Turn Off Residential Fridge

[AndyRonLI]

Folks,
New to 110V AC fridges.

Two questions really.
1 - If I do not want to run the residential fridge at all when I am on shore power how do I turn it off?
2- What switches the fridge off the battery/inverter and on to shore power. Expecting a transfer switch somewhere but I cant find it. It appears to be automatically doing it correctly, but I like to understand how the hardware works.



Thanks
ANdy

[Carl n Susan]

Originally Posted by AndyRonLI

1 - If I do not want to run the residential fridge at all when I am on shore power how do I turn it off?

There are two ways to turn it off. You can unplug the refer from the inverter.

OR

use this technique from an older Post *CLICKY* (Post #7)

Originally Posted by Bill n Susan

Press and hold the refrigerator and ice plus buttons at the same time for 5 seconds. This will place the refrigerator in DEMO Mode and your indicator light will say O F, or OF F. The lights inside fridge will stay on, but the unit will not cool, and freezer will not freeze. DEMO mode is basically for displaying the unit in a store, but essentially turns the unit off. Hope that is what you are looking for. Do the same button push to turn unit back on for cooling.

2- What switches the fridge off the battery/inverter and on to shore power. Expecting a transfer switch somewhere but I cant find it. It appears to be automatically doing it correctly, but I like to understand how the hardware works.

The transfer switch is part of the inverter. If there is shore power, it is used otherwise it uses 12V to generate 120V power.

[Arkware]

First, Welcome to the MOC.

It would be helpful if you would give us the year and model of your Montana.
Most folks place that info in their signature.

On my rig, (2015 3611RL) I have a plug in the basement that I can unplug to remove all power from the fridge. It is near the inverter.
The other option would be the buttons at the top, inside the doors. It can be switched to OFF. I don't know the 'how-to' so you may need to get your manual.

My inverter has a built-in transfer switch. Some of the newer model Montanas have a separate transfer switch. It should be somewhere close to the inverter.

[DutchmenSport]

I have a Samsung residential refrigerator. It is plugged into an outlet, and the only way to turn the refrigerator completely off is to:

1) Unplug it. So, I pulled the refrigerator from the wall cabinet, unplugged it and added a short extension cord that the refrigerator now plugs into. The extension cord is laid beside the refrigerator on the floor, so I can simply reach with 2 finger and grab the cord and unplug the refrigerator at any time now. Why did I do it this way?

Otherwise, if I flip the breaker, not only does it turn off the refrigerator, but it also turns off the entire bedroom wall sockets.

If I leave the inverter turned on, the refrigerator still works, but nothing else, not even the plugs in the bedroom.

Considering we leave the our camper plugged in all the time, we use the refrigerator all the time. But in extreme cold and we've moved back into the house, I will shut the refrigerator down, keeping the trailer plugged in. Unplugging from the wall is the only way to truly shut it down.

Here's a diagram of what's happening, showing how the transfer switch, switches between shore power from Battery power and back again, and why the only way to turn ofF the refrigerator is to unplug it. (IF YOU WANT IT TRULY COMPLETELY OFF AND NOT JUST IN DEMO MODE).

[AndyRonLI]

So the unit is a 2019 High Country 321MK


So I did find the transfer switch, black box downstream of the inverter.
So even with the inverter unplugged, the unit will still draw shore power.


I want it off even though I am plugged in.

Plugged into a friends garage to do some setup, no need to up there electric bill. Dont see a breaker labeled fridge, Should I? will check again.
ANdy

[AndyRonLI]

Folks,
So as to the previous post, I found that the breaker labeled
Receptacle
Shuts down the fridge and all other 110 outlets (or so I surmise)
Did not check all the outlets, but TV goes off.


So...

For now I will just flip that breaker when not in the unit doing stuff on my neighbors electric bill.



Will think about where best to add a switch to isolate the refrigerator.



One issue solved

Now on to Furrion antennas and routers!
Thanks for your help everyone

ANdy

[AndyRonLI]

Do you really have an AC sub panel somewhere?
Think it really just hardwired back to he fridge.
As far as I know that is the only load on the inverter.
Andy

[DutchmenSport]

My breaker box is not labeled very specific either. I opened the refrigerator door so I could see the light inside, then flipped each breaker until the light went out. Then marked that breaker for refrigerator (and bedroom). Sometimes, that's the only way to find out how things are connected.

AndiRonLI, On mine, it's located in the front pass-through. My inverter is on the top (suspended between the floor rafters. The transfer switch is located right beside it. It's black, and hard to see without light, because of where it's located. Your's may be in the same location.

The transfer switch has only about a 12 inch cord with plug on it. So, it can't be too far from your inverter.

[AndyRonLI]

Thats just how mine is set up.

If worst comes to worst I will add a 110 switch on the shore side of the transfer switch, that will give me independent control of the fridge.
Andy

[ncm]

I used the hold the buttons to turn my fridge off. What’s the process to turn it back on?

[Vet4jdc]

For the Samsung Fridge...hold the Freezer and Power Freeze buttons at the same time until you hear a chime. That turns it off. Do the same to turn it back on.


When you do this to turn it off it will be in demo mode and the light will still come on but the compressor wont.

[ncm]

Thank you!

[AndyRonLI]

Folks,
So I added a switch on the shore power side of the transfer switch. Got the Molex connectors from digkey. So when that switch is off, there is not shore power to the fridge. Turn the inverter idolator switch to off and no power gets to the fridge at all.

[Rockstar48]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

I have a Samsung residential refrigerator. It is plugged into an outlet, and the only way to turn the refrigerator completely off is to:

1) Unplug it. So, I pulled the refrigerator from the wall cabinet, unplugged it and added a short extension cord that the refrigerator now plugs into. The extension cord is laid beside the refrigerator on the floor, so I can simply reach with 2 finger and grab the cord and unplug the refrigerator at any time now. Why did I do it this way?

Otherwise, if I flip the breaker, not only does it turn off the refrigerator, but it also turns off the entire bedroom wall sockets.

If I leave the inverter turned on, the refrigerator still works, but nothing else, not even the plugs in the bedroom.

Considering we leave the our camper plugged in all the time, we use the refrigerator all the time. But in extreme cold and we've moved back into the house, I will shut the refrigerator down, keeping the trailer plugged in. Unplugging from the wall is the only way to truly shut it down.

Here's a diagram of what's happening, showing how the transfer switch, switches between shore power from Battery power and back again, and why the only way to turn ofF the refrigerator is to unplug it. (IF YOU WANT IT TRULY COMPLETELY OFF AND NOT JUST IN DEMO MODE).

Any chance you can post the source web site for your diagram? I’d like to print out to help me read it better. Thx for posting… great info!!

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by Rockstar48

Any chance you can post the source web site for your diagram? I’d like to print out to help me read it better. Thx for posting… great info!!

https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/si...20Series_0.pdf

https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/si...W-TS15-Web.pdf

[Rockstar48]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/si...20Series_0.pdf

https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/si...W-TS15-Web.pdf

Thank you!