Gas Freezers vs Solar Freezers

There are two types of freezers used in off-grid living.

The two types of freezers used are gas powered or DC powered. Both are produced with a high insulation value to create the best efficiency. The major considerations between a Propane Gas Freezer and a DC Electric Freezer are initial cost and availability of the power source. The power source being DC, propane gas, or natural gas. Warehouse Appliance brings you some facts about each.

If solar energy, wind energy, or hydro energy is available or a possibly at your location, then the DC electric freezer initial cost will be low and this will be the best choice. If none of these DC energy sources are available and purchasing the equipment to capture the DC Electricity is necessary, then the initial cost of the DC unit can easily double. The freezer must have power available at all times to keep the food storage at good freezing temperatures. This usually means that these freezers will require a battery bank for power storage during night in the case of solar powered, or when the wind is not blowing in the case of wind generated power. In some cases of hydro power, batteries may not be needed. Solar power is not free. Solar power requires batteries and batteries do wear out and must be replaced. This must be considered when doing cost analysis.


This is where the possibility of a gas freezer may be best. Gas Freezers can operate from stored LPG (Propane) gas or piped in Natural Gas. In some cases, a natural gas well is available on the property site and a natural gas freezer would be ideal. An un-metered well means free power to the natural gas freezer. Propane gas is supplied either by truck to a permanent tank on the property or smaller portable tanks that can be transported and filled at a filling site. Permanent tanks are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 100 gallons to over 1000 gallons. The freezer can operate from any size tank. The question is, for how long. It is typical for a propane freezer to use approximately 2 to 3 gallons of LPG per 7 days.

What are some of the other differences? Performance, portability, and availability.

Performance between a DC powered or compressor driven unit versus a Gas Freezer or absorption system unit are only different in what is called "recovery times". This is the time it takes for the temperatures to come down or recover to the thermostat set temperature. Both types will get as cold as one another, but the compressor driven unit has the advantage in recovery speed. It is estimated to be four times faster than that of an absorption freezer.

If you open the door or lid of either freezer to retrieve some food goods then the recovery times will only be minutes for either unit. In this case the differences between the two types is of not much concern. When putting non frozen goods into the freezer, this is when the difference of recovery speed shows up. The greatest difference of recovery speed shows when the units are started up from an ambient air temperature state. A typical chill down time for a DC Solar Freezer will be approximately 2 hours whereas the propane gas freezer may take up to 8 hours.

Both units can be portable. The Propane Gas Freezer is very portable due to the nature of the propane being in tanks. The DC freezer is also portable if the unit is operated by a portable power source such as batteries of a vehicle or a small solar system. The weight of the unit is another consideration. Gas freezers are heavier by at least 80 lbs. due to the absorption system weight.

Currently there is a very limited number of manufactures for both types. The DC Solar Freezers are available from a handful of manufacturers and only in chest style. The gas absorption freezers are only available from one manufacturer and only in upright configuration.

This brings up the last comparison. Chest style versus upright style. There are two arguments. You can decide which makes more sense. Chest style units do not allow as much cold air to escape since the lid is opening at the top and cold air falls. Upright freezers are usually open for less time since the goods are staring you in the face and are more accessible than the buried goods in the chest style. Furthermore, if the freezer is full of food then there is less air to fall out when the door is opened.

More Information:

Propane Gas Freezers
DC Electric Freezers
Off-grid living appliance articles

Consul Gas Refrigerator – Service Issues

In the Mid 1980's, there were very few gas refrigerators in production on the retail market. In fact there were only 2 brands that were considered reliable. One brand name was the Consul. Made in Brazil and imported into North America. Based on an average electric fridge, the Consul was small. It was common place for a home owner to purchase 2 and use them side by side to accommodate the entire family. Although the 1940 model Servel propane gas refrigerators looked much larger, the capacities of both brands were very similar at about 8 cubic feet.

Compared to the 1940 Servel units, the Consul gas fridge freezer was much more efficient and reliable. Compared to a 2014 model EZ Freeze, the Consul is slightly less efficient and much less reliable. Considering the age of design of the three mentioned fridges, the reliability is par for the course based on age of design.

What design issues does the Consul propane refrigerator have? Most of the design flaws center around the burner area. The most common issue that we see is the burner burning foul due to ingested debris. This can not only cause the LP refrigerator to not cool properly but also be dangerous to the homeowner if left unattended. Very high levels of carbon monoxide can result in health issues. The old 1940 Servel units showed these same traits but on a much worse scale.

When the burner gets fouled by debris the flame puts off soot through the exhaust. This soot will coat the boiler and lower the boiler temperature and as a result the refrigerator interior temperature will rise above safe food keeping temperatures.

Pictures on this page show a severely neglected Consul burner and the resulting soot ball the was cleaned out by our service technician. This is one of the worst cases we have seen. This Consul unit required a full burner rebuild. When it left the shop, it was in good working order with interior temperatures at 29 degrees Fahrenheit in the refrigerator compartment.

We used the same step by step procedure for this rebuild as we show in the Danby / Consul Repair DVD.

This information has been brought to you by Dynmx, Inc. This model of gas refrigerator is not available on our website, please see the Ez Freeze gas refrigerator for a comparison. Do you have questions about gas refrigerators call 928-636-1955 or our website at http://www.warehouseappliance.com.

