The value of having a car cooler has increased usage amongst motorists, however, several factors including battery drain have held others back. Do car coolers drain your battery, and if so, how do you stop and prevent the cooler from draining your car battery? Keep reading to find out.
Most car coolers are 12 volts, therefore are incapable of draining a car battery working in good condition. However, car coolers may drain your car battery in certain circumstances. Some Advanced models draw more power than traditional car coolers, so you should also make sure your car battery can handle your car cooler.
Motorists experiencing fast battery drain should monitor their devices and the health of car batteries. However, if the car battery drain starts after installing a car cooler, here are some trusted and tested solutions to help you rectify the problem.
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How Much Power Does A Car Cooler Needs
Several factors affect how a car cooler uses power from your car battery. The compressor, insulation thickness, size, and ambient temperature are all factors that affect battery consumption. However, the cooler doesn’t use power until the compressor starts working and only uses between 1 to 6 amps per hour. Depending on cooler use per day, you’re likely to use less than 30 amps per day.
HOW TO STOP CAR COOLER FROM DRAINING BATTERY
Are you experiencing poor car battery life because of a new car cooler? Then resolving this problem will be in your best interest. You can also implement any of these solutions before installing a new car cooler to keep your mind at rest.
Dual Battery System
Some car coolers will keep working even when your ignition is off. This is a major cause of battery drain. But by installing a second battery and an alternator, your capacitor charges the main battery while the second battery powers the cooler and other installed devices in your car. Your main car battery can then focus on powering your vehicle
Inbuilt Voltage Monitoring And Shutoff
Car batteries have a minimum use limit where they disconnect any device draining power from the battery. An inbuilt voltage monitoring and shutoff device monitors the power being used by your car cooler and shuts it off once it surpasses its quota or the car battery is low. This means you’ll always have enough juice to power on your car and not get stranded.
Between both options, we recommend installing a second battery. A dual battery system means you’ll never run out of power. However, a dual battery system can easily become an extra load for your battery’s capacitor. A good compromise will be having a lithium Jump pack in your car.
WAYS OF PREVENTING CAR COOLER FROM DRAINING CAR BATTERY
By reducing the power consumption of a car cooler, you can prevent it from draining your car battery. By learning the common ways of preventing coolers from draining car batteries, you’ll no longer be taken by surprise.
Cool Items At Home
While car coolers are made for the sole purpose of cooling items on the go, you should always use them sparingly. Cool items in your main refrigerator at home before transferring them to your car cooler.
This reduces the runtime of your cooler and cuts the power usage by over 50%. Using your car cooler like a traditional refrigerator is a death sentence for your car battery. So, preschool items at home and use the cooler to keep it cool.
Open The Lid Slowly
Yanking the lid open whenever you want to take or put drinks inside the cooler discharges a lot of cool air, and fills it with hot air. This causes the cooler to work extra hard to expel the hot air and return the cooler to the right temperature. Solution: open the lid slowly and never open it fully
Stuck Up Your Cooler
To avoid opening your cooler now and then to store items, we recommend stocking up at once. A full fridge works more efficiently as it doesn’t have to deal with constant temperature changes as you open and close the cooler.
Store The Car Cooler In Cool Places
Hot temperature adds load to your compressor. For car coolers to reach a quick cooling range, they must be stored in cool areas of your car. Avoid parking in hot places too. Coolers are usually used for vacations so you can find trees and shades as you drive. Choose these spots to relax. Also, open your trunk for air to enter.
Buy quality coolers
Inexpensive and poorly designed car coolers are a recipe for poor performance and power problems. Always go for coolers with high power ratings. You can confirm with online reviews. If you already own a car cooler, then upgrading to one of the latest and most advanced brands will be a good decision.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO BUY QUALITY 12-VOLTS COOLERS
12-volt coolers are the best type of coolers in the market. Buying a 12 volts cooler provides a high return on investment and usually has better storage to store more items.
Keep drinks and food cool
The only purpose of owning a car cooler is to keep your lunch and drinks cool at all times, especially when on long drives across the country. They help to keep your food fresh and healthy and prevent food poisoning. A 12 volts cooler is the best cooler to keep all your items cool. They use high-performing compressors with less energy.
Warm your food
Car coolers have different temperature ranges that allow owners to switch between hot and cold. No microwave in sight, don’t worry. Simply make space in the cooler for your food and switch the range.
Charge your phone on the go
While this may feel like a redundant feature in a car, advanced car coolers provide motorists with more charging ports. Charge all your gadgets on the go.
Carry food with you
Save money and improve your health with home-cooked meals. Your car cooler means you can have it at a good temperature all day. Worried about your food going bad or your cooler draining your car battery, battery-powered car coolers work round the clock with custom-installed long-lasting batteries.
Just make it is powered with a strong Lithium battery, designed for fast charging.
Key Features To Look Out For When Buying A Car Cooler
Advanced car coolers are equipped with important features that are essential to keeping items cool. Here are the key features to look out for when buying a car cooler.
Storage Capacity
Are you using the cooler alone or with your family? Decide first before a car cooler. For private personal use, buy smaller car coolers that can fit into the tightest space in your vehicle. However, motorists who need more storage space for more items will benefit from buying bigger coolers. There are also truck-sized car coolers to fit bigger vehicles.
Temperature Adjustment
Advanced car coolers can switch between temperatures to provide consistent performance across all seasons. If it’s hot outside, then switch to cool, and if it’s cold, use hot. Adjustable car coolers are cost-efficient since you get the value of two in one.
Insulation
Opening the lid of your car cooler shouldn’t cause a drastic drop in temperature, however, poorly designed insulation causes temperature drop, thereby reducing performance. Check that insulation is strong by performing a quick test before purchase. You also want to go for energy-efficient car coolers. Buy solar or battery-powered coolers to reduce the load on your car battery.
Conclusively, car coolers don’t drain car batteries unless damaged or underpowered. Either way, mounting a new battery or installing a voltage monitor will take care of the problem. Also, buying energy-efficient and properly insulated coolers reduces the load on your car battery. Lastly, check that the manufacturer is offering at least a 1-year warranty on the product.
