Adding Insulation around Freezer

[Jim Woodall]

I'm confident other sailors have added additional insulation to the fridge or freezer(icebox) on their boats. My wife and I have a Lagoon 42 and I'm interested in adding insulation around our freezer. The freezer is a top-loading, icebox-style about 3 feet deep.

There is an access panel behind a hanging locker that provides fairly good access on three sides and the bottom of the freezer. The fourth side is pretty flush against the cabinet the freezer is mounted into and not accessible. My first thought is to use either polystyrene board about 1" thick or reflectix
wrap. The reflectix doesn't have the R value of the polystyrene board but will probably be easier to work with and is a good radiant heat shield. I'm looking for suggestions about what might work better!

There are also two compressors, one for the fridge and one for the freezer in the cabinet that houses both the fridge and freezer. The compressors create heat in the cabinet and thus heat around the fridge and freezer. Ventilation is passive, there are vent slots on the top of the cabinet but there are no ventilation fans. I'm also thinking of installing a small muffin fan (or other small fan) to create airflow over the compressors in the direction of the vent slots. Again, suggestions are welcomed - and needed!

I've just started thinking this through and hope someone who has done it before will be willing to give me a few pointers. Thanks!

[ggray]

That is similar to what I have.

Not sure how much good it did, but I added an inch or two of 'blue board insulation' between the box and the compressors. Really the only place I could access.

I also increased the size of vents to let the heat out of the cabinet. Actually, there had been only vents to let air in but not out. The Frigoboat unit I now have is made so you can attach a discharge duct directly.