Fridge Cooling Gas vs Electric

[charliem]

[font size="3"][font face="arial"]Does anyone have any good experience or data on the cooling performance of the newer Dometic fridges on gas vs 120V electric? Not convenience, efficiency or cost, just pure "which cools better in a fixed, hot environment?" I've read gas cools better, but that may be old data. The newer fridges seem to have bigger electric elements. 
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[charliem]

[font size="3"][font face="arial"]No one responded so I'll start the discussion. Specs on the RM3762 seven cu. ft. fridge found in the 21's are:

120V electric element: 325 Watts
Gas: 1500 Btu/hr

If we assume the electric element is 100% efficient and the gas burner is 75% efficient, converting to British units yields

120V element: Btu/hr = watts X 3.412 = 1109 Btu/hr
Gas = 1500 x 0.75 = 1125 Btu/hr

They are very nearly equal if the 1500 Btu spec is really input and 75% is a good assumption. This would be consistent with the gas heater specs and other gas appliances.

Therefore the cooling performance would be about equal on gas and electric. Sounds like a reasonable design. Anybody got better or additional info?

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[admin]

I think you are working on some good assumptions with your efficiency. Granted I dont have much experience with the gas appliances. However from my sometimes limited experience I look at this as a problem of how much "work" does it take to produce the end result. If the appliances result should remain unchanged then the input will be the only factor. I may not be explaining it very well, but the short of it is I would expect the energy inputs to be about equal when everything is leveled out.

On a side note if I look at this from a purely performance stand point I'd have to say electric is going to be the better performer. Even if its efficiency is not 100% its almost always going to be much higher thus in my mind that gives it the title of "better performer". Not to mention cost of operation.

[kodabear]

Performance is, indeed, about the same. So, if you're paying a campground for a/c, why burn your propane?