Big +5 for Grape Solar Warranty policy

[tecnodave]

I purchased a Grape Solar GS-5 AC/DC refrigerator about a year ago from Home Depot online. I had been wanting a high efficiency fridge for a while now and had researched Sundanzer and Others in the business. I stumbled upon the Grape Solar GS-5 offered by Home Depot online and as it was $656.00 USD vs over $1400 for the rare but available Sundanzer upright and $1200 for another brand upright, I ordered one. I have used it in my Class A motorhome/movable mountain cabin for the last year. Recently the door hinge for the freezer compartment broke and left the door loose resulting in mushy ice cream and frozen vegetables. One call to Grape Solar and I had real people from the start, no menu to wade through. They asked that I email details including purchase order, I emailed all the info I had and they responded very quickly with the offer of a replacement fridge. I had expected a repair kit with new hinges or a complete door to the freezer compartment. No repair.....a replacement fridge shipped to Home Depot (where I had the original shipped) . Not at all what I expect a company to do! So I'm impressed with their service/warranty policy. Not only is this fridge a nice product but they actually back it up!

I have done some energy comparisons using consumption data gathered using a "WattsUp" model airplane data monitor and a "kill-a-watt" AC energy monitor .  Really unfair test as my standby referigerator is a Magic Chef 3.1 cu.ft. AC powered fridge, about $90. Retail

The GS-5 uses about 40% of the power of the smaller fridge but this comparison is not fair as the Magic Chef is a household fridge, yes energy star , but not specifically for alternative energy.

The GS-5 is capable of operating at 90+ degrees ambient temperature without struggling. It is installed in the cabinet which had a propane/electric fridge. I have less than 1" clearance on sides and 5" on back and top. Type J thermocouples were taped on sides and back to check temperature rise and no overheating occurred as it did with the Magic Chef temporarily used in that space ( the Magic chef dumps it's waste heat out the side panels where the GS-5 has a fan cooled condenser located in the bottom compartment with the compressor).

All in all....very impressed with the performance of this unit  and really pleased with their warranty policy........not sure that they would replace a unit that was run over by a logging truck like MidNite replaced parts for offgridqld's Classic 150 but they certainly are looking after their customers

David

[CDN-VT]

Very good to hear !
When a Company stands  Up , it's great to see the forward praise .
Hard in a - Neg media .

VT

[ClassicCrazy]

I just did my conversion of 5 cu ft chest  freezer to refrigerator by changing the temperature controller.
I have it on it's own Classic solar system so I have been able to watch the energy usage - and compare it to a smaller dorm style refrigerator that had been running on same system previously.

So the small dorm fridge - probably about 2.5 cu ft with small freezer compartment inside fridge ( not the kind with separate freezer above with it's own door)   - that one used about average 1.2 Kw a day .

The new converted chest freezer which has so much more capacity is averaging about 1 Kw a day . 

When I had my 10 cu ft no defrost fridge on this system for awhile it took about 1.9 Kw a day  but that one I went in and out of a lot where the other two haven't been subjected to lots of opening - just mostly storage so far.

And if I want to switch the converted chest freezer back to freezer all I have to do is lower the temperature on the digital temperature controller . It was simple to install . 

Larry

[CDN-VT]

I use a Johnson Controls A19AAT-2C Freezer Temperature Controller .
once set , you can transfer from or to any deep freeze once set .
Right now Im on a DF with it in ref mode 3c temp for overflow & beer .

mine is in six days , 2.49 KW off the kill-a-watt . It's MT but a few things are were getting ready ready for the fruit / harvest etc.

VT

[off-grid-geeks]

I use a Johnson Controls A19AAT-2C Freezer Temperature Controller .

That is the same control we've been using on a 5 cubic foot re-purposed chest freezer. Been running without a single problem for 4 years now. Its the best solar related project we've done.

Two big advantages to re-purposing a chest freezer.

1) Being intended to be used as a freezer, it is much better insulated and efficient.
2) Cold air is heavier than warm air. On a standard upright fridge, when you open the door, all the cold air pours out onto the floor. With a top door chest freezer, the heavy cold air stays put inside the freezer.

[ClassicCrazy]

I used a similar Johnson Control but the digital model.  It probably gives some extra capability in start delay timer , differential , etc . Just had to pull the installed controller and hook up two wires for power , and two that are the switch so they were already there .

I didn't think that I could have just built a switched box like that other one and plugged the freezer into that without any mods on existing control - just turn the installed control down so it is always calling and no problem letting the plug in one cycle it.  I think the advantage to using the digital controller that I did was that it was easy to snake the flexible temp sense wire through the drain hole.

Anyway it has been working well for me .
Larry

[CDN-VT]

Here is the info I would of posted .

https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Controls-A419ABC-1C-Electronic-Controller/dp/B0026NDC5O/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471828383&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Johnson+Control+but+the+digital+model

[ClassicCrazy]

Yeah that is the one I used .
You can get cheapy $15 digital temperature controllers on ebay or Amazon . I use one of those on another refrigerator and it works fine. But I have another cheapy that is acting kind of goofy with temps it reads .

Well I was going to post a link to the $15 controller but saw this plug and play controller that is already wired with outlet looks good for the money - has a lot of reviews.
https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Itc-308-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B011296704/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1471959692&sr=8-3&keywords=temperature+controller

Here is a cheap controller
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-STC-1000-Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-w-Sensor-AC-110V-/111809176074?hash=item1a0858a20a:g:qT0AAOSwhcJWMZy3

Larry