Dometic CDF 18L AC vs DC vs PLB 40 Power Consumption Test,

[Ridge Runner]

The power Draw of the Dometic CDF 18L is really quite amazing for a fridge that is powered by the Danfos BD 35F Compressor which happens to be the same compressor that was fitted in most of the earlier Dometic/Waeco Fridge / Freezer as well as the ARB 35L,47L and the 60L models, Yet due to it's small size it uses less than half of the power and is Whisper Quiet, this little fridge looks more like an esky and the "Over The Lid Handle" and light weight really make it a Joy to use, !8 Litres does not sound like much but this thing can hold enough food for One person for up to 5 or 6 days or keep 2 People fed for a long weekend, It is simple and uncomplicated with just 2 Controls, One being the Engel Type Rotary Temperature Control and the Other being a 3 way Switch that sets the Low Voltage Cut Off Level, Being "Low, Off, and Hi", It does not get more simple than that, It's perfect for a Bloke on his Own or just a Couple or even a whole family going for a Long Day Out,

I ran this little Fridge for 24 Hours On DC and it used half the power than my ARB 47L did when I got my best results testing the ARB and that was nothing short of incredible Yet they Share the same Compressor, This is due to the CDF 18's compact size where it's Run Times are from 4m 45 seconds to around 5m 35 seconds and it's OFF times are between 54 minutes to about 68 minutes which gives a total Cycle times of around 60m to 75 minutes.

I have now tested the CDF 18 running on 3 power sources, 1) A 115 Ah FLA Battery In a Battery box with No incoming forms of Charging, 2) From a Cheap 10A 240v/12v Power Adapter and 3) Dometic's Own Lithium Iron Phosphate PLB 40 / 40Ah Portable Lithium Battery Box, and here's are the 24 Hour Test results.

Running on a 115 Ah Lead Acid Battery Over a 24 hr period it used 60.6 Wh OR 4.838 Ah,

Running on a Cheap 10A AC to DC Converter Plugged in to a 240v Meter for 24 hrs it used 101 Wh,

Running on the PLB 40, The CDF 18 Only used 19% of the PLB 40's capacity having started at 100% SOC and at 24 hours later the PLB's LCD was reading 81%,

Dometic Claim that if you use 80% of the PLB 40's Power it will return 2000 Cycles running it down to an SOC of 20% Which means that the PLB 40 will run the Dometic CDF 18 for 4 days or 96+ hours and still be above 24/25% according to my Tests, Yes the Ambient Temps play a big part but I have just read a report where someone In California just ran their ARB 47L from the PLB 40 for over 48 hours and it still had power left,

The Bottom Line is the CDF 18 is built like a Tank and Sips power like Granny Sipping Gin at a wake, And due to it's portability it is fast becoming my everyday Fridge because it will fit in to almost any space and run from a Cigar Socket without needing any special Wiring.

As for the PLB 40, This is a great product because not only can you use all the 512Wh of power if needed but it charges fast and can be charged from multiple sources But it does away with needing to fit Duel battery systems and over complex wiring, Ya can Take it any where, The Wife and Kids can use and carry it because it only weighs 7.6kgs (7.54kgs), Yes there are more complex models out there but the PLB 40 is better than the Goal Zero yeti because the G-Zero will shut OFF once the voltage starts to get down to the fridge voltage settings But the PLB 40 will keep delivery 12.8 Volts until every last Drop has been consumed, And you can charge it Via the Cars Cigar socket direct in to the Anderson Socket on the Back of the PLB or via direct power from a Solar panel without using a Charge Controller by using a lead with 2 MC4's on one end and an Anderson on the Other end because the PLB 40 has a DC to DC Charger/Controller already built In or you can use the Supplied AC to DC Charger that comes with the Unit, Also you can Use the PLB 40 even while it is being Charged with no ill effects, this really is an impressive unit and the best bit is the PLB 40 is the size of a 6 Pack,

Hope that helps,

J.

 

[Ridge Runner]

At the 30 hour mark the PLB is reading 77% So having used 23% of it's capacity I am sure it will go the Distance, Based on these figures it should run for about 96 hours / 4 days before it gets down to 25% SOC,

 

[condor22]

Purely my opinion RR -

1. $1,200 AUD for 40 AH is expensive power.
2. If I ran my Engel in the OZ summer, it would barely last 12 hours.

My own experience living in the U.K. as a kid..... When at school, every kid would get a 1/3 pint of milk for morning break. First thing, 2 kids per class would go get the crate of milk, bring it into the class room and put it next to the radiator heater, in the hope that it would unfreeze in time to drink it. No wonder you're getting such good power figures

 

[Ridge Runner]

Purely my opinion RR -

1. $1,200 AUD for 40 AH is expensive power.
2. If I ran my Engel in the OZ summer, it would barely last 12 hours.

