Should We Leave Our RV's Refrigerator Running All The Time?

by Dale

How to Properly Operate Your RV's Refrigerator

How to Properly Operate Your RV's Refrigerator

I recently purchased a 2001 Fleetwood Expedition. Should I keep the Refrigerator running at all times? Someone told me that it was not good to cut on and off; from one weekend to the next when we are using the RV. I also have to run the inverter to run Refrigerator when I am plugged into the 110 receptacle. Will this hurt the inverter?

Thanks

ANSWER Hi Dale, the simple answer to your question is no, you do not have to leave your RV's fridge running to extend its lifespan. RV Refrigerators are designed specifically for RVs with the understanding that they are turned off and on frequently.


FridgeCool Fan

The only thing that you will do by leaving the fridge on is increasing your energy usage. A good rule of thumb is to turn on your RV Refrigerator 24 hours before going camping. This gives the Refrigerator time to cool down sufficiently. Whenever I use my RV's Refrigerator, I also use a FridgeCool Fan (pictured above) in both the fridge and the freezer it keeps the air moving around in the fridge and freezer and keeps the fridge from having warm spots. They run for about a month on 2 D Cell batteries.

When not in use, I recommend that the fridge be turned off. The simple reason that I suggest keeping it off is due to energy conservation. Whether you are running off of electricity or propane, you are going to be wasting energy. This is the method that I have always used. I have had many RVs over the past 40+ years, they have all been different makes and models and vintages, and I have yet to have an RV Refrigerator fail on me.

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This sort of reminds me of the debate about computers. Some people say that if you leave a computer on all of the time, it will last longer, others say that if you turn it off when it is not in use, it will last longer. I would suggest that you do what you feel more comfortable with. Now, if you were a full-time RVer, you would definitely want to leave the fridge on all of the time.

Power Inverters

Also, your inverter should have no problems running constantly; again they are designed for that type of use.

I hope these answers help you. I hope that some of the other RVers post some comments here about what they do with the RV fridge when not in use.

If you have a comment on this topic, you can add it by clicking on add a comment link near the bottom of this page.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

Comments for Should We Leave Our RV's Refrigerator Running All The Time?

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Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Fire and refrigerator
by: Ray

What our the odds of a fire from leaving my rv refrigerator on during a week or so of not being in my 5 wheel
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Ski
by: Anonymous

Hi, is it true, that, if you dont level your 3 way fridge when using it, it shorten it life and eventually stop.

Thankski
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		House hold refg in motorhome
by: Anonymouscharles holcomb

Use about 10 weeks a year. Should I let run all the time or can I turn off when not in use
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Gas/electric refer
by: Bill

You do not need an inverter to run your fridge on 110v when you are plugged in to 110v. Maybe you were meaning your converter which supplies 12v from 110. Your fridge gets its 110v from your 110v cord.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		,
by: Anonymous

I disagree to a extent, only reason to cut off snd on is if you dont keep food in from one weekend until next and use one or twice a month. We keep our camper at a local camp site and leave frige on to keep food since we use more than twice a month. Only time its turned off is at the end of season
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Leave Refriderator running
by: Mark Lutes

We go camping about every other weekend. We leave the refrigerator on! Kept stocked with condiments pop etc. Freezer with extra meat and Vegy's. When time to go just add perishables like Produce and we are ready to go!!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		reefer
by: Anonymous

we are full timers in 40' fifth. we bought the rig new 2 half year ago. the only time we have shut it down is when we defrost freezer (twice) we have not had any problems with it running constantly.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Problem Starting the RV Fridge
by: Jan

When I turn my RV fridge off it seems it is harder to start using the propane. I have to knock/blow out the rust that accumulates in the stack. This has been an on-going problems that seems to have no easy solution. The fridge will run on electricity fine, but getting the propane to ignite is always a task. Lines are open because the hot water heater will start just fine.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Turn it off...
by: Wolfe

Definitely turn it off! For obvious reasons, this saves on energy being used for no reason. The only exception to this would be VERY frequent usage (using it every other day where it's silly to bother turning it off).

Some people choose to leave it on just to gain the convenience of being able to keep food IN the fridge between weekends rather than shuttling to another fridge while parked for the workweek. I find that most food I'd leave sitting in the fridge for a week is food (like soda) that doesn't care if it got warm anyway.

The THEORY of not turning it on and off for the sake of longevity is a holdover from compressor-based home refridges, where completely starting and stopping a compressor motor has *some* extra wear. In reality, modern refridges start and stop themselves to that degree anyway, so it's moot even in the house now.

But, THAT ALL NEVER APPLIED to RV absorption-based refridges, which have NO moving parts. They work differently, there IS no motor, and the chemicals in a sealed system don't really care how long they sit uncycled -- they will will remix and cycle fine in the first few minutes of running again. If the "protectant" chemicals can't keep your ammonia coolant from eating through your piping, then it would do that anyway whether in motion or not.

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