Comments on: Propane Fridge & Wind Power Experiment

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:21:00 +0000

Wretha,

Check out
http://fourmileisland.com/IceBox.htm

I don’t think you can use it now with summer coming, but it’s something you and your hubby can look into this fall/winter.

TheMajor’sLady
http://www.lornkanaga.livejournal.com

By: Wretha

Wretha — Mon, 19 May 2008 21:29:00 +0000

Hi Jeff, welcome to my ramblings... :) I'm not sure when we will actually do something with the Ryobi drill wind generator, it's been set aside for now so that we can finish the bedroom and deck addition to the cabin. We have guests coming next month and more the month after that, gotta get things done around here so our guests can have a good place to lay their heads. As soon as we pick up the windmill project again, I will be sure to write about it.

Thank you for your interest, BTW, I checked out your site, very cool, I wished you were closer by, I would definately be interested in trying some cheese & milk.

Wretha

By: Jeff Earnest

Jeff Earnest — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:06:00 +0000

Hey Wretha,

Scavenger provided me the link to your Blog, I too am interested in the progress of the RYOBI wind generated power… I’ve a couple of cordless drills who’s batteries have long since passed, and like the idea of supplementing my solar with ‘anything else’ alternative. In Florida, if it’s not sunny, it’s probably windy. Please let us know more about the drill mill as ya’ll progress…

Jeff

By: Tracy

Tracy — Fri, 16 May 2008 07:48:00 +0000

Couple more comments: First, my RV propane fridges would freeze the entire interior, even in 100 degree weather, if you cranked them up. They just used a lot of gas doing it.
Second, about automotive alternators: not a good idea unless you rebuild them into PMGs. In stock form, they are less than 50% efficient. Somebody tried to tell me that, but did I listen? Nooo, I had to find out the hard way, just like everything else.

By: Wretha

Wretha — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:03:00 +0000

Panhandle Tex, I'll let everyone know how it goes with the propane fridge. We are still working on the wind systems, I'll post more about things as they happen.

Thanks for your input. :)

Wretha

By: Panhandle Tex

Panhandle Tex — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:26:00 +0000

Opps, forgot to mention the idea of using an alternator for a wind generator. I have never tried it, but 25-30 years ago it was the hot idea.

Panhandle Tex

By: Panhandle Tex

Panhandle Tex — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:24:00 +0000

Not to rain on your parade but from the couple of propane refrigerators that I have had, they just don’t work to well, cooler than room temperature, but not what I would call cold. Perhaps that is the best way to put it, they make things cool, not cold. Granted these were older “full size” fridges.

Panhandle Tex

By: Wretha

Wretha — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:47:00 +0000

Hi Scavenger, welcome to my ramblings... I'm glad you like it.

The drill wind generator is sort of on hold for a bit, just a little bit though, need to make more juice for the batteries, they are HUNGRY. :)

I'll post more about them as we work on them, stay tuned! I'm checking out your site too.

ps
thanks Dragon!

Wretha

By: The Scavenger

The Scavenger — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:41:00 +0000

Dragon sent me your way and I am glad he did. I love the cordless drill wind generator idea and would love to know more about how it is working for you. Always looking for ways to generate some power. Great Blog

By: Wretha

Wretha — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:05:00 +0000

Tracy, throw watermelon seeds and run for your life? That’s funny!

Wretha

By: Tracy

Tracy — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:32:00 +0000

I have some ideas for my propane fridges. One possibility is rejetting it to work on methane gas, with a digester to produce the gas. That would work well at my homestead in the Southeast, where you plant watermelons by throwing the seeds & running for your life.
For my Terlingua land, a better idea would be to use a Fresnel lens to concentrate solar power onto a copper heat sink (painted black) which is connected to the refrigerant boiler.

By: Wretha

Wretha — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:37:00 +0000

Hi Tracy, I’ll look into that, thanks! I realize that I forgot to mention that we will be getting the propane fridge nearly free, it’s a used unit in a friend’s unused trailer. I haven’t seen it, I know nothing else about it, not even sure how free it will be, we may trade a carton of cigarettes or something like that. Hopefully I’ll know more by the weekend.

Wretha

By: Tracy

Tracy — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:53:00 +0000

Hi Wretha; having used a couple of propane refrigerators, I can heartily recommend finding another way. In my experience, they just use too much propane. Granted, I was using old RV fridges (I tried 3 different ones) so YMMV.
The homebrewing supply houses (morebeer.com, for example) have a thermostatic controller for about $60 that can be used to control a chest freezer. I would add a small fan inside (to run only when the compressor cycles) to prevent stratification.
The money you would save by doing this, compared to the price of a fullsize Dometic or whatever, would buy at least a couple of 60 watt PV panels; which would probably cover the electricity usage of the fridge, and then some.

By: Wretha

Wretha — Tue, 13 May 2008 03:19:00 +0000

Thanks, great minds think alike, I’ve seen that one already, good site though, food for thought! Keep ‘em coming… :)

Wretha

By: seth

seth — Tue, 13 May 2008 02:51:00 +0000

I did read of a fellow that took a standard chest freezer and turned it into a very efficient fridge by adding an external thermostat. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/07/man_retrofits_f.php thermostat
interesting reading
Seth