Replacing 30 year old Crosby system

[mcconnella]

I have a Crosby refrigeration system with 2 reefer holding plates and 1 freezer holding plate. The 1/2 hp motor, compressor, and roper water pump are shot. I can probably salvage the raw water heat exchanger. Are there systems out there that I can use my holding plates with? Anyone know a real expert in the St Augustine area? Thank You in advance.
"Solution"

[skipmac]

With the new, more efficient Danfoss 12V compressors most new installs are air cooled without holding plates. All the data I have seen shows that the overall efficiency, lowest power draw and stable box temps are being achieved with direct evaporator systems and not using holding plates.

I think there are still some circumstances where holding plates might be recommended but uncommon.

I replaced my old cold machine with a Frigoboat, air-cooled system based on the Danfoss 50 compressor. The box is 9-10 cu ft total, about 1.5 cu ft of freezer in that. Initial tests I'm drawing less than 50 amp hours/day in north FL.

The whole system is plug and play. Install the evaporator and thermostat units in the box, mount the compressor in a convenient, well ventilated location, connect the copper tubes, run 12v to the compressor and you're ready to go. The whole system is precharged with Freon 134 with sealed connectors so screw everything tight and no need to mess with charging the system.

So far I'm very happy with the Frigoboat. Another excellent choice is Sea-Frost. Pretty much the same deal, plug and play.

For your system, depending on the layout and box size you may want two units, one for the fridge and one for the freezer. Based on the Danfoss 30 or 50 compressor.

[skipmac]

By the way. If you just can't bear to give up your holding plates you can probably use one of these systems and keep them but at a lot of extra trouble and expense. The new systems are designed to match compressor and evaporator capacity for max efficiency and you would give up the plug and play to put the plates into the new system.

[mcconnella]

My only problem was the unit is in the engine room and there is not a real convenient place to put the new air cooled units. Does distance have much to do with these air cooled systems?
Thanks for the help.

[skipmac]

My Frigoboat system came standard with 11' or 12' (forget which exactly) copper line and you can get extensions that are also precharged with freon, sealed and plug&play like the rest if you need more. I mounted my compressor in the bilge in front of the mast step and ran the copper line through a locker. The compressors are pretty small so you don't need a whole lot of room.

The only concern with distance is insulating the first couple of feet of the copper coming out of the box. I was also very careful to put foam around all the holes where I ran the copper to make sure it didn't chafe through.

Where in NE FL are you? I'm in Gainesville. Be happy to show you my system if you're in the neighborhood.

Skip

[mcconnella]

I am in Palm Coast. Where is your boat..............I hope not in Gainesville.

[mcconnella]

I am in Palm Coast.........Where is your boat? Not in Gainesville......I HOPE.

[mcconnella]

Sorry about the double reply......got confused about site

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by mcconnella

Sorry about the double reply......got confused about site

A double reply. You are in big trouble. The moderators may ban you for life, or at least chastise you severely.

Of course the boat isn't in Gainesville. What a silly question.

It's parked in the woods about 5 miles north of Gainesville. Check the lat/lon under the photo.

Had it trucked over from Green Cove Springs to be close by while I'm refitting and getting ready to go sailing.

[onestepcsy37]

when i bought my boat i also had a crosby engine drive / 120 volt system. it ran two holding plates, one for the freezer and one for the fridge. the freezer was about 4 cubic feet, the fridge about 6. but it wasn't working, and a bill from a previous repair i found on the boat was for over $1000. after a bit of research i decided to make a big change.

the problem with the previous system is that it had to be run every day, maybe twice a day, to charge the holding plates. that meant that if i were anchored out i would have to be on the boat every day to run the engine. it also occupied a large space in the engine room and was something of a mechanical monster. after much thought i simply ripped out the entire system and installed an adler barbour 12 volt air cooled system.

i put the adler barbour in the box that used to be the freezer. the former fridge box is now both fridge and freezer. after some years of actual usage i've found that the fridge was too big, so i filled the bottom with removeable insulation and it's now about 3.5 cubic feet. i can easily remove the insulation if i have some need for a larger fridge. and it now runs off the battery bank which means it runs without any attention from me, for as long as there is juice in the batteries (think solar panels, wind generator).

i see you live in palm coast. i'm right down the road in daytona beach. my boat is currently in titusville but i'm bringing it up to daytona halifax harbor marina in a few weeks. maybe we can get together and i can show you what i did.

the installation is much easier than you might suppose.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

the installation is much easier than you might suppose.

