No battery power light on newer fridges

[Andy5Z]

Doesn't it annoy you that on many newer vans there is now no light telling you fridge is on when towing? ie powered from car! Personally I think this was a step backwards in leisure fridge design.

What I do is leave one interior light on in van that I can see from drivers door when I start the engine (standing outside the car) then when car is outputting sufficient voltage for habtation relay in van to operate, this light then goes out! It doesn't exactly tell me fridge is working but its halfway there! Course if anyone has a better way please share it.

Andy

 

[Chrisbee]

I have the same problem with my fridge. When someone unknown disconnected my EHU from the bollard I didn't know until the evening. I've no idea how long it was off, a light on the fridge for 240v power may have helped to stop the frozen items from defrosting by warning me of the problem.

 

[xtrailman]

Sounds like cost saving?

My old 2004 bailey vermont, has a led for all three services!

 

[DeliDave]

good post,we have to see if microwave works everything else is 12volt(visible things that is) so we dont know if electric has tripped til no hot water/soft frozen food/no heat from blower.

When warranty is up think i will add an LED to control panel by door to show 240 voltage

 

[WatsonJohnG]

The latest fridges have gone back to having a warning light but a couple of years ago it was a nuisance

I fitted a few warning lights for myself and friends using an LED for 12V and a neon for 230V

 

[John_miller]

The latest fridges have gone back to having a warning light but a couple of years ago it was a nuisance

I fitted a few warning lights for myself and friends using an LED for 12V and a neon for 230V

My Bailey has a Dometic fridge without warning lights and I've thought about fitting something. Did you just get a neon & LED from somewhere like Maplins and wire into the fridge supply? I'd be grateful for any hints or gotchas.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

If you look on the top of the fridge there are connector blocks; 230V and 12v

You can get a neon with wire tails from Maplins for panel mount and you connect it across the 230 V neutral and the live wire that goes to the fridge heating element

You can find the right live lead with a test light(neon even) or multimeter

Its posible on some caravans to remove the sink to get at the fridge top

As they say a competent person can do it so its down to your own level of competence(before someone else says it!)

 

[WatsonJohnG]

If you look on the top of the fridge there are connector blocks; 230V and 12v

You can get a neon with wire tails from Maplins for panel mount and you connect it across the 230 V neutral and the live wire that goes to the fridge heating element

You can find the right live lead with a test light(neon even) or multimeter

Its posible on some caravans to remove the sink to get at the fridge top

As they say a competent person can do it so its down to your own level of competence(before someone else says it!)

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=neon%20panel%20lights&menu=0&WorldSearch=Y&doy=18m4&C=SO&U=strat15&ShowPics=undefined&MinPrice=0&MaxPrice=9999 (no tails!!)

 

[marlot]

for mains failure/ehu disconnect you could use an Aquarium-Power-Failure-Alarm. Usually

 

[WatsonJohnG]

You could but it would only tell you if the 230V was on/off not whether the fridge was set to 230V and working

 

[xtrailman]

Timothy

Do you have a name for that Aquarium alarm? Sound interesting.