"Adam" wrote in message ...
What makes different almost $700?


The primary difference is that the Norcold refrigerator is made to operate
efficienty off of 12 volts. It was made for being used on a boat or RV
where battery power must be conserved and thus the refrigerator is as
efficient as possible.

The cheap household refrigerator won't run off of 12 volts directly. You
can install an inverter and run off that, but you will throw away at least
15% of your energy just converting 12 volts to 110. Household refrigerators
usually do not make much of an effort to be efficient. Indeed, many (in
fact, most) spend more energy creating heat, and I don't mean heat as a
byproduct, I mean they run heaters! A "Frost Free" refrigeator is full of
heaters!

If you want to run a Norcold refrigerator away from shore power I would
recommend allowing for 80 to 100 amp-hours a day. Double that if you want
to run a household inverter off an inverter.

Rod