# We have a new propane refrigerator



## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

We have a new propane refrigerator. :woohoo: We wanted a backup for the regular fridge in case of an extended power outage so we got a 19cf EZ Freeze from a company in Arizona - amazing customer service. We had it shipped to our propane company (with their permission) and they brought it out when they came to run a new line. We didn’t have it delivered to the ranch because 18 wheelers won’t make it down our county roads. 

As you can see, it looks just like a regular fridge. Four “D” batteries power the interior light. The doors hold gallon size containers. Glass shelves. A DVD came with it and has instructions from how to set it up all the way to maintenance. We did order an extra thermocouple just to have one on hand because that will be the one thing that eventually needs replacing. We also ordered aluminum ice trays with the fridge. 

We have thermometers in the freezer and the fridge and right now the temperature setting is on “1” which (I’m guessing) probably uses 1.5 to 1.7 gallons of propane a week. I’m sure if we are in it a lot I’d have to nudge the setting a bit higher. For those of you doing the math in your heads, yes - it does cost more to run a propane fridge. Our peace of mind is worth it. Just like our propane stove gives us peace of mind. 

As a critical part of our plan, we have two propane tanks - 250 gallon and a 500 gallon. The 500 gallon is our SHTF tank. That tank stays no less than 75% full. We use the 250 gallon tank for every day use. We’re fortunate our propane company has a disaster preparedness plan so they can keep the propane running in all kinds of disasters. Even then, we still like having that second tank.

The kickplate is off in the second picture so you can see the area for the controls. And yes, that is our junky shelf to the right. M&Ms have been a priority lately. And we didn't pick the flooring... it was here when we bought the place.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Awesome.

:congrat::congrat::congrat:

(I am so coveting that)


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

We looked at propane refrigerators for a long time. We got the 19cf because it used the same amount of propane (on average) as the next two smaller models so it made sense to get the larger one. The 21cf was just too large for us. We're happy with the 19cf. 

There's nothing electronic on the fridge. As I said in my earlier post, the interior light runs off four "D" batteries which are easily accessible on the back of the fridge.

The EZ Freeze line is made in the US by the Amish. You just gotta love the Amish.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

And now for the $64,000 question, if you don't mind sharing. What does it cost?


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## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

I keep threatening to get one. MY wife vetoes the idea. We have a full house genny but it LIKES propane. I'd hate to go through SHTF without refrigeration.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

Looks really nice, Countryliving!


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## db2469 (Jun 11, 2012)

I saw that model online today for about $2,000...


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

UncleJoe said:


> And now for the $64,000 question, if you don't mind sharing. What does it cost?


I went through WarehouseAppliance.com to buy the fridge. This is an employee owned company in Arizona. I called several times to get information and I was impressed with Mike's knowledge and the fact he sells so many propane fridges (somewhere between 800 and 1,000 a year - can't remember the exact stats).

The price of the 19cf EZ fridge was $1,995
Arizona sales tax is 7.35%
Mike got me a LT Carrier and the shipping was $172.

I ordered a few other things from him and they were all shipped with the fridge. Aluminum ice cube trays. Thermocouple (always should have one on hand).

We've been looking at propane fridges for almost a year. We almost bought a Diamond; however, they are significantly more expensive and several of the dealers have quit carrying them.

Yes, propane refrigerators are more expensive than electric fridges. But, consider the cost of the food you have to throw out because of a power outage or the lack of food you can have in your house because you don't have a refrigerator.

If I've violated some forum rules by posting the website, please xxx it out and anyone who is interested in the company can PM me.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

oldasrocks said:


> I keep threatening to get one. MY wife vetoes the idea. We have a full house genny but it LIKES propane. I'd hate to go through SHTF without refrigeration.


We have a whole house generator also. As you said, it's just not cost-efficient to run it for an extended period. If we're confident the electricity would be off for a couple of days, we'll go on generator. If the event is more long-term, we'll save the propane for the fridge and the stove. We heat the house with a wood stove so a winter event would not be a problem for us.

Plan A: Electrical grid is up and running.
Plan B: Electricity is out; go on generator for a short-term event.
Plan C: Electricity is out long-term. Not going to run generator except for maybe an hour every few days to take showers, do laundry, catch up on email, etc. We're setting ourselves up not to need the generator. It is a nice convenience.

We've been working on Plan C the past six months because it wouldn't take much of an event in just the right place and the right (wrong) time to knock out the electricity for an extended period of time in a large geographical footprint.

We recently modified our aerobic septic system to overflow into a leach field. We bought the propane refrigerator. We're putting a manual pump on the water well this week. Months of planning is finally coming to closure.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Good for you. We've thought about this a bit ourselves but decided to go solar emergency power. What would be interesting is a system that used a closed circuit ethylene glycol solar heat system that could be used with an ammonia absorption refrigerator/freezer. Our motorhome has a fairly large refrigerator/freezer that's propane, 12 VDC and 120 VAC. It's very efficient on propane and 120 AC but will drop the charge fast on battery only, where the 12 volt works great is when running down the road.


