12v Fridge Solar Kit?! - NEWAIR 173wh Lithium Battery and 100 Watt Solar Panel

You no longer need a portable power station to power your fridge! In this video I test how long the Newair 80Qt 12v fridge will run off the 173wh lithium battery. I also test the 100 watt solar panel to see how fast it charges the battery and how many watts it puts out. You can purchase this battery and solar panel for $499 off Newair's website.
(SAVE $50 by using the DISCOUNT CODE JASONOID at checkout)
You can learn more about the NEWAIR Solar Kit at this link:
glnk.io/mw6x/jasonoid1
Purchase the battery by itself HERE for only $200:
www.newair.com/products/newai...
This battery and solar panel will work with other fridges that have this same battery bay and solar panel port! (Bodega, Alipcool, and Newair fridges)
Checkout the NEWAIR 80qt 12v Dual Fridge Review Video:
• Newair 80 Quart Fridge...
Check out the NEWAIR Nugget Ice Maker Review Video:
• NewAir Nugget 30lb Ice...

[@Jasonoid]

Do not charge the lithium battery directly with solar panels, it does not have high voltage protection and the battery will EXPLODE! The owners manual does not warn against this... Even though the battery has a 5521 port and the solar panel has a 5521 output port!

[@JoshsGadgetsandMore]

HUUUUGGGEEE oversight by the manufacturer.

[@jaydkaladcamper]

How can we charge the battery safely?

[@matthewtaylor3301]

@@jaydkaladcamper Use the solar input on the fridge itself, not the one that is on the battery.

[@Dan-bj1cz]

Hey can you recommend a higher solar panel more then 150 that can work with this fridge

[@Jasonoid]

@@Dan-bj1cz I'm pretty sure the internal charge controller is limited to 100 watts, so I'm not sure it would benefit much. The Bluetti PV200 is a option that usually goes on sale.

[@Msu-055]

Thank you man, i’ve searched a lot of videos about working fridge with solar, but no one tells such detail information about solar connection, battery working and another characteristics of working 😊

[@Jasonoid]

One thing I learned with this combo..... DO NOT charge the battery directly with the solar panel. Only charge the battery while it's in the fridge.

[@Msu-055]

@@Jasonoid thanks 🙏, it,s very useful remark

[@queenb9668]

I literally just watched your video from a year ago and was sold. Started looking this unit up. And come to find you pop up again with a recent video explaining the solar aspect of it... Just what I needed! Thank you :)

[@robertwarren1735]

I like the idea of the battery in the cooler.Great video BTW.

[@greateralexander]

I just asked about the battery solar power add on and here it is! Pretty awesome. Very thorough. Thanks you for the insight!

[@affordabledesertliving3487]

Super helpful and honest review. Excellent.

[@RandiG63]

Awesome 😎 Thank You!! I need something like this

[@Jasonoid]

Hey Randi! It's been a great fridge for sure!

[@UlyRosales]

Awesome. Thanks for the review. I bought that bibean solor generator using your code last year. Then bought an iceco 60quart freezer... just saying I appreciate the videos u make. They're so helpful! Thabk u!

[@Jasonoid]

Glad to hear those are working well for you!

[@joshuadoty3275]

DO NOT BUY NEWAIR ANYTHING Breaks quickly&company doesnt stand behind their products.They have faulty components&they know it.When it starts beeping like crazy all day & night,there are no replacement parts to fix it,even if there is u must be an electrician&buy them again&again

[@Jasonoid]

Did you reach out to their support group? They have a warranty and should replace the unit without cost.

[@joshuadoty3275]

@@Jasonoid I did reach out and the only thing they offered was free shipping on the temp board which is not currently in stock and not due to be in stock for the next few Months. As long as I paid for the part right now. Paying for something I don't know will ever come wasn't what I was hoping for so I passed on that. Really crappy and I'll not only never buy another one but I will let everyone else to steer away from the company also. They should stand behind their product or make better stuff. If they do neither, its a shit company that doesn't care.

[@Jasonoid]

@@joshuadoty3275 just FYI, any no-name fridge brand you buy from Amazon doesn't have a number to reach out to for support. I've been hosed multiple times by no-name fridge brands. I've always had a good response from Newair though. It seems to be a part stock issue and not a support issue. If your fridge didn't break from abuse I'd recommend pushing harder for a replacement part to be shipped (free of charge) whenever it comes back in stock. You shouldn't have to pay anything IMO.... unless it's out of warranty or you broke it. Send me an email @ [e-mail] for me details about the issue and I'll see if I can get them to make it right for you.