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Danby Propane Refrigerator - vs - the EZ Freeze EZ-10

Imported and private labeled by the Danby Corporation, this gas refrigerator is identical to the Consul Fridge. Both made by Whirlpool of Brazil, these units only differed by the name plate on the front door. Production of these units ended in 2012 and are not available anymore. No plans to bring the brand back are on the horizon. Some parts are available and service is still available as well.

Our service department continues to repair them for our local customers or those who don't mind trucking or shipping them to our facility. Others may choose to get outside help by purchasing the Danby Repair DVD. On today's market a well kept unit is resalable from anywhere between $600.00 and $1000.00. A comparable new model made by EZ Freeze (EZ-10) will sell for $1399.00 on today's sale marketplace. Both are considered a small propane refrigerator.

With the proper care and maintenance the Danby refrigerators were a great asset to any off-grid vacation home, hunting camp, or full time off-grid home. One of the major draw backs to the Danby Consul fridge was the small freezer size. The 1.1 cubic foot capacity is only large enough for 2 frozen chickens and a couple of ice trays. The newer EZ Freeze EZ-10 freezer compartment measures out at 2.2 cubic feet which is moderate for a cabin size fridge. The Danby Consul fridge has been the industry leading cabin size fridge for many years, but with them being discontinued the choices have narrowed to the 10 cubic foot size. Cost is slightly higher but the gain in capacity and much less maintenance and headache is well worth the price. The EZ Freeze propane refrigerator for sale on our site.

This information has been brought to you by Dynmx, Inc. This model of gas refrigerator is not available on our website, please see the Ez Freeze gas refrigerator for a comparison. Do you have questions about gas refrigerators call 928-636-1955 or our website at http://www.warehouseappliance.com.

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DANBY GAS REFRIGERATOR - CONSUL GAS REFRIGERATOR

One of the most popular Propane Refrigerators for off-grid living. This gas refrigerator is Baja proven for over 20 years with excellent results!! We consider this a small propane refrigerator. Made by Consul in Brazil and also labeled by Danby. We offer a repair DVD for those looking to keep these units operating like new for years to come. This unit has a 7.8 cubic foot box and freezer compartment. Removable shelving, molded 18 egg rack, and a battery operated interior light. Three easy glide shelves and large vegetable crisper. European rounded door with recessed handles. Reversible door hinges for left or right hand opening. The temperature control and piezo ignition system is easily accessed on a front panel. Includes a safety shut-off valve. Reversible doors. No electric plugs needed!.This unit has been discontinued by the manufacturer. Please see the EZ Freeze EZ-10 for the most comparable model.

Danby Consul Propane Gas Refrigerator  Consul CQE22B - Danby DPR2262W	Specifications
Overall Dimensions	H=57 1/8" X W=24 1/4" X D=28"
Interior Dimensions (Freezer)	H=7 1/4 " X W=17" X D=13 1/2"
Interior Dimensions (Fridge)	H=35" X W=20" X D=17 1/2"
Refrigerator Capacity	6.7 cubic feet
Freezer Capacity	1.1 cubic feet
Color	White
LP Gas Consumption	High flame = 1600 btu/hr. or 2.93 gal. per 7 days  Low flame = 700 btu/hr. or 1.28 gal. per 7 days  Average = 1.5 - 1.75 gal. per 7 days
Hook-up  Buy the Connector	3/8" Male Flare Fitting
Actual Weight	202 Lbs.
Shipping Weight	220 Lbs
Service	Danby / Consul Propane Gas Refrigerator Service Repair DVD
Natural Gas Option	Conversion kit = $75.00
Thermometer Option	Remote wireless digital thermometer. =$39.95
Ice Cube Tray Option	Aluminum Ice Cube Tray  = $9.99 ea. or buy 3 get 1 free
Pricing	No longer available - See EZ-10

This information has been brought to you by Dynmx, Inc. This model of gas refrigerator is not available on our website, please see the Ez Freeze gas refrigerator for a comparison. Do you have questions about gas refrigerators call 928-636-1955 or our website at http://www.warehouseappliance.com.

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What does the Ammonia do in the Absorption System?

Ammonia refrigerators, also known as gas refrigerators, operate from an absorption system that use ammonia as the active key ingredient are made specific as a non electric appliance.

Typically you will see these units as propane gas refrigerators in recreational vehicles. Ammonia is the key ingredient among 4 total ingredients within the cooling unit also referred to as the absorption system. Water is the other liquid ingredient. Sodium Chromate is a powder substance that acts as an anti corrosive. This combats the highly corrosive ammonia. The fourth ingredient is Hydrogen gas which pressurizes the system to over 300 PSI. This is also true for ammonia freezers

 Another common question is "Will freezing temperatures affect the cooling unit since it is filled with liquid?" The liquid is pressurized by the Hydrogen gas therefore it protects the liquid from freezing. The absorption system can be in use or just static in sub freezing temperatures without adverse affects.

With all 4 ingredients mixed together, the color is a bright yellow/green which is the original color of the Sodium Chromate. This color aids in leak detection. Either in wet form or dry state, the bright yellow/green color showing anywhere on the cooling unit coils will signal a leak. The other tell tale sign of a leak is the smell of ammonia. Ammonia has a very strong odor and is sometimes used in cleaning agents. it can literally take your breath away. In high doses it can be dangerous. For the most part, a propane powered refrigerator is considered safe and have been in continuous use in some cases for over 60 years. Read more about this...

This information has been brought to you by Dynmx, Inc. Do you have questions about gas refrigerators call 928-636-1955 or to learn more about absorption refrigeration visit our website at http://www.warehouseappliance.com.

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