Propane vs. Electric Refrigerator Cooling Time

[meierjn]

At worst I would've expected there to be no difference, not worse. But maybe the performance difference isn't in the speed of cooldown but in maintaining the setpoint once cool, which I don't have much data for (yet).

Using a "LogTag", a gadget intended to be packed with temperature sensitive material and it's temp/humidity can be reviewed after shipment. Amazon has them but they're cheaper on ebay and elsewhere. Many different brands/styles of these things. The only caution is some are one-use only, the one I have is erasable/reusable. I take one reading per minute which can save over a weeks' worth of data, plenty for this kind of thing.

LogTag on Amazon

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Those look pretty slick!

 

[Trivet]

I don't have a defrost function, and the only AC draw is the element. For giggles I plugged in a kill-a-watt meter and it said 305W.

Your giggles are my scientific rigor.

Hence the use of the internal circulating fans. I tried that on my 2nd run above and it made no difference at all in the result. But, that was an empty fridge. Plausible to think it might help with a well populated one.

As it happens, when I was experimenting with two thermometers in the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator had very little in it. It made only a little bit of a difference.

But I think it might not make much of a difference in a populated refrigerator compartment, either, because it's not going to be able to make air go through things that are blocking the flow. I'm beginning to wonder if the fin fans are in the realm of lore that persists because it seems to make sense. Like putting ice in a black tank to clean the sensors--it seems like it would work, but when you really think about it, probably not.