www.iFourWinns.com

I am posting here because most of my fellow Horizon peers do not have a fridge on their boats so I came to the "experts"!

I have had a problem keeping my #1 (starting) battery charged when the boat was slipped for any more than a day. I assumed it was a bad battery, and it wasn't a problem because I have two other house batteries and I keep a jumper pack on board that I keep fully charged. I just hadn't had the time or weather to source the problem yet. However, Sunday afternoon after I had shut off the battery switch my wife asked me to clear out the fridge. When I opened the door the light was still on! I clued in that this is my drain source! My question to you Vista owners with fridges is---Am I right? Should I be tracing the fridge power source back and finding out why it is always live? I have read the fridge has a circuit in it to turn itself off when you hit 11 volts but, the battery is going completely dead. Please let me know what your fridges do.

_________________
Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Marc,

My 318 cockpit fridge has the 11 vdc protection ( I think it is 10.5), and even though is shuts the fridge compressor down, the door light still works. As for the cabin fridge, I cant tell as it dont have a door light. I think this would depend on what type of fridge you have as to what all it shuts down.

You should wire it to the house batteries you have and keep the starting battery for starting. The fridge will run longer this way

_________________
Bridgewater, PA
2008 Vista 318

The fridge on my Vista must be wired the same as yours, after turning off the refridgerator outlet switch on the AC panel and turning battery switch to OFF the fridge stays on until turned off inside the fridge itself 'see photo' only last week we had to make a 60 mile trip back to the marina because we forgot to turn it off

_________________
Regards
Beyond the Blue

"If we improve with age I'm now excellent"


Ex 1998 238 Vista 5.0Gi SX DP
Lexus RX300

Thanks guys!
I will rewire it to the house batteries after the battery switch so it is only on when the switch is in the #2 (house) position or the "both" position.
The only logic I can make of this is that they assume the boat will have shore power to replenish the batteries so they keep the fridge powered continuously.

_________________
Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive