked at some of the DC refrigeration compressors? At this point you're starting to look at "roll your own" solutions, but there are such things as refrigeration compressor units that combine most of the elements needed (compressor, condenser coil, control electronics etc) that you can then fit to your own custom made freezer box.
Looking at some of them, like SunDanzer, you can get a ready-made freezer that connects directly to DC. That saves you room on your inverter since it can take power directly from the panels.
Other options like Sun Frost are also DC direct, but they are strictly reach-in units, not chest models. They are seriously dedicated to insulation though, the walls are as much as 4" thick!
It's also worth considering building one from scratch - more and better insulation, keeping the condenser coils out of the freezer's walls (lots of designs bury those warm coils in the walls of the freezer, which is just weird). There are lots of options to consider when it comes time to look at larger freezer solutions.
Love the series.
does having a chest freezer add a significant amount on the electric bill a month?
I see some one already commented on this. Most people do not know that cooling appliances are not designed to operate in freezing weather. We destroyed a refrigerator by leaving it on over the winter in an unheated cabin. We are also connected with a summer cabin co-op. We know of at least 4 cabins that also destroyed new refrigerators by running them over the winter. I was involved in a conversation with a dealer of refrigerators for outdoor kitchens. He said that they are so expensive because of the engineering to operate in the 30 to40 degree range.
Good work guys, awesome videos. Would it help to insulate the freezer externally ? Strawbales or the like ?
kilowatt-*hours* per year. Not kilowatts per year.
Nice solar panel system. Suggestion on getting more out of that panel system. open up the back of the panel and add some tubing that you can run water through. Please use metal tubing as plastic produces some nasty water once heated. Added insulation to the panel backside so the lines do not freeze up and a drain valve and sut off valve for them nasty below zero nights. But, not only will you get hot water on sunny days and wrm water on cloudy days, the solar cells are a silicon product (just like computer chips) and work better when cooled. You can raise the power production by as much as 30%. Also too, there are a number of tutorals here on youtube on savonus rotor generators that can boost your powe supply greatly. You have already had experience with wind there (I remember the first wind storm you had) and why not harness it to your advantage. Nice thing about those rotors is you do not need to do a high tower like you would with propellar generators. Also too, if you have it run two generators, that is twice the power from one unit and a lot cheaper to build and maintain than a wind prop that is 50ft in the air. Also, once you get your freezer set where it will stay, having a "cooling pipe" with a screen on it underground and run by a recycled computer fan to let the earth cool the air coming into the pipe and let it cool down the backside of the freezer so that less energy is used to actually keep it frozen. There should be a compressor towards one end of teh freezer that would have a little radiator for throwing off the heat. The problem is that during teh summer is the hot air is being pushed through that radiator and thus takes more energy to keep the freezer frozen than if it is cool air blowing through it. Not winter mode, but it would not be summer mode in the summer time either.
You need to consider DC appliances. Using solar to convert into AC is extremely wasteful. You've got DC on hand, use it. {Most electric devices convert the AC back into DC inside the device anyways)....you are wasting a large percentage of your energy as heat converting back and forth from the standards.
Hi, greetings from freezing Finland :-) Have you had any idea of adding capacitor to your inverter to take some of those spike loads that those appliances might cause? There are plenty of youtube videos about that subject.
@ Pure Living Crew Really have grown to like your vids more and more. Enjoy how you take the time to explain why you are doing whatever it is you are doing. You made mention that a cellar is something that is on the planning board but down the road. I was curious if you could tip you hat as to what method of cellar storage you are leaning to and why? Have you considered those ultra small earthbag cellars?
Thanks for your time and videos.
We're trying to build a root cellar into the footprint of our house... since we'll have a daylight basement, if we put it in the back corner with concrete walls, we're pretty much set, and we won't insulate the bottom of it nor put our radiant floor heating under it... hope that answers your question! We don't want to build a separate root cellar because it seems less work to build a home and cellar in one.
Thanks for posting guys. Great upgrade and a great deal. We even have a sears appliance parts place nearby, so if you're handy you can get parts and make repairs yourself.Like the fan belt for that 30 year old clothes dryer that wore out. Got the idea for the chest freezer from Steven Davis on his youtube channel. He got a cheap temperature controller from ebay, replaced the temperature controller that came with the freezer, and can use it as a refrigerator or freezer by punching in the numbers. I wonder if the electronic controller would make the freezer more efficient due to the precision that it turns the freezer"s compressor on and off. Maybe beyond your needs now, but useful later.