I disagree.

From reading all the ads and dealer promo I supposed the installation would be very easy but hard experience made me seriously doubt that supposition.

Having been there, done that and developed a certain degree of cynicism towards claims by manufacturers in general and marine installations in particular I was quite ready for the installation to turn into a huge headache.

Instead I was quite surprised to find that the installation was as easy as I could hope. Basically find locations for the components and bolt them down. Run the copper tube and wires. Connect everything. Turn on power. Voila, cold!!!

Only one negative. I did have to actually read the instructions which was a slight challenge to my masculine ego.

[mcconnella]

I will look on Google earth to see the boat in Gainesville and yes I would be happy to see your installation when you bring the boat back to Daytona. Ventilation is my biggest concern. Tha air cooled units need ventilation....Correct? When you put it in bilge in front of Mast doesn't it get hot and work less efficiently? When putting it in your Fridge which I could do where do you get the air to keep it cool?
Thanks to both of you for the help. You have me switching my thoughts and getting more room in the Engine room and possibly changing the platform above water heater to spare parts storage and put a vise in there even though it is only 4ft six, I have often found that a vise would be helpful on some jobs.
Thanks Again,
Andy

[skipmac]

Hi Andy,

If you zoom in the satellite view on google maps you can just see my blue tarp through the tree tops. Hopefully in a few weeks that will be gone and I will be floating again. Plan to start out again in Green Cove Springs on the St Johns but sometime fall/winter plan a trip south so will be passing by Daytona.

I decided to put the compressor in the bilge after seeing that installation on another 422 where it had been for a year or two in the Caribbean with no reported problems.

Yes the compressor should get good ventilation but at least in my case the bilge area is fairly large and open and there are plenty of places for the warm air in the bilge to rise up behind lockers, around the mast and such. I'm thinking the bilge will probably allow better ventilation and less heat buildup than installing in a locker or cabinet which is where the old cold machine was installed. Plus being the lowest part of the boat the bilge is usually pretty cool and the spot I picked is high and dry so I think I'm good. The last benefit, where my compressor is installed uses a space that is otherwise wasted which is always a good thing. Of course in your boat you will have to check the specifics of your potential locations.

[mcconnella]

thanks for the info....I took a hard look at GOOGLE Earth and saw the tarp. Did you have Blister problems or something major to haul and put the boat away from water?
I am going down and starting to look for a new place other that a lower locker in the galley with no louvers. Hate to give up storage space where food stores and paper goods can go but apparently I will.
Regards,
Andy

[skipmac]

I did have blisters but were very barely into the gel coat and could have left them but as long as I was doing everything else. The boat had been very neglected when I bought it and needed lots and lots of TLC and cosmetics. There was actually lichen growing on the teak rubrail, a couple of gallons of oil in the bilge, dry rot in the veneer below and that's just the start. But I really liked the Pearson 422 and it was structurally very sound, engine good and I got it for about 20% less than any other I've seen on the market.

Also when I bought it I was still a few years from retirement and cruising so figured it would be something to keep me out of trouble until it was time to go. Looks like when I'm done I will have 10-15% more invested than another 422 in better shape but for that I will have all new rigging (standing and running), sails, plumbing, holding tanks, refrigerator, water system, hot water, electronics, etc. Plus I will know every part of the boat inside and out. Just don't ask me how much per hour I've earned for the time I've put in.