12 volt refrigerator struggling in the heat

[motion30]

I had an issue with my 9cf novacool fridge. New fan and new controller seems to have help. This caused me to install a indoor outdoor thermometer inside the fridge
It struggles to get down below low 40s. Of course my boat is 90 degrees and no air cond. Is there something wrong or is this all it can do. I did order a new door gasket. The thermostat is on full cold and unit seems to run 100% of the time

[Bowdrie]

You've given no info on model or installation.
In the conditions you describe with ~9cf, you're asking a lot, (perhaps too much,) of those little condensing units.
Perhaps this?
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...ional+2015.pdf

[motion30]

It is a stand alone factory -made stand up front door unit with small freezer on the bottom. I think you are correct. Use a bd35 compression. Probably be ok in another month

[rslifkin]

Add more insulation to the outside of the unit if you have space. I also found mine performs better (same fridge) with the fan blowing air into the lower space (across the condenser) instead of the factory setup that blows air out.

[motion30]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Add more insulation to the outside of the unit if you have space. I also found mine performs better (same fridge) with the fan blowing air into the lower space (across the condenser) instead of the factory setup that blows air out.

I did reverse the fan.

[motion30]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Add more insulation to the outside of the unit if you have space. I also found mine performs better (same fridge) with the fan blowing air into the lower space (across the condenser) instead of the factory setup that blows air out.

I did reverse the fan.
Heat index here(key west) was 105 today

[Bill O]

9cf with a bd35, no wonder you are having issues.

May work in colder clims or w/5-6" of insulation. Is is running non-stop to keep up? What is the run time of the compressor/hr?

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Bill O

9cf with a bd35, no wonder you are having issues.

May work in colder clims or w/5-6" of insulation. Is is running non-stop to keep up? What is the run time of the compressor/hr?

I agree that the bd35 is a bit underpowered. They've recently started offering a version of the same fridge with 2x bd35 (separate for fridge and freezer). But with enough insulation, maximizing condenser airflow and possibly adding some air circulation inside the fridge to get heat into the evaporator more effectively, it's workable if you don't try to use it as a drink cooler and don't encounter a lot of weather of 90+ degrees.

This winter I'm going to pull mine and add some more insulation (mine has some extra but I can add a bit more). And then add a digital thermostat in the fridge to turn on a fan blowing across the evaporator if the fridge gets up to 40 degrees. Can't leave the fan on all the time, as doing that and turning up the thermostat to avoid freezing stuff in the fridge means the freezer becomes a second fridge, rather than a freezer. If you don't the freezer or have a separate one, you could do this. Running the system at a higher evap temperature increases the heat transfer capacity of the bd35.