[@timothyhartman9556]

Nice job!

[@robertlucas8599]

Great review, glad I found your page, new subscriber, Thanks!!!!

[@Jasonoid]

Just don't charge your battery with the solar panel directly or this might happen: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6KyfmifnZV8fsk

[@jeremyjulyan1449]

Thanks for this. We just received our Bodega 80qt(75l) which I believe is just a rebranded Newair. All based on your reviews. Shipped upside down in a destroyed box! No physical damage but I am letting it sit for 24hrs before powering it on. I think I will pass on the battery though. Based on your reviews I will invest in a Bluetti EB model.

[@Jasonoid]

I've noticed the shipping companies dread shipping these fridges! They are huge and mine often arrive upside down as well. Keep it level for 24hours like you mentioned, it should power up just fine. I'd recommend the EB70/EB55 options over the internal battery, you get much more bang for your buck on that vs this one.

[@jeremyjulyan1449]

@@Jasonoid Very frustrating they do this. I am glad to hear I am not alone with this. EB55 is what I am leaning towards with a suitable solar panel.

[@AskIveSolar]

That thing is a monster, sheesh!!

[@Jasonoid]

and only uses like 20 to 30 watts!

[@JacobWinkle]

I got one and I want to do the battery but then again I don't want to spend $199 for the battery alone. I would love to be able to use my batteries from my power tools on the jobsite kinda thing if you catch my drift. Milwaukee, DeWalt, battery kinda thing. But I just got it on 7-23-2022 so I haven't fully tested it yet to be honest. But I got it because of the options of running it off battery, solar, 12v, 120v house outlet kinda thing. I like the options options

[@user--PM]

thanks for the review, it looks like they do have the battery available separately for $200 but it is out of stock. so now the solar panel is looking to be $300 and an even less of a good deal, but the battery if it was really available at $200 that would be great. perhaps they will be able to restock it again soon.

[@Jasonoid]

Thats one SUPER EXPENSIVE 60 watt panel LOL. Glad the battery is available separate! I'm sure my discount code will work on the battery as well.

[@jamesgriffin7971]

I tried to order a battery. They can’t ship to my address in Nevada, they can’t ship to my friends house in California, and they can’t ship to my sisters house in Arizona. You can buy one, you just can’t get one!

[@frederickv.9300]

Man that thing is huge.

[@Jasonoid]

It is a huge fridge, I was surprised how efficient it was even at that size though!

[@adambatchelder4121]

I built my own 200w folding solar panel with a basic charge controller and 25 ft cord for about 250,

[@wasuremashita]

So many of these branded in so many different ways

[@Jasonoid]

Now I know how the battery and solar panel functions for all of them :)

[@joshuatucker139]

Gonna be putting it on top bunk in my semi so that I can have a freezer

[@sharonbraselton4302]

buy hybred eltric semi

[@Dan-bj1cz]

Hi Can you use more then a 100W panel to charge it up. If so what would you recommend.

[@jasonbroom7147]

How well do you think this fridge would perform during a grid-down situation? You mention someone using this for quite an extended period of time, so I'm guessing it would be fine. I consider 173wh to be a really small battery, but you could easily build a much larger battery (like the PPS you built in a previous video) and just route power from that into the 55x21 port on the fridge. That would be over 1,000wh, versus 173wh.

[@Jasonoid]

Hey Jason, this fridge was running for 8 months straight as their main fridge so i'd say its been pretty reliable so far. Newair has excellent customer support and a warranty as well if you have any issues. This fridge comes with a 'DC power cable' that you can plug into any 12v socket, and an 'AC to DC adapter' that allows you to run it off AC power. If you already have a large battery setup, i'd suggest just plugging the fridge into that using the included DC power cable, no extra battery needed. The extra battery is just a bonus if you have a short trip and don't want to take an additional power source. My discount code JASONOID will take off additional $50 off the fridge purchase I believe.

[@mikedog9746]

Can you charge the battery with solar while running the refrigerator ??? I have solar panels on my truck and am interested in buying that battery for my refrigerator.

[@sabufinisher]

what would be better to use this fridge with my EcoFlow Delta Mini, the 12v outlet or the 240v AC outlet? Will there be any difference in power withdrawal?

[@Jasonoid]

The DC output will be much more efficient. I'd recommend running on the 12v socket.

[@jacklin7624]

Hello, Does this have Bluetooth on it?

