Defrosting Freezer

[sailorboy1]

We are full time cruisers so of course we open our frig and freezer lids a lot. But it seems to me that I have to defrost the freezer more often than I feel I should.

Before I go all "start a project" on it I wonder if I really am defrosting it more than normal.

So other cruisers, how often do you have to defrost your freezer?

[a64pilot]

Seems at least monthly, just did it a week ago, but daughter left freezer open a little and now it needs it again. We will take a Marina in Key West at Boca Chica in a few days to do washing etc., and will do it then, I defrost by running water from a hose over the cold plates, it's fast that way.
Plugging the drain with a cork help quite a bit, apparently every time we closed the lid it formed a vacuum and pulled moist air in through there.
A house is much, much lower humidity, and I think that is the difference

[Paul L]

Mine probably needs it every 3 or 4 weeks, and gets it done every 6 weeks. Full-time in the tropics.

[puffcard]

We're about ever 6-8 weeks.

[StuM]

At least monthly. Generally every 2 -3 weeks.

I empty the freezer into a large esky (including the dozen or so water bottles that I keep frozen in the bottom of the freezer.

Turn it off, open the lid and point a 35W, 8" portable fan down into it. It takes about 1/2 an hour at most and the cold air coming back out of the freezer helps cool the cabin.
Any dislodged ice that falls into the bottom of the freezer is collected and left sitting in a shallow bowl to further cool the cabin.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Time isn't as important as frost thickness.
Once your frost/ice gets above 1/4" thick the heat transfer rate suffers and your box temp can go up along with energy usage.

So do your best to keep frost & Ice under quarter of an inch. The cleaner your evaporator the more efficient it will operate...

[sailorboy1]

damn it's looking like a project

[Typhoon]

All our evaporator plates are copper and only 3/8 on an inch thick . They defrost very fast . If you have a separate freezer and fridge you have to defrost less .

Regards John.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcQskT8xXzY

[senormechanico]

About once a week with a hairdryer on high.
Only takes a few minutes.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

About once a week with a hairdryer on high.
Only takes a few minutes.

I do mine with a hair dryer also. It takes longer to take the food out of the freezer than it does to do the defrosting. BTW my goal is to just get the ice off and scoop it up, not to melt it all.

[senormechanico]

Exactly.
Get it to let go of the condenser/cold plate, and dump it.
The quicker you get the food back inside, the better.

[Kenomac]

Once every two weeks or so. I run the generator and place a ceramic heater in the fridge or freezer door facing inward. Takes about a half hour each.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

damn it's looking like a project

I'd be interested in hearing your ideas as to a solution

[Delancey]

Our current ice cube production method results in spilled water clogging up our evaporator. Thinking using some of these lock and lock egg trays as ice cube trays might solve that problem.....

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I'd be interested in hearing your ideas as to a solution

there's no solution, hell you said it's every 2 weeks for you so far as I'm concerned you don't even have a problem