I'm looking at a power station that I want to use for my 120v mini-fridge. The issue is that this power station has a power-saving feature that shuts down the inverter after about 35-40 minutes of inactivity. I'm concerned this will affect my older fridge. Is this something others have encountered? What are some possible solutions to keep the inverter running? I was thinking of connecting another small load to keep it awake, but I'm not sure what would work without draining too much power. Any suggestions?
3 Answers
It really depends on the type of power station you have. Many models have an idle shut-off around 2 hours, but you might be able to adjust this in the settings. If you want the fridge running all the time, consider switching to a 12v cooler instead; it might save you from those power-saving issues since 120v inverters tend to drain the battery faster if they are constantly on.
For a practical solution, consider getting an old-school mechanical pool timer connected to a 25W light bulb. Set it to turn on for the shortest time possible, just before the power station goes into sleep mode. You can find timers like these pretty easily online. It's a simple way to keep the inverter awake without too much hassle!
When you test your fridge, one of two things is likely to happen: either its draw will keep the inverter on, or it will cycle enough to prevent shutting off. If neither of these work, try using a small 1-2W bulb with a mechanical timer that turns on for a few minutes every half hour—that might do the trick! But keep in mind that the inverter's auto shut-off feature is there for a reason.