Stuck between buying a compressor-driven fridge or a propane camping unit for my off-grid cabin job

Last summer I had to pick between a standard compressor fridge and a propane absorption unit for a cabin install up near Flagstaff. The customer wanted something that would run off-grid but not drain batteries, and I kept going back and forth. I ended up going with the propane one because it was simpler to set up and didn't need a huge solar array, just a good vent. But man, the first time I lit it I had to adjust the burner three times to stop it from sooting up the flue. It ran fine after that, but I still wonder if the compressor model with a big battery bank would've been more reliable long term. Has anyone else dealt with this tradeoff and regretted one choice over the other?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah_hart26d agoTop Commenter

Oh MAN this reminds me of that thing where people buy a "simple" solution and end up fighting with it way more than the "complicated" one. It happens with EVERYTHING too, not just fridges. That leveling thing is such a gotcha, like when you buy a rug that says "easy clean" and it STILL needs special soap. Hope that burner settles in for you.

lilys8126d ago

Actually those propane fridges have a pretty specific list of no-nos that a lot of people miss. They need to be perfectly level to work right, like within a few degrees level. If you're off even a little bit the ammonia solution won't circulate properly and you get that sooting issue you mentioned. I learned that the hard way on a job near Payson where I had to go back and shim the whole unit because it was tilted just a couple degrees. Also they need way more ventilation than most folks think, not just a good vent but proper airflow top and bottom. That sooting problem you had was probably from lack of air mixing with the flame. Next time you might want to check the manual for the exact leveling spec because some brands are pickier than others. Compressor fridges have their own issues with voltage drop on long wire runs, but at least you don't have to worry about leveling or carbon monoxide.