12/110 vs 110 ??

[tsingtao]

When it comes to refrigeration 12/110 units are 5 times, or more, the cost of straight 110 units. What are the problems/drawbacks to using a $100 Home Depot refrigerator off the inverter??? I know there is a conversion loss in the inverter but 10% seems minor.

[k1vsk]

You will use approx. 10 times the amps by using a 110VAC refer through an inverter - e.g. 5 amps at 110VAC equates to 550 watts of power - this is equivalent to approx 50 amps at 12 VDC.

You'll need a huge bank and charger to support that.

[speciald]

I prefer 110 v. water cooled + engine drive. I run the genset 1-2 hrs/day to charge batteries and make water at anchor so the combination puts sufficient load on the genset and efficiently uses the diesel fuel consumption.
The 110v unit is more efficient than an air cooled 12v unit. Disadvantage = cost!