Mahe 36: Refrigerator and Freezer

[MKB53]

Mark

Last year I built a freezer and would recommend buying a ready made box if you can get one the right size. Mine was complicated because I wanted to do as little "surgery" on the boat as possible so did a lot of in situ assembly. It was a LOT of work.

I am happy with the outcome but if you asked me halfway through the job you would have had to censor the reply.

I built the box under the saloon seat with 100mm Urethane foam as I would have lost too much space with 150. The research I did suggested that 100 would be OK in my situation but 150 is ideal.

The refrigeration unit is an Australian brand Eutectic unit (Ozefridge.com.au). So far I am very happy with the unit but I guess time will tell.

The eutectic installation is supposed to use less power but I have not actually measured power consumption. It has quite a large reservior of eutectic fluid and works hard cooling that down to target temp of around -21C. Interestingly they use an anti freeze mix!

The unit has a Danfoss 50 compressor but has a number of extra features added. It comes with a water cooled capability as standard, switching between air and water is a simple switch. They recommend plumbing into the fresh water supply and recirculating this rather than a seawater system. I am on air cooling but may look at water. They recommend water for bigger installations.

Comments on the eutectic operation vs an evapourator plate:
1: You definitely get cold/hot spots in the freezer but installing a circulating fan would fix this.
2: It takes a long time to freeze things so always try to put food in already frozen. What we did for ice for example was to make the ice in the Isotherm ice compartment and then put it into the freezer for longer term storage.

I can post some pics if anyone is interested.

Cheers
Martin

[Cotemar]

Mahe’s

We keep finding ways to minimize our power usage.
Replaced the Refrigerator 3 Watt filament bulb with an LED

Ancor Marine LED Festoon Bulbs - 12 Volt


Features:

• Energy-saving alternative to incandescent lighting for on or offshore use.
• Operates at much lower temperatures than conventional lighting sources
• No filaments to crack or shatter
• Life expectancy is rated at 100,000 hours of continued use
• Offers long term cost savings, an upgrade that lasts a lifetime
• Available as direct, replacements for existing ANCOR incandescent festoons
• Shock Resistant
• Ideal for Harsh Marine Environments

Specifications:
Dimensions: 1.43"L x .46"H x .5"W
Volts: 12
Candle Power: 32
Voltage Range: 9.5-14.0
Current draw: 40 mA
ANCOR Incandescent cross reference # 529095
Defender $12.99 US

Mark

[Cotemar]

Mahe’s

During the summer months you have to keep tweaking your refrigerator thermostat up to keep up with the rising ambient outdoor temperature, but never truly knowing if you’re at a good safe temperature. I put one of these wireless sensor in the top Freezer and one down toward the bottom of the Fridge.

I purchased one of these online for $22 US and set it up in just 5 minutes.

http://www.ambientweather.com/ch00985.html

Chaney Digital Fridge and Freezer Thermometer Model #00985
Don’t guess! Know if your food is at risk of spoilage.

Never again wonder if your food has stayed properly refrigerated or frozen! This wireless digital thermometer includes two sensors with clips and suction-cup mounts for inside the refrigerator and freezer, and a magnetic-backed display unit for the front of the appliance. Also includes fold-out stand. If internal temperatures exceed your pre-set minimums or maximums, you will see and hear an alarm, and know whether refrigerated or frozen food’s safety -- along with your health -- has been compromised. Range: -22ºF to 104ºF.

ºF or ºC Selection switch

Receiver: 2 AAA batteries (not included)
Transmitters: 2 AA batteries (not included)

Mark

[longislandsail]

Finally got the freezer installed. It is a stand alone freezer 12 volt made by Novakool, website is novakool.com. Bought it from Thermal Dynamics. Cost was $1000.00. I installed it on the port side hull in the large locker out side the head. Very little cuting was needer about 1/2 inch on trim piece next to head. Has about 2 inches of space in rear and about 1 inch on 2 sides. About 12 inches on top and I took out the shelf under freezer and cut an 8 inch hole on panel below and put a vent over it. Should have plenty of ventalation. The unit measures 28 3/8 high,16 3/4 wide and 14inchs deep. The model I used was the F2300 2.1 cubic ft. all freezer. Here are some pics installed. Any questions please let me know.