May i ask why you didnt go with a DC based chest freezer? I know they are more expensive, but they seem to use about 40% less energy than same size AC units as well you get to save the energy lost from going from AC solar to DC Batteries and back to AC to your grid.
great video so glad you do them it's great to see others doing what your doing
That ice cream looks gooood!! Binge watching your vids today!! 😘
off grid I missed 2 things TERRIBLY, when I didn't have them 1. freezer 2 good, especially unlimited internet...those were the 2 main things, Also not enough time on laptop for vids and video player for vids. But I read a LOT so stock up of books!!! For reading light I took apart and used solar yard lights, the cheap ones 96cents @ Wally WORLD they WERE THE BEST. At one time I had about 30 on a 'fridge rack hanging from ceiling.....really worked very well. But the ones for a dollar at Dollar Gen had a switch, which helped but put out half the light the ones at dollar tree had 3 bulbs, but half the light. But they had a switch and one day charging can give 2 nights light....
ARB portable refrigerator/freezer is size of largest typical igloo cooler (has a small freezing section, or you can remove the divide and make it a full freezer/refrigerator.
It runs at .8 AMP 12V as a fridge. I shit you not. It's like $700 though. And you can turn off a few hours a day, put it on a timer.
Oh btw solar panels function better in the cold >< electricty don't give a fuuuck
Awesome as always!
get a new upgrade to 240volts Outback system to running your freezer
Hey Dude, why didn't you tell us how much on the solar panels, watts, and price? That would have been much more informative. I've been living without electricity via the grid or solar. Without, except that I have an office in town, 25 miles away that I use to hold my 5 cf chest freezer and I charge batteries for lights and hand drill. I use a generator when I want to sweep or use the table saw etc. I'm looking for a solar kit and hoped to see how much you were using.
hum...your freezer a/c demands are ok...but how much does it drain your batteries because it's powered by your inverter. There are pricey 12vdc freezers too...just saying.
Saying that something uses "100 watts MORE every day"? For the retired little refer ...did you mean "100 watt HOURS"? Which is a few pennies typically? 1000 watt hour power company might charge 20 cents for? SO 100 is one tenth of that...2 cents per day ....just sayin
not so much a cost item as limiting demand to fit inside a smaller production from solar footprint...
Wait a second, 100 watts more per day? Does that mean a 100 watt load? How many hours per day that runs is the other side of that figure. Over the years I've used everything and found the superinsulated DC chest freezers to be the best choice, but they don't give those away.
Several people have mentioned turning a freezer into a refrigerator, but you could also convert that mini-fridge into a chest freezer, with just a little modification. A little extra, external insulation will also help either one.
www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Convert-a-mini-fridge-to-a-chest-refrigerat/?ALLSTEPS
How many Solar panel (watts) and batteries did you used?
Thank you for your videos. I love getting real life information from people learning as you go!
Dude you are the bomb, love your videos. Keep them coming they are more then helpful.
luv y'all :-)
That's what our off grid freezer runs .6 kilowatts or 600 watt hours a day. I also have one that I converted to a refrigerator. It runs on 220 watt hours a day. Are you able to keep your batteries up in bad weather? Winter here in the Pacific North West are challenging for sure. I wont see the sun for another 7 days!
PS We NEED that huckleberry ice cream recipe LOL
Hiya. It seems to me you're avoiding commenting on the election (maybe it's just in the works, who knows), but I was curious about how this election might affect off-grid living. I don't currently live that lifestyle, though I would like to one day, and I was wondering if you had any possibilities/challenges you have had to consider because of the election. I know it's a little bit out there, but I'm really curious about how a Trump presidency would affect a budding homestead.
Keep warm in the coming months!
Does your wife have a video on canning? I looked, but didn't see one. Great video
Not on how to can necessarily although she'd love to make one :-)
monica.. look up your county extension agency. they have many books and sometimes videos on canning and freezing foods. I 've been doing it for 35 years. It's not hard just time-consuming.
We had one of those, it only lasted 26 years...