Pro Power 12v/24v fridge

[trout1105]

My young Bloke bought one of these "Pro Power" 12v/240v fridges on eBay last year But when it arrived it Way too big (120l unit) to fit in the back of his ute canopy with his drawers and it is also Way too big to put in his boat.
This is a dual lid/compartment unit that can be operated separately as a fridge or freezer.
We chucked it on the back of my ute a few months ago for a Sharks Bay trip because there was a bunch of us going and we needed the extra fridge space for the most important item on a fishing trip which is of course Cold Beer and it worked perfectly.
We ran the large section as a beer fridge at-2 and we used the smaller section as a freezer initially for the bait and later for freezing the vacuum packed fish fillets at -15.
As he only paid $600 for this on eBay which is apparently a bloody good price which is what I have just given him for this fridge as he cannot use it and the extra 120l of fridge/freezer space will come in very handy on our Big lap where we will be spending quite a bit of time at remote places where frozen goods cost a small fortune So buying bulk and vacuum packing/freezing it will save us a small fortune.

So.
Have I just wasted $600 on this or are these "Pro Power" fridge/freezers any good.
It has a "Danfoss/Secop" compressor, steel outer case, 50mm insulation and is solidly built.
It also has a wireless remote control and comes with a cover.
I already have an 80l Waco and a 40l Primus and this Pro Power unit is built similar to the primus unit and makes the Waco look cheap and nasty build wise.
It does chew a bit of power when it is running 5.5a-6a but then so does my 80l Waco fridge.

I will be interested to hear what other people have to say about these fridges if they have one.

[rangieman]

Looks interesting [thumbsupbig]. Id never heard of them till now but i guess time will tell [wink11]

https://youtu.be/gl-rH2a3JL8

[strangy]

These look very similar (same) as the “Primus” units.
If it works and lasts to your expectations, you haven’t done your money.

[Homestar]

Seems quite power hungry IMO. My new 90 litre upright Engel draws 2.8 amps.

[trout1105]

Seems quite power hungry IMO. My new 90 litre upright Engel draws 2.8 amps.



Is that Amp Hours or actual Amps that the unit draws when running and did you get this figure yourself or is it the manufacturers figures?

I tested this unit myself and it drew 5.5-6a when running and when it got down to temperature it would run for 18-20min each hour.
The ambient temp was 32C-35C down to 18c-20c at night.
I ran it on a 110AH battery that was charged by a 160w solar panel during the day without any dramas.



These look very similar (same) as the “Primus” units.
Yes they do they both have the alloy inner skin with the red plastic top and they also have the good solid hinges and latches.

[Homestar]

That's my own measurement after installation - actual amps drawn. OEM state 0.5 to 3.3 amps. My measurement was taken after first turning it on so it was warm - assuming the compressor was at full load during this time. Ambient was low 30's when I fitted it, it runs around 20 minutes in the hour when it's warm but a lot less at this time of year. Spec sheet below.

It's been bloody brilliant in my van - doesn't freeze stuff like my older 38 litre Engel does as it has a proper thermostat unlike the older models. Beer is always cold without freezing SWMBO salad. 😁. My old 38 litre draws around 2.5 amps, so efficiencies have improved a heap in the last 15 years since I bought that one.

Engel Website (http://www.engelaustralia.com.au/2products_details.asp?pid=24&productid=21415)

[trout1105]

A bit of an "Update" on the Pro Power fridge.
All went well for a couple of months But unfortunately the 40l side of the fridge refuses to work now.
The 80l side still works perfectly But if I set the temp on the 40l side nothing happens and the 80l side runs continuously.
The compressor still works perfectly so it must be some sort of electronic problem.

[Phil B]

A bit of an "Update" on the Pro Power fridge.
All went well for a couple of months But unfortunately the 40l side of the fridge refuses to work now.
The 80l side still works perfectly But if I set the temp on the 40l side nothing happens and the 80l side runs continuously.
The compressor still works perfectly so it must be some sort of electronic problem.

Does it have 2 fans, one for each side?
I had a problem on my Waeco when it ran continually and it was the fan had stopped working
$20 fix.

[trout1105]

Does it have 2 fans, one for each side?
I had a problem on my Waeco when it ran continually and it was the fan had stopped working
$20 fix.

I don't know about the fans but the unit only has one compressor, I am guessing that there is a problem with a valve or the thermostat on the defective side.
I took the front panel off and there is a rats nest of wires in there and I haven't got a clue what I am looking at in there.
There is a fridgie bloke in town I will get him to have a quick look at it for me.