[@NYTROeast]

Can we upgrade the solar panel? What are the maximum watts and amps numbers for the onboard solar charger so to make sure we are buying a usable panel?

[@Jasonoid]

They don't give much information about that. I would stick with a panel with a max voltage of 24voc and 100w or less.

[@johnkozaczok3713]

What is the max of solar input ? Can I run 200 watts of solar for a cloudy day to compensate and will it shut down because of too much solar input, or will it just ignore the rest ? Thank you for all your work.

[@Jasonoid]

This fridge is great, but I wouldn't recommend the lithium battery. Just buy an external battery or power station to run this fridge. This is why I don't recommend it.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6KyfmifnZV8fsk

[@mrhalfstep]

I've seen the same battery on BougeRV website and they DO warn against charging the battery directly with solar. If the battery is dead, does the the AC-DC brick or the 12 VDC Cig Socket cord charge the battery as it powers the compressor, or does the cooler have to be turned off? I know that small solar generators are a popular way to power these coolers, but I found what I think are two better alternatives. With the recent release of the mini LiFePO4 100 ah batteries made with soft pouch cells you can simply add an inexpensive cigarette socket and you'll have 1280 WH of power in a easy carry package. Because it's straight 12.8 DC to begin with, there will be no conversion losses. That is nearly 7.5 X the 173wh battery run time. Alternatively, you can use the Dr, Prepare battery that has the snap-in module that has 12 VDC cig socket at 10 amps, along with some USB sockets and.... a 100 watt solar charge controller. Both of these will run the cooler longer than only the biggest solar generators because of the direct to 12VDC aspect. Power stations have higher battery voltages that have to be converted down, so all 1280 WH don't make it to the cooler. At $400 ish they also are inexpensive options, I think. I have the 48 qt version of this cooler and after spending nearly 2 days freezing all the water filled 6 oz yogurt single serve cups that I could fit into both sides, ( around 13 liters of water, I believe) with both zones set on -4 F, I made all that ice for .30 cents at my local rate of 10.2 cents per kilowatt hour. That was running on max cool. Next I ran it with the ice in it, as if it was a deep freeze set at -4F and it used .59 kwh at a cost of 6 cents for 24 hours of run time on Max. I'm now running it for another 24 hours on ECO mode to see how that differs.

[@Jasonoid]

Only charge via the charging port on the fridge, never the battery on its own. I found out the hard way what happens if you charge it via solar directly: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6KyfmifnZV8fsk Other brands started updating documentation once I had an issue with mine blowing up in the video I sent you.

[@Dan-bj1cz]

Hi. Can you recommend a higher solar panel that will work best for this cooler

[@Jasonoid]

It only charges at around 75 watts peak so a 100w panel would be max I'd recommend.

[@achristianson4059]

Bought mine and it’s killing my battery… I saw that the lights inside never turn off though a peak check of the internal stripping … there’s no inside notch that keeps pushed in like a conventional refer

[@babyronaldabuan8829]

Hello, I got XTAR 100W solar panel, so I can plug this directly to the solar plug to the fridge? Thanks!

[@Jasonoid]

It puts out near the same voltage as the Newair model so it should work well!

[@robertmcdowell4605]

Where can I find the cord if I have/purchase a separate solar panel and don't buy the full kit

[@Jasonoid]

Just find a solar adapter with a 5521 barrel plug. That's the size of the input on the fridge.

[@emajames9634]

So does this refrigerator come with it's own battery

[@Jasonoid]

The battery is sold separately.

[@denalewis3473]

I have a bluetti pv120S do you think i can hook up to this fridge and charge the battery?

[@Jasonoid]

I think that will work without a problem. To confirm, you can always email Newair, they have good customer support.

[@stevensmith277]

Hi there another great video, im new to solar and have just purchased a solar generator and 200W folding solar panel for my boat. What im asking is because i have a battery on order if i connect my solar panel directly into my fridge which is a clone of the one featured. Does the fridge have a charge controller built in because it is a 12V/24V fridge. Im asking because my solar panel has max open circuit voltage of 24V but puts out a lot less when less sun is present, does all input voltages go though some sort of controller? Hope you can help.

[@Jasonoid]

Only charge the battery with the fridge solar connection. The fridge does have a built in charge controller that's designed to charge the batteries. Charging the batteries directly with the solar panel will cause the battery to be overcharged.

[@stevensmith277]

@@Jasonoid Thanks, so my 200W panel will not damage battery due to fridge charge controller limiting voltage produced by panel.