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## AuroraHawk (Sep 12, 2012)

I want one too! 

Looks like a fantastic refrigerator and investment in peace of mind.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

Using your stated fuel consumption and tank reserve. Is a thousand gallon tank or two on the short shopping list?


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Congrats!

I have one on my wish list.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

PackerBacker said:


> Using your stated fuel consumption and tank reserve. Is a thousand gallon tank or two on the short shopping list?


Not at this time.

The 250 gallon tank was on the property when we bought it. We added the 500 gallon tank. We looked at the 1000 gallon tank; but, it would have to be buried and, as odd as this sounds, it's not something we wanted. I can't remember why we would have had to bury it.

Another complication was at that time they would only come out if the tank was 25% or less. That has now been resolved and we can get topped off at any time.

We like having separate tanks. They are pig-tailed so we can easily switch between them. The smaller tank needed to be repaired a few years ago. We switched over to the larger tank until the repair was made and then switched back. You don't have that flexibility with one tank.

We have already discussed getting another 500 gallon tank if at any time we feel there might be a situation that warrants adding a third tank. Maybe at that time we could look at a 1000 gallon if an above-ground tank is available. It just depends.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Another question. What is the consumption rate? I'm sure it varies with climate conditions but does the manual give you a general idea?


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## sehzad (Feb 26, 2013)

I dont know if they've got propane one's:

http://www.minifridge24.com/


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

UncleJoe said:


> Another question. What is the consumption rate? I'm sure it varies with climate conditions but does the manual give you a general idea?


I'm using 1.7 gallons a week as my assumption since that's the published average stats on the fridge. You're right - climate conditions will impact usage. Hot and humid would cause the fridge to run more - just like a regular electric refrigerator. It's in the house so the air conditioner will favorably impact the ambient temperature and humidity.

Right now the setting is on "1" so it's not using much propane at this time. I think my worst case assumption would be 2.5 gallons/week and that would be using a much higher setting. If we had a long-term electrical outage in the heat of the summer I would expect to hit that 2.5 gallons a week mark since the propane fridge would be our primary and the electric fridge would be decommissioned for the duration of the outage.

One way to think about this - when we have a significant power outage in the heat of the summer we'll still be able to enjoy having ice cubes in our cold drinks, sipping on cold sweet tea, having cold milk (Honeyville Grain Milk Alternative) for cereal, refrigerate eggs from the chickens, and have a place to safely store food and leftovers until the next meal.

This is a lifestyle choice. And it's a personal preference. For us the value of having the new fridge is not just a convenience, it's a solution for safely storing foods that need refrigeration when we have our next extended power outage. Food in the refrigerator section of your fridge spoils when the inside temperature gets above 40 degrees. That usually about four hours if you don't open the door. After that, the food needs to be discarded.

As with all personal preferences, it helps to make informed decisions. This decision was the cumulation of several months of research and for us, it was the right decision.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Please don't take my questions as any type of criticism of your decision. They are in no way intended as such. My reasons for asking are because I just acquired a small propane fridge from a fellow that gutted a tow-behind camper and haven't taken the time to do any research on it. It runs on 12v, 120v or propane. 

Once I take a closer look at it, I will probably start a thread looking for help to get it up and running.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

UncleJoe said:


> Please don't take my questions as any type of criticism of your decision. They are in no way intended as such. My reasons for asking are because I just acquired a small propane fridge from a fellow that gutted a tow-behind camper and haven't taken the time to do any research on it. It runs on 12v, 120v or propane.
> 
> Once I take a closer look at it, I will probably start a thread looking for help to get it up and running.


I understand you weren't criticizing me - the comment at the end of my last thread was NOT directed at you. It was one of those "guns and butter" kind of statements - one has to do what one feels is the right thing at the right time for the right reason. There are a lot of people who scoff at something outside their comfort range or experience.

I think one of the things we collectively accomplish in this forum is the sharing of information that allows people to make informed decisions. The questions you asked were pertinent to the thread. I am pleased you were forthright enough to ask them. And I guarantee you several people are glad you did ask!

Everything has a price. Whether it's the price to implement or a price to recover. Our personal decision (there I go again!!!) is to mitigate losses to minimize the financial loss while balancing the safety and well-being of the family. This propane refrigerator is just one part of our long-term plan.

Off the subject a bit ... how many of you still call them "ice boxes"?


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

UncleJoe said:


> Please don't take my questions as any type of criticism of your decision. They are in no way intended as such. My reasons for asking are because I just acquired a small propane fridge from a fellow that gutted a tow-behind camper and haven't taken the time to do any research on it. It runs on 12v, 120v or propane.
> 
> Once I take a closer look at it, I will probably start a thread looking for help to get it up and running.


I just today pulled the functional 3-way refrig out of my RV and I am installing a standard 120 volt one(compact). They use so little juice I will run it from my batteries and solar panels.


