Running a Freezer on a Generator

[dkwarthog]

Does anyone have any advice for tips on running a chest freezer off of a small generator? We run the generator every night for a few hours an we now have a whole moose in the freezer. I find that I can get the temp down to say 5-10 degrees F and then by the time I get home the next night its up to about 20-25 degrees.

Is it bad for the meat to cycle it from near zero to the 20's on a daily basis?

If this is no good, any tips on how to minimize heat loss during the day when the power is off? I've tried just leaving a heavy blanket over the freezer but when you run the generator with it on, the freezer wont get as cool and the sheet metal gets pretty warm. I thought I could build an insulated box for the chest freezer but now I dont think that will work.

Any thoughts?? Thanks

[CaptNemo]

dk,
You need to keep your meat under 10 degrees for it to last. Covering the chest freezer does not work as the condenser loop is built into the cabinet, thats how it dissapates heat. All you can do is make sure to keep the freezer full. Fill up extra space with gallon water jugs or something similar, this will help to retain the temps better. After that you will just have to run the freezer longer if needed to keep it under 10. Ideal freezer temp is 0-10 degrees F. Lower than that and it will draw moisture out faster causing freezer burn. Good luck. CN

[Mr. Pid]

Neighbors around my cabin who live there full-time do exactly what you describe every summer day and have for years. They keep all their food including recently caught fish in the freezer without any problems. On warmer days, more gennie time. Try to minimize opening the door! Those same neighbors use electric refrigerators and they work equally well on part-time electricity.

[dkwarthog]

Thanks for the replies, I'll try adding some water jugs although a whole moose fills it up pretty good too!!

[BIGBOB]

The key is a full fridge keeps things colder longer than one a quarter full.

[Franke261]

Sounds easy enough...
Couple of thoughts:

12-Volt (Deep cycle/lead acid) battery system hooked up to a power inverter. This will keep generator usage down to a minimum.

Smoke some of the meat. Tastes better that way, and doesn't require power to keep it frozen.

"Can" some of the meat with a pressure cooker. Last a long time if you do it right.

[BucknRut]

I can't stress the "fill the freezer" enough. You can tell on the electric bill if you are cooling a half-empty freezer vs. a full freezer...major difference a block of ice can make.

Inverter is a good choice too. This is what I use in my toy hauler. By keeping it cool all of the time, the compressor doesn't over work itself.

[alaskabushrat]

Keep your eye open on craigslist.org. Sometimes a used propane freezer comes up for sale. They are great for when you are gone for a length of time.