AcuTemp Refrigerator

[Third From Texas]

Interesting!! So I assume each port goes to one battery with a 12 volt charger? Could a 24 volt charger be used so only one plug is needed or wired I wonder. I see how that will work as it wouldn't be any different for the acutemp with the batteries hooked up and charged and being charged at the same time if that makes sense. No damage would occur to it and the fan wouldn't run all the time. I guess a basic trickle charger for a motorcycle is all that is needed, they use that style plug too. Great upgrade!! Not expensive either. I'd bet it could be used in the other direction as well if you can pull 12 volts from one battery for a phone charger if need be but I'd only use it that way if it were getting external power.

The batteries are independent on that side of the box. They are not in series (so not 24v) and not even in parallel. The unit will in fact run off 12/24v (even solar) thru it's internal controller. I just didn't want to push a charge thru that controller w/o knowing what it might fry.


I just top off each side with a couple small 1a NOCO chargers.

Amazon.com

You could get two of those for half the price on a single charger that would push 5a to each.
I run this one on my LMTV and it's a great charger.

Amazon.com

But for the smaller equipment I use the 1a chargers..

 

[Third From Texas]

Great upgrade!! Not expensive either. I'd bet it could be used in the other direction as well if you can pull 12 volts from one battery for a phone charger if need be but I'd only use it that way if it were getting external power.

Yeah, I added a USB 3 charging port inside the cooler. But I only use it when the unit is either pulling from the truck or solar. As you said, the damned thing will stop charging if even one battery gets low.

I tapped it back to a single battery.

Seemed like a nice place to set your phone while charging.. Still puts out a god bluetooth signal from in there and I can hear it if it rings. I feel safer at the beach having the phone out of sight anyway.

Amazon.com

 

[WWRD99]

Yeah, I added a USB 3 charging port inside the cooler. But I only use it when the unit is either pulling from the truck or solar. As you said, the damned thing will stop charging if even one battery gets low.

I tapped it back to a single battery.

Seemed like a nice place to set your phone while charging.. Still puts out a god bluetooth signal from in there and I can hear it if it rings. I feel safer at the beach having the phone out of sight anyway.

Amazon.com

View attachment 905398

As many times I've had those batteries out I never noticed they weren't wired at the batteries for 24 volt...makes this charging setup much easier. A small maintaining charger would work perfectly.

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[wheelspinner]

If anyone is looking, I’ll be listing one soon in NC

 

[hrbergeron]

I have about 15 of them sitting around that I need to work on selling one of these days...

 

[thewams]

Before I even ask a question, thanks so much to everybody here who provided technical input on this thread. I've read through the whole thing and making notes as I'm the new owner of an AcuTemp AX56L that I got off GovPlanet.

Sadly, mine was one of the units where they decided to drain the refrigerant, and unfortunately they did more than just a pinprick. There's one spot of the copper tubing that's punctured and crushed. My plan is to cut out the damaged section and solder in a new piece. What I'm wondering about is the recharge. Has anybody soldered in a charging valve or some other mechanism for making follow-up services easier? I'm starting at square 1 learning about refrigeration, so quite possible that my idea sounds totally stupid to the folks with more experience. Happy to hear it if it is!

 

[WWRD99]

Before I even ask a question, thanks so much to everybody here who provided technical input on this thread. I've read through the whole thing and making notes as I'm the new owner of an AcuTemp AX56L that I got off GovPlanet.

Sadly, mine was one of the units where they decided to drain the refrigerant, and unfortunately they did more than just a pinprick. There's one spot of the copper tubing that's punctured and crushed. My plan is to cut out the damaged section and solder in a new piece. What I'm wondering about is the recharge. Has anybody soldered in a charging valve or some other mechanism for making follow-up services easier? I'm starting at square 1 learning about refrigeration, so quite possible that my idea sounds totally stupid to the folks with more experience. Happy to hear it if it is!

Charging you'll need a basic kit to hook up with. That's easy...one can of r134a. Tough part is you'll need vacuum to charge properly. You can buy one of those too. You can take it to a shop and let them charge it but I'm not sure what an auto shop would charge plus if it leaked out you have to fix that and charge it again. I bought this kit a long time ago when I did remote repair for ac in cars. People come to me now but I still do rv rooftop ac and I don't have room for them to be parked all over so I'll go to them most of the time. I fixed a ton with that set. It only takes, I think, 10 ounces of charge...but I'm not sure. I don't go by weight and use the guages and temp output to set how much it needs anyhow. Creep up on what the guages say and stop. You definitely don't want to over charge these those little compressors get really mad if you do. A cooking scale will work so you know how much you've put in for that since I doubt you know exactly how to read the guages. It's not magic really. Post up pics of the damaged pipe. It should only be a pin hole but sounds like they got nuts on something.

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