[@Jasonoid]

@@stevensmith277 correct!

[@emajames9634]

where do I find the battery on amazon ? and what spec do I look for in a battery for this 80 qt refrigerator? please send me a link to it

[@Jasonoid]

They don't sell it on Amazon, you can find it here though: www.bodegacooler.com/products/detachable-battery-of-portable-car-fridge My warning to you is to NOT charge the battery directly with any solar panel. Only charge the battery while inside the fridge.

[@denalewis3473]

Hi Jason, Great videos ! Can you tell me the max solar input for this newair 80qt ? Also max amps and voltage it will allow ? Or do you have the specs on the panel in your review ? I seen your video on what happens if you try to charge direct ! I thought i seen some spec on charging threw the port on the battery direct it was real low amps like 3 amps . Do you know if anyone sales a direct battery charger fot that battery ? Hows the newair been proforming ? Great stuff keep it up!

[@Jasonoid]

Yeah, don't charge it directly! It goes BOOM if you charge it directly with a solar panel. I don't want to experience that again! I couldn't believe they didnt have any markings on the battery not to charge it directly.....so yeah there's no over charging protection in the battery pack, all of that is built into the fridge itself. The fridge battery is a 3S lithium battery so you could charge it manually using a 12.6v lithium charger. If you call up Newair, they should be able to get you the info you need.

[@Jasonoid]

Here's the video of what happens if it's charged directly with solar for a long time: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6KyfmifnZV8fsk

[@denalewis3473]

Have you tried to charge the cooler and battery in it with anything other than thier panel? I'm looking to set up a cheaper option to charge it with a solar panel other than thiers ! Thought mabe you had thier panel does it say on the panel the specs ? Volts watts and amps ? Ya glad you and your family were not hurt ! It's crazy how long that went on for !!

[@Jasonoid]

@@denalewis3473 I would think any 12v solar panel would work. Something like a 100w, 18vmp, 22voc panel would be fine.

[@broinsocali]

That seems more complicated than just connecting it to a power unit.

[@andrewinaustintx]

Why do you look so much smaller when standing behind this fridge? I've been using an Indel TB41A for the past 6 years and will probably be getting something smaller for solo road trips in the near future.

[@Jasonoid]

HAHA, I do look much smaller behind this beast. My camera has to be back much farther to get the whole shot! IndelB makes great fridges, they are made in the same factory as ICECO and SetPower as well. I think those three companies are all related in some way. Glad to hear it's been working so long for you.

[@madhacker7]

I've seen a few rebrands of the same fridge out there. Is it possible to run the fridges off solar without a battery in it?

[@Jasonoid]

Yeah, most of these are the same so just pick the company with the best support and warranty... Hint hint Newair is great! Also, I can't believe I didn't test just running off the solar panel alone. I think that should work. You'd have to have very consistent sun because if the power dropped and came back up over and over I think it would damage the compressor.

[@StrangBrandon]

No you cannot run Solar without the battery. Solar panels will just charge ONLY the battery and not run the cooler.

[@jenbrazell7301]

Becarful mine said charge by DC only.

[@NYTROeast]

Have you ever done anything on the BODEGACOOLER 12 Volt Car Refrigerator, 80Q Portable. I am looking at the Newair and the Bodega 80Q trying to figure out which one the better

[@Jasonoid]

I believe the only difference would be the brand of compressor, LG or Huayi.

[@NYTROeast]

@@Jasonoid I've heard of LG but not Huayi. Between the 2 what one in your opinion is the better one? I know I have to go with Dometic Waeco if I want the best, but I don't want to spend that money to get their product. especially for something that might get used 7 times a year

[@Jasonoid]

@@NYTROeast the Huyai is a Chinese clone of a secop danfoss compressor. They both work well but I'd lean to the huyai

[@queenb9668]

Would two 200w solar panels be too much for the unit? I'm thinking of getting 2 solar panels with a bluetti 1500 jackery. Do you think this would work?

[@Jasonoid]

If you are already buying a power station, save the cost of the extra frdige battery and just buy the power station and solar panels built for that! Would be more cost effective

[@Emivioricomex]

Did u get the bluetti or jackery?

[@NatureZone101]

Helpful video, thanks. "Take this on a road trip" - Haha, does it come with a trailer hitch at that size?

[@Jasonoid]

Lol! Hey it fits in my wife's 4runner just fine... It just may be the only thing that fits. We usually road trip in our truck so it fits just fine in the back, we do have a camper shell though.

