one fridge freezer or separate units

[MrMagoo2]

Hi all, seeking views and choices to advantages for installing one fridge freezer unit with separate compartments (75l portable type with top opening) or putting in two completely separate smaller units (2* 40L units)

Mainly seeking experienced views on possible power usage effect and efficiency. I can find the space for both options and cost wise is about the same.

I have a old oz fridge that is not working and damm regional Victoria (Warrnambool) not one fridge mechanic wants to look at it until al least 6 weeks and i cant buy my own gas to try to fix it. So new fridges it seem to be...
.......

[Chotu]

It will cost you about twice as much energy to put in two of them. I don’t know why that is, but I have analyzed this to death. A single unit uses just a little over half the energy. I guess there’s a lot of inefficiency in the compressor.

That said, I was not able to fit a single unit in my boat so I have a deep freezer and I am getting a whole refrigerator unit sometime soon.

[MrMagoo2]

Thanks Chotu.

I expected as much. I assume running one compressor that does the job then cools both the fridge and freezer compartment at the same time with the compressed gas is more efficient but wasn't sure. The 75 liter it will be for me
tops much appreciation.

[MrMagoo2]

May I ask one more thing if one had a choice of fridge or freezer but not both on a 20 day ocean crossing - what and why would you choose. I errr towards a freezer if need be's so I can carry enough meat and frozen pre cooked vegies for the entire journey making sure I defrost in time. Also freezing blocks of ice to cool a small cool box for fresh vegies for the first 7 days?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by MrMagoo2

Thanks Chotu.

I expected as much. I assume running one compressor that does the job then cools both the fridge and freezer compartment at the same time with the compressed gas is more efficient but wasn't sure. The 75 liter it will be for me
tops much appreciation.

I don’t know if you have all of the same type of energy ratings that we do here in the states. However, we can see how much energy per day the refrigerator uses here. Before buying it. So to double check, just find out the energy use of the single unit, and then compare with a pair of units. In my experience, nearly double.

Like you, I would err towards a freezer.

[rslifkin]

Separate units will give individual temperature control over fridge vs freezer. That leads to generally keeping the freezer colder, which causes some of the power consumption difference. It also means you likely have more total cooling power for times when you add a bunch of new food that needs to be cooled down. But, depending on insulation, the design and size of the units and the compressors they use, it may use more power than a single unit.

[sailorboy1]

I recently changed from a single freezer/refrigerator spillover system to separate systems. The 2 separate systems work much better at controlling the temps and the freezer doesn't ice up anymore. Energy wise the 2 separate systems are using just a little more energy (maybe 10ah/day) than the single spillover system, mostly I feel because the temps are lower so there is more transfer across thewalls.

People worry about the energy. But what you should thinking about is the food!

If I had only 1 I would chose a freezer.

[sailing_gal]

Having done a cross Atlantic- I agree with the others. If you only have one, it should be a freezer. You can always take things out to thaw as you need them.

I just redid my refrigeration and installed a custom separate fridge and freezer- holding plate system. Much more efficient than a single unit. Insulation is of primary importance as far as energy usage goes. I have, and prefer, a holding plate system. Especially for long distance cruising because the system does not have to run continuously and if there is a problem, it will probably hold the cold for almost 24 hours (with decent insulation), long enough for you to fix something if need be.

[DreaminFred]

Originally Posted by MrMagoo2

Hi all, seeking views and choices to advantages for installing one fridge freezer unit with separate compartments (75l portable type with top opening) or putting in two completely separate smaller units (2* 40L units)

Mainly seeking experienced views on possible power usage effect and efficiency. I can find the space for both options and cost wise is about the same.

I have a old oz fridge that is not working and damm regional Victoria (Warrnambool) not one fridge mechanic wants to look at it until al least 6 weeks and i cant buy my own gas to try to fix it. So new fridges it seem to be...
.......

A residential refrig/freezer operates with one compressor, freezes the freezer and drops cold air into the refrig compartment. The same strategy would be great for a boat, the "separate" compartments allow you to open one without spilling cold air out of the second. I personally love smaller, independently accessible compartments so I don't have to unload the whole box to get to the bottom food as often.

F

[Ardbeg]

I have separate freezer and fridge. On separate breakers. So more options. When traveling only have to open freezer once per day. When not traveling the freezer can be turned down and become a beer fridge or completely shut off if I do not need it.

[Captain Puget]

If you go for two units, you may want to consider a 12v portable for the freezer.

I like it to keep things really solid in transport to the boat and keep it the bilge to help with the cooling efficiency by using the ambient water temperature (northern latitudes).

[goboatingnow]

Anyone any experience of the dometic standalone freezer units

[redhead]

Last year we installed two separate units (Isotherm) that run on either 12V or AC. Since we live aboard at a dock it's probably working off the AC 75% of the time (more than that this year, sigh). I'd recommend the manufacturer, it seems very well thought out.

If I had to choose either freezer or fridge for a crossing I'd definitely opt for a freezer. Longer preservation of food and easily controlled use. The lifetime of refrigerated food is definitely more limited.

[CaptSQ]

I have two boats, one has two units (frigoboat) with a larger refrigerator compartment than the freezer. I have contemplated cutting a hole between the two and installing a themostatically controlled fan to run off just one of the two when cruising to save energy. The other vessle has one larger compartment with a Adler Barbour cold machine for both sides. This unit does not keep things frozen, other than in the small evaporator box. so i would say if you plan to keep a larger quantity of frozen food or bait go for two separate units and add a bit more solar.

[Capt Gary]

I have 2 separate units. A 4.3 cu ft refrigerator with a small freezer up top and a dedicated 3.5 cu ft freezer. I like this combination as I can do shorter cruises without even using the separate freezer. The small freezer in the top of my refrigerator unit is sufficient for about a weeks worth of meats.