Waeco Circulating Air Evaporator VD14N

[ErikFinn]

Hi folks,

I'm in the process of replacing my fridge machinery for the original ice/cool box.
I'm in tropics and I want the simplest most efficient and most reliable system possible and pay the least $$$.
Therefore, I do not want a water cooled system, I want to go for a simple conventional air cooled system, and therefore the compressor I believe should be the BD50 (not BD35).

Now, I contacted Waeco Australia with some questions but they never replied to me, which is unfortunate.

My question today is:
Does anyone have any experience about the Waeco Circulating Air Evaporator VD14N?

Apparently it is quite efficient as it has the fan, even with lesser insulation as opposed to plain plate evaporator, but I would like to know if I can reach freezing temperatures in the tropics with this setup? (Maybe by constructing a "spillover divider"?)

I don't want to be able to deep freeze large volumes of food for long periods, just to keep some chicken and meat safe and edible for a week max, and be able to make ice cubes.

I do not know how much insulation I have unfortunately as I have no access to the outside of the box. It is the original on the 1989 Beneteau Oceanis 430.

Here are the specs (on the lower right corner, under the "WAECO ColdMachine Series 90" section):
http://clients2.kaigan.se/dometic/97...b78d0cbdec.pdf

It says it's application is for "Coolers & refrigerators, especially suitable for large cooling capacities and high ambient temperatures", so it doesnt say anything about freezing, but since Waeco did not reply to me I wanted to ask members here..

And yes I know, the next item on the table, Circulating Air Deep Freeze Evaporator VD16 is for deep-freezing, but i'm looking to get more fridge capacity, not freezer capacity...

[Richard Kollmann]

Originally Posted by ErikFinn

Hi folks,

I'm in the process of replacing my fridge machinery for the original ice/cool box.
I'm in tropics and I want the simplest most efficient and most reliable system possible and pay the least $$$.
Therefore, I do not want a water cooled system, I want to go for a simple conventional air cooled system, and therefore the compressor I believe should be the BD50 (not BD35).

Now, I contacted Waeco Australia with some questions but they never replied to me, which is unfortunate.

My question today is:
Does anyone have any experience about the Waeco Circulating Air Evaporator VD14N?

Apparently it is quite efficient as it has the fan, even with lesser insulation as opposed to plain plate evaporator, but I would like to know if I can reach freezing temperatures in the tropics with this setup? (Maybe by constructing a "spillover divider"?)

I don't want to be able to deep freeze large volumes of food for long periods, just to keep some chicken and meat safe and edible for a week max, and be able to make ice cubes.

I do not know how much insulation I have unfortunately as I have no access to the outside of the box. It is the original on the 1989 Beneteau Oceanis 430.

Here are the specs (on the lower right corner, under the "WAECO ColdMachine Series 90" section):
http://clients2.kaigan.se/dometic/97...b78d0cbdec.pdf

It says it's application is for "Coolers & refrigerators, especially suitable for large cooling capacities and high ambient temperatures", so it doesnt say anything about freezing, but since Waeco did not reply to me I wanted to ask members here..

And yes I know, the next item on the table, Circulating Air Deep Freeze Evaporator VD16 is for deep-freezing, but i'm looking to get more fridge capacity, not freezer capacity...

Twenty five years ago I manufactured five sizes and sold over 100 fan cooled evaporators, Ten years later Adler Barbour followed with their fan cooled units. Without daily defrosting in marine markets refrigerated air cooling over fin tubing is only practical when used in drink coolers, where frosts melts away when compressor stops. The stories about cooling failures from frost build up on fan evaporators were deleted when Adler Barbour’s web Forum was shut down.

Some of My Freeze Blasters are still in service but they are the ones that are in series with freezer holding plate systems. Large holding plate systems are slow to drop plate temperature to the point where eutectic solution starts freezing fully so the addition of Freeze Blaster in these applications reduced time required to lower box temperature. Once fan air fins are blocked by frost holding plates maintain box temperature until Freeze Blaster temperature increased above freezing where frost melts away again.

