Under-counter refrigeration
for a food trailer.
Refrigeration is the load people underestimate, because the running figure is small and the startup figure is not. It is also the one appliance that must keep working when you are not there — an overnight failure at a festival can write off your entire weekend stock before you open on Saturday.
The numbers
- Electrical load
- 150–400 W running Motor startup surge — draws several times this for a moment 1.7A at 230V · fits a 13A socket, but leaves 2.59 kW for everything else
- Footprint
- 600mm or 900mm wide, standard counter depth
- New (indicative)
- €500 – €2,500
- Used (indicative)
- €150 – €800
- Checked
- 2026-08-01
Power figures are ranges across models commonly sold into the Irish trailer trade — read the rating plate on the actual unit before you build a load budget on them. Prices are indicative guidance bands, not quotes, and no supplier is named or implied.
Running draw versus startup surge
An under-counter fridge runs at 150–400 W, which looks like nothing on a load sheet. The compressor startup surge, however, can be three to six times that for a moment. On a marginal generator, a compressor kicking in at the same instant as a grinder motor is the classic cause of a trip that seems to come from nowhere. This is why you size a generator with headroom rather than to the sum of the running figures.
5°C is the number
Chilled food must be held at or below 5°C. Probe and log it — a fridge thermometer and a written temperature log are both expected at inspection, and a unit that holds 5°C in a cool Irish April may not hold it inside a metal trailer in direct sun in July. Check the ambient rating on the unit: equipment rated for a 32°C ambient will struggle in a closed trailer on a hot day.
Buy for the environment, not the spec sheet
A trailer is a hostile environment for refrigeration — vibration on the road, heat from cooking equipment, dust, and a door being opened constantly during service. Look for a properly commercial unit with a robust compressor and accessible condenser you can actually clean, rather than a domestic-grade one that is cheaper and will not survive a season. Clean the condenser regularly; a blocked one is the most common cause of a fridge losing temperature.
Questions
How much power does a trailer fridge use?
150–400 W running, but the compressor startup surge is three to six times that for a moment. Size your generator for the surge, not the running figure — a compressor starting at the same time as another motor is a common cause of unexplained trips.
What temperature must chilled food be kept at in Ireland?
At or below 5°C. Probe and log it — both a fridge thermometer and a written temperature log are expected at inspection. Note that a unit holding 5°C in April may not manage it inside a metal trailer in July sun.
Can I use a domestic fridge in a food trailer?
It is a false economy. A trailer subjects a fridge to road vibration, cooking heat, dust and constant door opening. Commercial units are built for that and have accessible condensers you can clean; domestic units typically do not survive a season of it.