Adler Barbour: thermostat photo needed

[dsears3]

We just bought a 30 year old, 3rd or 4th hand Watkins 33 with a refrigerator.
The unit is so old the dial controlling the temperature (what I would call the thermostat??) has all markings rubbed out/unreadable.

If someone has one that you can still read the dial and any temp markings, I would greatly appreciate a photo.

From Watkins owner websites, I gather they installed mostly Adler Barbour, but the only manual we have states: FrostMate FM 690.

[Island Time O25]

It has I believe 8 positions - from "off" to 1 through 7. With 7 being almost next to off, on the other side of 1 of course. Why would you need all the markings? Off is accompished with a "click" so you mark it there. And the coldest is the in the opposite direction, all the way through.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, dsears.

[dsears3]

Thanks Island Time
I'm embarrassed to say we never shut it off using that thermostat.
The few times we use it, (for just a day or two once or twice a month), we use a switch mounted under the companionway.
Though the previous owners were not the original owners either, when they advised us to do it this way, we took them at their word, assuming they had more experience using it...though indeed, they only used the boat for occasional races.

Not to emphasize how naive I am about this, but to be certain what you are stating, since I am not near the boat right now, and want to make sure I have it correct when we do go on board this weekend:

If "7" is closest to the OFF button, I assume that is the highest (warmer) temp, thus "1" is the lowest (coldest) temp?
...and
does the dial turn clockwise from OFF to 7 , 6, 5....with 1 being on the top left of the dial?
OK: you can laugh now...but...we will be living on it the next 2 weeks, in a hot Florida summer, thus will be running it longer than its been used probably in many years.
Finger's crossed.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by dsears3

Thanks Island Time
I'm embarrassed to say we never shut it off using that thermostat.
The few times we use it, (for just a day or two once or twice a month), we use a switch mounted under the companionway.
Though the previous owners were not the original owners either, when they advised us to do it this way, we took them at their word, assuming they had more experience using it...though indeed, they only used the boat for occasional races.

Not to emphasize how naive I am about this, but to be certain what you are stating, since I am not near the boat right now, and want to make sure I have it correct when we do go on board this weekend:

If "7" is closest to the OFF button, I assume that is the highest (warmer) temp, thus "1" is the lowest (coldest) temp?
...and
does the dial turn clockwise from OFF to 7 , 6, 5....with 1 being on the top left of the dial?
OK: you can laugh now...but...we will be living on it the next 2 weeks, in a hot Florida summer, thus will be running it longer than its been used probably in many years.
Finger's crossed.

7 is the coldest as it is all the way AROUND from "off" (on the other side of the dial). Once you click off to on - it goes to 1 (warmest) all the way to 7 (coldest). This is the usual sequence for most fridges, IMO. If the engine is on I start at 7 and later, once it's sufficiently cold and/or the engine is off, keep it at about 3 or 4.

[a64pilot]

If it was like mine, if you set it to coldest and let it run all the time, it wouldn't get too cold.
I think often older factory installed refrigeration was actually an ice box conversion and simply put the insulation of the box combined with the size of compressor / evaporator/ condenser, it's not going to freeze your milk unlike your house fridge that might can.

So turn the knob all the way to the right and leave it until fridge temp gets just a little cooler than you want, then turn the knob very slowly to the left until it goes click. That should maintain a temp just a little higher than what is in the box. Make a reference mark, left for warmer, right for colder, I think?

I believe you may end up leaving it at full cold and just turning it on and off with the breaker. Until I got a "real" system, that's what I did with mine.

[Island Time O25]

The AB Coldmachine manual says that in large capacity boxes, 9-16ft (mine is one of those) unless you install an insulated partition with proper holes for air circulation the freezer will not freeze.

[dsears3]

Thanks a64Pilot and Island Time, I appreciate the clarification
(Island Time: I also agree that is how a normal refrigerator dial works, but your phrasing "... With 7 being almost next to off" ...it just got me thinking maybe you meant the opposite...so I am glad you took the time to set me back on track.)

I will play with it this weekend...our first 'greater than 2 days" sail since we bought the boat a few months ago. Learning every day...

Now trying to convince my husband to buy/rig a portable non-marine AC unit so we can survive south Florida summer humidity while working in a yard on the hard. According to other threads, sounds like 'inexpensive' CruisAir's for <500sf are no longer available.
Ahhhh, the boating life....