[@jenbrazell7301]

Be very careful the battery can be charged with dc directly but you need to check what volts you can use.dont go over what it say it will catch fire exploded.

[@Jasonoid]

You are correct, unfortunately neither the battery nor the owners manual mention charging directly with the solar panel is an issue. With a 5521 plug on the solar panel and a 5521 port on the battery, it just made sense to plug them in together. The battery had a circuit board and charging lights so one would think it had overvoltage charging protection.....WRONG LOL! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6KyfmifnZV8fsk

[@thomascrompton7775]

I have bluetti 200 watt folding panels such as this. Wonder if it is to much for the battery. Do you know what the battery will handle for input charging. I've been using a small 50 watt goal zero

[@Jasonoid]

Do NOT charge this battery directly with a solar panel. Only charge the battery inside the fridge. It will charge at a maximum of 45 watts, no matter the size of the panel. Charging the battery directly with a solar panel will cause the battery to be overcharged and can explode (mine did while I was camping).

[@thomascrompton7775]

@@Jasonoid so is there something in the fridge that shuts the power down if battery is full that keeps this from happening . Because say I have the 100 watt panel they sell as the kit. My battery is full fridge is running but I'm pulling 75 warts but fridge only needs 45. I'd be over charging also so is that an issue.

[@Jasonoid]

@@thomascrompton7775 the fridge has the official battery charger and is safe. The 100watt panel gets around 60 watts of power, and the fridge limits the charging to 45 watts. Using the fridge solar charging port is the only safe way to charge it.

[@thomascrompton7775]

@@Jasonoid perfect. I have a 50 watt goalzero panel I bought the connector adapter so it fits the fridge from the 8mm on the panel. So I should be good.

[@Jasonoid]

@@thomascrompton7775 should be good 👍

[@DoritosResidue]

I've done a ton of research for these portable refrigerators. My mind is set on refrigerators with a secop/Danfoss compressor. Narrowed it down to the iceco brand. I don't trust the many rebrands of this newair , bodega, etc.

[@Jasonoid]

I have had excellent experiences with ICECO. Have you seen my 8 fridge comparison video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZ2vdqF8nLV_qas

[@DoritosResidue]

@@Jasonoid yes I have! You are the youtuber that got my mind set on iceco. Thanks !

[@p8nty]

Can you run the fridge just by plugging the solar straight in to the fridge? Say a 12v 100w panel

[@Jasonoid]

That would be fine, but for the most consistent runtime, you'd want some sort of battery or power station.

[@StrangBrandon]

No, you cannot run Solar without the battery.

[@Trillville43]

All PET panels I've tried don't do well especially compared to ETFE.

[@Jasonoid]

Did you mean PET or ETFE? I have many of both coated panels and I haven't seen a huge difference in power output.

[@Trillville43]

@@Jasonoid PET

[@Jasonoid]

@@Trillville43 the only reason I can think of is that usually pet panels are just cheaper and maybe use lessor quality solar chips. I hate to see pet still being used

[@jw3843]

This fridge looks just like a bodega, Bouge rv, and euhomy fridge on amazon. Euhomy is the cheapest. None advertise the battery on the Amazon page, but all have the compartment for one. Do you know who actually makes it?

[@Jasonoid]

They are made by Alipcool. Many of these brands are "re-badged" with different brand names. They are basically all the same except the compressor brand differs from LG to different Chinese branded compressors.

[@jw3843]

@@Jasonoid Thanks, good to know. The ones with LG might be the best for the money then.

[@tmanning4usa]

Thats the problem with A lot of the foldable solar panels they are not true rated wattage the companies lie about there true watts so that panel is about a 50 to 60 watt panel not a 100 watts as claim very misleading they allways claim in perfect condition which a misleading lie and bs if you point solar panels in direct sunlight you should get aleast rated wattage of the panel without excuses my harbor freight 100 watt solar panel pointed in direct sun light gets between 100 to 120 watts which is excellent performance.

[@ocuihc]

not true

[@sharonbraselton4302]

griçy stire 9 tpo 9 15 am soo getíbg dresson soon wr need get gss too

[@user-qv2tm9zs4x]

So is garbage

[@Sanwizard1]

Total ripoff at that price.

[@Jasonoid]

Yeah, just go buy a Pecron e600LFP for that price! It's on sale for $299 right now for Prime Day, crazy deal! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rInIpJ9moMmFapY