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Papa_Jim · 09-21-2012, 01:50 PM

I need some good advice.

The Norcold is showing signs of getting tired, so we have ordered a new residential fridge.

In doing some preparatory inspections, I have discovered that the Norcold is plugged into a dual receptacle. I checked both circuits, neither is powered from the inverter.

There's a receptacle under the sink that is powered from the inverter, but it's on the same circuit as all the front coach receptacles. I don't think that's acceptable.

I thought I could use the receptacle for the washer/dryer(which we don't have), but it's not powered from the inverter(although the breaker for it is in the bedroom breaker panel).

I thought the answer would be to run a wire back to the breaker panel in the bedroom, but there's no room for more breakers in that panel, and I haven't figured out how to get a wire back into that panel anyway.

How do I get an inverter powered receptacle to that fridge?

Pigman1 · 09-21-2012, 02:07 PM

Have you thought about putting in a dedicated inverter? We put in a TrippLite 1250 to run a 21.5 cuft Kitchen Aid. Ran power wires direct from the coach batteries through a 175A fuse and an Intellitec latching relay to the inverter, then to half of the receptacle. We left the other half of that receptacle on standard house power. Yours probably is only hot when on shore and possibly generator. In any event, my fridge has 2 sources of power, should something happen to one, and I can shut down house power completely while still running the fridge during extended off grid stays. We boondock for up to 2 weeks at a time.

wizzo442 · 09-21-2012, 03:18 PM

JimKate:
You might want to check to see if the microwave is on the inverter. It was on my '06 Diplomat so I switched the fridge and microwave around. Now the fridge is on the inverter and the microwave is not (fine with me). Pigman1's idea is a good option, too. (athough more expensive to buy another inverter.)

Papa_Jim · 09-21-2012, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizzo442

JimKate:
You might want to check to see if the microwave is on the inverter. It was on my '06 Diplomat so I switched the fridge and microwave around. Now the fridge is on the inverter and the microwave is not (fine with me). Pigman1's idea is a good option, too. (athough more expensive to buy another inverter.)

I never thought of that. I'm quite certain that the microwave is on the inverter, because I remember that the inverter didn't like trying to run that microwave. We always start the generator to use the microwave.

Hmmm. That may be a reasonable solution. I'll let you know.

Thanks,

Papa_Jim · 09-21-2012, 05:03 PM

I have decided to use Wizzo442's suggestion.

Our microwave receptacle is wired through the inverter, and it is close (through the cabinet wall) to the refrigerator. I'll plug the microwave into the refrigerator plug, and the refrigerator into the microwave plug. I'll remember to rename the breakers in the bedroom breaker box.

This reinforces the value of this group. Such an obvious decision, considering that we never use the microwave on inverter power. It may not be a problem, but it feels like the microwave doesn't like running on the inverter. When we boon dock, we always run the generator when we want to run the microwave.

So, this is the decision we will try when we install the new fridge.

Thanks to all.

wizzo442 · 09-24-2012, 02:36 PM

Glad it worked out. You are luckier than me. My fridge is on the road side and the microwave is on the curb side. I had to run a new circuit from the panel (for the microwave) and a new circuit from the inverter (for the fridge). It was quite a job, but still very glad I switched to a residential fridge.