[lstyles]

Nice install! Has anyone ever calculated what the average 24 hr amp use for the indel refridgerator is? I know it will vary by where you are but I would be interested in some real life numbers for warm areas (Mexico, Caribbean etc).
thanks,
Lori
PS. I am considering taking the original refridgerator out and building a new more efficient one but want to make sure it will be worth the cost/time to do so.

[Pblais]

Chaney Digital Fridge and Freezer Thermometer Model #00985

Just got one installed a few days ago! $28 Amazon.com. I've been looking for a long time and these are great.

[Jane.Joy]

Originally Posted by Pblais

Just got one installed a few days ago! $28 Amazon.com. I've been looking for a long time and these are great.

Yep, I have one of these too - great way to ensure food safety.

[Cotemar]

Mahe’s

Been traveling with a lot of guest on board, so wanted to add a real good cooler for the cockpit to hold extra drinks and ice. Also wanted more seating.

Purchased this “Igloo Yukon Cold Lockers” from Defender for $331 for a 70qt model / 66 Liters
Has 2 inches of insulation on sides and bottom and 3 inches in the lid. Supposed to hold ice for 7 days.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|406|27359|1494761&id=1990150

Exterior Dimensions (inches) - L x W x H) 35.3 x 17.0 x 20.5
Interior Dimensions (inches) - Top L x W x H) 24.9 x 10.9 x 14.6

Fits under cockpit table nicely and has nice rubbery feet, so it will not budge.
Seat cushion was $20 at Defender.

[Seastream]

Anyone know how the stock Isotherm refrigerator on the Mahe comes out? Is it bolted in place or perhaps just a friction fit? I want to replace it with a 'fridge only' unit I already have because the stock freezer is uselessly small and requires frequent defrosting.

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by Seastream

Anyone know how the stock Isotherm refrigerator on the Mahe comes out? Is it bolted in place or perhaps just a friction fit? I want to replace it with a 'fridge only' unit I already have because the stock freezer is uselessly small and requires frequent defrosting.

it is screwed in place from both sides. there are screws behind the settee cushion on one side and from the shelving in the companion way, all just going right into the fridge casing. not that hard to find.

[Seastream]

Thanks, Rabbi! Old fridge slid right out. New fridge is in, loaded, up, and running. Still need to fit some trim strips as the new unit is not as wide as the old. It was an inch taller, so had to cut same off the top of the opening. It's a 120 VAC unit so I installed a dedicated 1KW inverter to run it.

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by Seastream

Thanks, Rabbi! Old fridge slid right out. New fridge is in, loaded, up, and running. Still need to fit some trim strips as the new unit is not as wide as the old. It was an inch taller, so had to cut same off the top of the opening. It's a 120 VAC unit so I installed a dedicated 1KW inverter to run it.

running a fridge 24/7 via the inverter requires a healthy battery bank! most inverters will draw 1A just in idle, plus the fridge of course.

I just replace my broken fridge with a new one. and I added another fan drawing fresh air from the bilge to increase efficiency.
looks better and requires much less energy.

[Seastream]

A year ago I replaced/upsized the house bank with five AGM batteries and plan to add three more. We liveaboard, so while at dockside power isn't an issue. When at anchor, we have both solar panels and a 2KW generator, if needed.

[Seastream]

In other news, I recently ordered and received the Chaney fridge/freezer thermometer. After about a week, the display faded. Two new AAA Duracells and all good. That's terrible battery life. I've had other units where the batts lasted for at least a year. Anyone else with this issue or did I get the lemon?

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by Seastream

In other news, I recently ordered and received the Chaney fridge/freezer thermometer. After about a week, the display faded. Two new AAA Duracells and all good. That's terrible battery life. I've had other units where the batts lasted for at least a year. Anyone else with this issue or did I get the lemon?

Maybe you have a bad unit.
We put fresh Duracell batteries in every season and they always lasted 1 year.