[onestepcsy37]

I had one of those when I originally installed my waeco. It would not reach freezing temps. I changed it out for a regular evaporator box and that has worked flawlessly for ten years. The box will give you room for an ice cube tray or two and just enough freezer space.

[Reefmagnet]

I'm in agreeance with the comments above. I recently installed a BD35 based Waeco (CU-84) unit and was specifically advised by the Qld agent I purchased it from not to buy the fan forced evaporator. Our fridge compartment is about 90l and I purchased the basic plate evaporator which is working well. Our fridge insulation is nice and thick, but there is an area inside a cupboard that has no insulation which I assume was for using as cooler. At the moment, it's insulated with old magazines until I can install some foam. I did make a vent and install a 140mA computer fan to force vent the cupboard the compressor is installed in, however, as the compressor unit generates a lot of heat and needs good airflow around it.

The VD-09 evaporator should make ice and freeze, we had this in our last boat. Also, I think that, depending on compartment design, the fridge area could be divided with a removable divider to make a separate freezing and cooling area.

[ErikFinn]

Thank you for your kind replies guys.

I talked with a friend and finally decided to change my approach a little.
I decided I will not require ice making capability from this box, but instead I will get a separate ice maker for that purpose.

Also talked with Colin at Seabreeze Industries, a WAECO dealer in Australia, and he was very kind and helpful, big thank you to Colin.

Furthermore, I decided to go for the "lower" specced 80-series compressor/condenser with the BDF35F compressor (CU-85), as opposed to the 90-series BD50F compressor.

Why so then? Although I'm in the tropics and Waeco recommends the BD50F compressor ("having 25% more cooling power" and "for use in tropical waters")?
Because the BD50F uses more power. Possibly even about 50% more than the BDF35F. As per Waeco:
"WAECO ColdMachine Series 80 power consumption 45-60 watts depending on evaporator used"
"WAECO ColdMachine Series 90 power consumption 60-100 watts depending on evaporator used"

I do have solar (another project) but still I figured it would be better to rather minimize the power consumption which might be a problem at night time. Also having talked with a friend and he was happy with his similar setup here, and although my location is tropics it is not the hottest of the tropics, about 32-35 degrees Celcius on average.

For the evaporator I chose the Waeco Circulating air evaporator VD-15, which is quite similar to the VD14N but it is suitable and fitting for the 80-series compressor/condensers. Despite of what was said above, but again my friend recommended it: "does not frost and is beautiful".

Furthermore, I failed to mention this previously, but I also do have a 200 liter separate freezer, which is inoperative at the moment, installed under the forward room's bed. I have been thinking to take it out and thrash it, but this project made me reconsider, as it has 15 cm (6 inches) of insulation all around and so is apparently quite well insulated. Should I ever decide to get the freezer back in line, I'm sure id appreciate minimal power consumption on all my other stuff.

So I guess I will see how it will work. I'm no expert by any means and don't claim I know my stuff. This time I decided to choose like this. Hopefully it will all work ok.

Cheers guys

[Richard Kollmann]

Originally Posted by ErikFinn

Thank you for your kind replies guys.

I talked with a friend and finally decided to change my approach a little.
I decided I will not require ice making capability from this box, but instead I will get a separate ice maker for that purpose.

Also talked with Colin at Seabreeze Industries, a WAECO dealer in Australia, and he was very kind and helpful, big thank you to Colin.

Furthermore, I decided to go for the "lower" specced 80-series compressor/condenser with the BDF35F compressor (CU-85), as opposed to the 90-series BD50F compressor.

