Portable fridge - Leisure battery power

[Jim San]

IProblem: Our Waeko fridge doesn't get cold when plugged into the 12v supply in the van. It is a portable compressor fridge.

My batteries (2 x 100amp) are showing +12.5v on the in circuit volt meter and that is the voltage I am getting at the fridge power leads. Tech data on the fridge says auto cut off will be 10.6+/- 0.3v so by reckoning the voltage isn't an issue + it didn't (or doesn't) work when plugged in during a journey where charge oomph is 14v.

I have just tried it in our car over a short distance and it dropped from 15 deg to 2 deg in 30 mins which is fine (which is a relief) but I don't understand why it won't work in the van? Everything is telling me that there is a fault in the leisure battery side of things but I am getting the voltage - I don't have a 12v outlet on the starter battery to check it on.

Any suggestions? thoughts etc welcome.

[California Dreamin]

Amps..showing the necessary voltage but poor wiring or substandard outlet (cigarette socket) causing resistance and insufficient amperage reaching the fridge when loaded.

Martin

[AngeloEvs]

I have a Waeco portable and had problems with the supplied cigar lighter type connector. I swapped it for the Euro type which makes a better contact and wired the female socket directly to the leisure battery via a fuse and suitable guage cable. You may just have a bad earth.

[Highroller]

As above, the cigarette type fitting that was originally fitted to my portable fridge was poor quality. It also housed a 10 amp thermal fuse that had bad contacts. Cut it off and get a decent quality one.

[Jim San]

It is plugged into a euro type connector as I find them more stable than the standard 'ciggy lighter' socket. I do have the factory flitted plug in line though. When I get chance, I will connect direct to each battery in turn to see if there is a difference in performance ( I will use an in-line fuse). The answers above and advice from elsewhere is confiming my fears that the LB's themselves or the circuitry is at fault.

Cheers for the help all

[Jim San]

Solution found.

Went and had both batteries tested and both were good.

AngeloEvs and Highroller get the prize for being the closest to the fault. The female socket I was using for the ciggy lighter plug was rubbish. I have binned it and re-instated a ciggy socket, within 20 minutes the temp was down to 4 deg.
- Just a weak connection.

Thansk for the help

[California Dreamin]

Eh? didn't I get it spot on?
poor wiring or substandard outlet (cigarette socket) causing resistance and insufficient amperage reaching the fridge when loaded ?

Martin

[Jim San]

Eh? didn't I get it spot on?
poor wiring or substandard outlet (cigarette socket) causing resistance and insufficient amperage reaching the fridge when loaded ?

Martin

Absolutely - apologies for that missed it on the re-read