My own experience living in the U.K. as a kid..... When at school, every kid would get a 1/3 pint of milk for morning break. First thing, 2 kids per class would go get the crate of milk, bring it into the class room and put it next to the radiator heater, in the hope that it would unfreeze in time to drink it. No wonder you're getting such good power figures

Alright enough of the knocking of every post I make, If you had read the first post properly you would have seen that someone in California Where it Does actually have the same sort of Climate as Queensland Ran their ARB 47L from the PLB 40 for 48 hours non stop in the height of Summer and another person ran the ARB 47L for 40 hours and the battery was still about 25% SOC just to name a few. So if your Engel will only run for 12 hours via the PLB then you need a new Fridge.

As for the Cost of the PLB, Weigh that against the cost of a Lithium Battery setup mounted in the Vehicle,

1) It's going to Cost well over $1000 just for the Battery.

2) And if you don't know how then you are going to have the cost of getting it wired in to the Trucks system,

3) Then you are going to have the Cost of buying a DC to DC Charger and getting that wired up as well,

4) Once complete when ever you need Power you are going to be tethered to the Truck No matter What,

The benefits of the PLB balance out

1) Due to it's flexibility along with being fully self contained,

2) And 100% Portable and can be swapped out from Vehicle to Vehicle needing nothing more than the Supplied Power Lead,

3) It can be carried and used by just about any member of the family,

4) Along with it being useful during power outages etc,

5) And again It has Multiple Charging options IE the AC power supply, The DC Cigar socket fitted to every Vehicle and Direct from a Solar Panel without the Need or Expense of buying a Charge Controller,

6) Along with the Fast Charging Abilities of Lithium there is no reason why a person would ever be without power even with a unit of this size because you can Use IT even while it is Charging,

Now If a person is too lazy to spend 30 seconds of their life to put the PLB on charge either once a day or every other day etc Or even better Hook it up to a 100/150w panel when they first set up Camp and never have to worry about power, then that is down to their stupidity,

Whether you like it or Not, The PLB Is a problem Solver and it takes away all the worry and expense of installing a full On Lithium Battery System, To one that you can move from Vehicle to Vehicle or even carry it in a back Pack if you need to Or even throw in in ya Tinny if you want to do a spot of Fishing at night, The possibilities are endless for such a unit as this,

35 Hours running this small fridge be it in a cooler Climate and the PLB is still Reading 73% SOC, At 48 Hours I will call it Done, Then I will Charge it and then run the ARB 47L for 48hrs and then I will run the ARB 78L and see how that fares.

But as much as I was against Lithium Batteries and their systems even I have to admit I was wrong when it comes to a stand alone Unit like the PLB 40, I have bought One for Me and One for my Brother and Once Christmas is out of the way I will be buying one or two more of them because they just work, and 3 of these units will give me more power than 2 X 115Ah batteries and still weigh less than One of my 115 batteries and fully charge in a third of the time or less.

Of coarse there are bigger and better options out there but at what price ?? and do they give you the freedom that the PLB does ??.

 

[ctxkid]

50 amp invicta bluetooth lithium is 799

 

[mudgee hunter]

https://www.facebook.com/186516858045714/posts/2888322981198408/
Found it pretty interesting.
Bit off the topic perhaps.
Another aid is wring your stubbie holder under water tightly. Then pop it it the freezer for same amount of time.
Frozen rock hard. Rotate between 2 holders between beers!

 

[Tathradj]

My delete finger is wearing out people.
Lets let things be please.
I respect you both so,
Chill Out. {)
Excuse the pun... :8

 

[Digger58]

The price will come down. At the moment I saw the PLB40 at Anaconda for $950. A bit scary the price, but probably worth it in the long run if these lithiums last as long as I've read about them. I really love that they wack out full voltage until they die, not that you would want to treat them like that. Imagine two of them.
If anyone wants to put one under my xmas tree I want say no lol. Merry Christmas all.

 

[Digger58]

CTX 50 amp invicta bluetooth lithium is 799 So similar to PLB. I wonder which is better as they are around the same price?

Hey, if that's you in the avatar would you like to come camping with me? Lol. Merry Christmas.

 

[Ridge Runner]

No doubt there are many versions on the market but the thing that drew me to the PLB was the simplicity of it, It's very much built the way an Aussie would build it, without over thinking and none of the stuff that we would never use, It lets the power In and it puts it back out and although I am using it in cooler climes it ran the little fridge for nearly 45 hours and only used around a 1/3rd of it's power and took under 2 hours to recharge it back up,

The fact that the PLB is made by Dometic means it's going to be good based on the fact it is German engineering and they have a good rep seeing as they have been building RV fridges since the early 1950's long before any of the others on the market and have been part of Electrolux since 1925, So it comforting to know that the PLB has the backing of such a big world wide company and not just some generic branded product and Little fridge is a must have Item for everyday tasks, Some days I just don't want to be lugging one of my bigger fridges around,

I like em both and as of yet I can't seem to find fault in either product. :Y:

 

[ctxkid]

CTX 50 amp invicta bluetooth lithium is 799 So similar to PLB. I wonder which is better as they are around the same price?

Hey, if that's you in the avatar would you like to come camping with me? Lol. Merry Christmas.

it is just a battery with no outlets ! will charge from any source

and being a coupla hundred cheaper , you farkle it to your needs

heres mine in a box i made , running of all things a fridge

dont mind the crap ply wood , it's a cut down recycle battery pallet and it was free