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## Trinka (Feb 16, 2013)

UncleJoe said:


> Please don't take my questions as any type of criticism of your decision. They are in no way intended as such. My reasons for asking are because I just acquired a small propane fridge from a fellow that gutted a tow-behind camper and haven't taken the time to do any research on it. It runs on 12v, 120v or propane.
> 
> Once I take a closer look at it, I will probably start a thread looking for help to get it up and running.


Oh! I hope you do! We have a 30ft travel trailer...it has this kind of fridge...would love to know ways to have a fridge in a melt down...ours have fridge and freezing unit...

The only thing we never had fixed that didn't work was the oven ...the stove worked fine otherwise..


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

hiwall said:


> I just today pulled the functional 3-way refrig out of my RV and I am installing a standard 120 volt one(compact). They use so little juice I will run it from my batteries and solar panels.


That's what I have in mind although I still haven't invested in the solar set-up yet.


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## kumuainafarm (Mar 20, 2013)

For a few years we ran two propane refrigerators. The problems we had were running out of gas since there is no indicators on the refrigerators. Of course, there are gadgets you can buy for the tank but always have to be checking. Also, the gas can be pricey and fluctuates with the market. Usually we found one fridge will take approx. 10 gallons a month. Also, very limited freezer space in most models. Another issue was the automatic start or ignition stopped working fairly early. We have since switched to solar refrigerators and a solar freezer and they hold a lot and are fairly maintenance free (the refrigerators tend to accumulate condensation water on the bottom and have to be periodically drained). The nice thing is they are interchangeable. So if one day you decide to make the refrigerator a freezer, all you have to do is change the thermostat. We live on an off-grid farm in Hawaii. http://kumuainafarm.com


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

I check the propane tanks at least once a week so there's no danger of us running out of gas. We're fortunate that gas is not that expensive for us compared to other areas. When we filled the tanks last month gas was $2.45/gallon. We have friends in Florida who pay over $4/gallon for propane. 

We're very pleased with the new fridge. The freezer is 4.2cf so it's ample size for our needs. Right now the control is set barely above "1" so it's not using much gas at all. The freezer is at 0 degrees and the refrigerator is at 37 degrees. 

This was a good purchase for us. It's for our peace of mind of knowing we'll still have a refrigerator in case of an extended power outage.


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## Well_Driller (Jun 3, 2012)

I had a smaller propane fridge in the machine shop for a long time. Loved it. Didn't have to worry about it if the power went out. It only used a 20lb tank of propane per month. That's less than what our outdoor gas light uses which by the way has 3 burners.... Now if you have a natural gas well you can also get refrigerators that can burn natural gas.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

The problem with natural gas is if / when the electricity goes out at the distribution point, or an event causes a break in the line, the gas will eventually stop flowing. That's a moot point with us because we live so far out in the boonies natural gas isn't even an option. We're fortunate our propane distributor is astute enough to have a disaster preparedness plan and assures us the propane will continued to be delivered during and after most events. 

However, our personal family plan included adding a 500 gallon tank to our existing 250 gallon tank and pigtailing the two together (we can easily switch between tanks). We keep the 500 gallon tank at capacity at all times as our emergency backup. Even though the propane distributor assures us our tanks will be filled, we wanted that warm fuzzy feeling of having a backup to his backup.

Our whole house generator runs on propane. Our plan is if the electrical outage appears to be more than a week, we'll cut off the big generator and only run it every couple of days to run a few conveniences and the freezers. Our stove is also propane so we can still use the burners (not the oven). We just got our American Sun Oven and will start baking in it to work out the kinks - our kinks, not its kinks.

We like our propane appliances. The refrigerator has lived up to all expectations. This was a good addition to our preparedness plan.


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## Well_Driller (Jun 3, 2012)

A lot of natural gas compressor stations have a backup if power is lost. I know a lot of them around here use engine driven compressors that run off the gas they compress as the primary power source. Anyway since those pipelines are underground they are better protected and if there was a disaster bad enough to cause major damage to those lines it would most likely damage the propane facilities as well. A lot of our propane actually comes off a major pipeline terminal. What I was actually getting at, is anyone that is fortunate enough to have a gas well on their property can utilize it for a refrigerator. I know a few people that do. You're right about distributed natural gas though, it's either on or off, and propane may be around for a bit longer, but that would only be until the supply runs out or they could no longer deliver it. Who knows which one would be available longer. I'm setup to utilize any fuel or gas available, but for me natural gas will be available long after other fuel sources have run out...


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

The natural gas refrigerators that I have experience with can all be easily converted to propane with a few simple changes/parts. So for right now you can use cheaper, more convenient gas and have propane as a backup. 
In an area like we are in there are gas wells everywhere (pluses and minuses for sure). Many propane appliances on the other hand (rv for example) were never designed to use natural gas so conversion is not as easy.
Not saying there is anything wrong with a strictly propane appliance though, don't get me wrong I think that they can work great.


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