Why so then? Although I'm in the tropics and Waeco recommends the BD50F compressor ("having 25% more cooling power" and "for use in tropical waters")?
Because the BD50F uses more power. Possibly even about 50% more than the BDF35F. As per Waeco:
"WAECO ColdMachine Series 80 power consumption 45-60 watts depending on evaporator used"
"WAECO ColdMachine Series 90 power consumption 60-100 watts depending on evaporator used"

I do have solar (another project) but still I figured it would be better to rather minimize the power consumption which might be a problem at night time. Also having talked with a friend and he was happy with his similar setup here, and although my location is tropics it is not the hottest of the tropics, about 32-35 degrees Celcius on average.

For the evaporator I chose the Waeco Circulating air evaporator VD-15, which is quite similar to the VD14N but it is suitable and fitting for the 80-series compressor/condensers. Despite of what was said above, but again my friend recommended it: "does not frost and is beautiful".

Furthermore, I failed to mention this previously, but I also do have a 200 liter separate freezer, which is inoperative at the moment, installed under the forward room's bed. I have been thinking to take it out and thrash it, but this project made me reconsider, as it has 15 cm (6 inches) of insulation all around and so is apparently quite well insulated. Should I ever decide to get the freezer back in line, I'm sure id appreciate minimal power consumption on all my other stuff.

So I guess I will see how it will work. I'm no expert by any means and don't claim I know my stuff. This time I decided to choose like this. Hopefully it will all work ok.

Cheers guys

I can not see how WAECO could have given you that detailed specific advice unless you told them the box size was smaller than 4 cubic ft (113 liters) with at least an insulation R value of 20 or more and desired operating cooler temperatures just for drinks and not to protect stored food quality. Did you also advise them that you planed on using boat in a tropical climate?

It is true that if you are able to satisfy desired box temperature with a BD35 compressor running at minimum 2000 rpm attached to a conventional heat conducting evaporator daily energy consumption is considerably reduced. Unfortunately low rpm compressor energy savings with fan cooling evaporators VD14,15,16, are diminished by added energy needed to operate fans much longer, do to extended compressor running time at low Rpm.

[ErikFinn]

Originally Posted by Richard Kollmann

I can not see how WAECO could have given you that detailed specific advice unless you told them the box size was smaller than 4 cubic ft (113 liters) with at least an insulation R value of 20 or more and desired operating cooler temperatures just for drinks and not to protect stored food quality. Did you also advise them that you planed on using boat in a tropical climate?

It is true that if you are able to satisfy desired box temperature with a BD35 compressor running at minimum 2000 rpm attached to a conventional heat conducting evaporator daily energy consumption is considerably reduced. Unfortunately low rpm compressor energy savings with fan cooling evaporators VD14,15,16, are diminished by added energy needed to operate fans much longer, do to extended compressor running time at low Rpm.

The quotes on my previous posts are from the Waeco website and like I said the website recommends the BD50F compressor, but I decided to chooce differently. Waeco did not "give me that detailed specific advice", rather I based my decision on my friend's personal experience. Like I said, my friend has this set up, uses the boat here, and his beer sometimes freezes in the box. Now that can be good or bad, depending on one's point of view. And he doesn't have to defrost.

Yes, the fan will add to the consumption, and this VD15 evaporator is not the most energy efficient.

If it will be a disappointment, then so be it, I will see how it goes.

"Circulating air evaporator VD-15 Cooling Capacitity: 250 litres max. with insulation of 50 mm PU"

[Tristannelson]

Hi Eric,
Just following up on his post from a while back. I am looking at installing the 90 series with the VD14. How did your set up work out for you?

[ErikFinn]

Originally Posted by Tristannelson

Hi Eric,
Just following up on his post from a while back. I am looking at installing the 90 series with the VD14. How did your set up work out for you?

Unfortunately I never received the goodies. I ordered the compressor and evaporator from Australia. The shipping was supposed to be 160$. After two weeks the shipping company asked for data sheets about the compressor and said the shipping just increased to 320$. Ok.. well, never mind... Two weeks later they said they have to fly in a specialist from the other coast to inspect the compressor and to do the paperwork, and that would cost 900$. At that point I cancelled the order. Shame, I was looking forward to that system Please let me know how it goes for you.