DIY fridge/cooler?

guydickinson

guydickinson

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 Aug 2006
Messages
190
Location
Dorset, UK
Visit site
Does anyone know please if there is an electrical device available such that one can make one's own fridge or cooler on board. I mean just the cooling bit? I've probably not explained myself v well but I have an ideal space to turn into a fridge! Thanks.
 
Yes, there is a wide variety of lit available. You can choose a 12V compressor, evaporator and cold plates to suit your particular design. Another, less common type nowadays is a mechanically driven compressor with a eutectic holding plate, so it freezes down the plate when your engine is running. Probably the least efficient, but simplest to build into a cabinet is a Peltier effect cascade system which simply requires a 12V feed - but they have a limited cooling effect and are power hungry.

You might start by a bit of surfing on the subject and then call someone like Penguin refrigeration who have been supplying such kit for many years.

Rob.
 
Fitted a Waeco unit many years ago and it is still working. In the end the mechanics are the simplist bit. Comes as a kit, compressor, holding plate, refrigderant in the copper tubes fitted to the holding plate and a thermostat. When you connect the copper pipes to the compressor the system is finished. Issue I wish I had taken more time on was the insulation of the cold box. It's ok but could have been better.
 
Thanks very much. I've spent a long time with a cooling box plugged into a cigarette lighter socket but its a very long way from ideal - access and space for one thing.
 
I converted an original cool box on-board, to a fridge freezer last year, using a Danfos BD35 compressor acquired S/H, along with a freezer compartment, and an air regulated thermostat. All advise from Penguin Refrigeration, but obviously they want to supply you with all the parts. Their web site has a DIY design facility which allows you to design your own system and calculates volumes and parts needed which can be helpful. I also invested in two digital thermostats to be able to keep an eye on both compartment temps, which do go up and down dependant on volume of food stored.

As tillergirl has said and I agree, insulation is the key to success and efficient running. I used 4" Celotex as much as possible, lined with 5mm PVC sheet, and incorporated a drain in the bottom to aid cleaning.

Only wish I could have made the whole thing bigger but was limited to worktop space!

Good luck with it

Philip
 
The 12 volt kits always seem very expensive compared to actual complete mains fridges.
This seems to be the case with lots of 12v versus mains equipment and may be down to production volume issues?
We have a Waeco chest fridge which is great and also an ice box.
I have considered buying a kit to convert the ice box but, as I say, found them very pricy.
As we would mainly use the converted ice box while on shore power I wonder if I could use mains componants but accept that I would have to learn how to ‘gass up’ such a conversion !! ( perhaps another skill to aquire in my old age?)
 
Aerogel is a modern insulation which requires significantly less thickness for the same u-value. It seems particularly suited for this application where you need high insulation performance with minimal loss of space. It is not cheap but then you don't need that much.
 
In the chandlery at Burnham Yacht Harbour the other week they had kits on display to put into coolboxes (compressor, controls and panel) and I was surprised how reasonable they were. The small ones were model 50 and a bigger one model 80. Price was about £150 for the model 50 AFAIKR. Think the name was Duritic but could be wrong.
 
Poecheng said:
In the chandlery at Burnham Yacht Harbour the other week they had kits on display to put into coolboxes (compressor, controls and panel) and I was surprised how reasonable they were. The small ones were model 50 and a bigger one model 80. Price was about £150 for the model 50 AFAIKR. Think the name was Duritic but could be wrong.
Click to expand...

Dometic? Cheapest I can see on their website is nearly £400 for a complete Danfoss 35 setup. Was the one you saw something different?
 
vyv_cox said:
Dometic? Cheapest I can see on their website is nearly £400 for a complete Danfoss 35 setup. Was the one you saw something different?
Click to expand...
That's the one Viv !
Yes it was a compressor set up that looked like the Danfoss 35 or a clone of it. Unless going bonkers and completely misrembered the price then think it was as said.
I thought at the time it was very cheap at what it was and didn't know you could get such a set up for that money - I wouldn't have commented at £400 as would have rather expected that.
If anyone is in Burnham then it is on the left as you go through the door !

Edit: been on the website and not sure it is exactly that model though the same general set up of controls/compressor/pipes/plate. Seem to remember blue controls (!).
Tried ringing BYC chandlery but shut - worried I may have mis-remembered the price !!!
 
Last edited:
I fitted a Waeco kit 5 years ago. Converted a locker under the saloon seat so top opening to keep the cold in. After 2 inches of Celotex insulation around sides and bottom and a thin marine ply inner surface I was left with 65L of usable space. The compressor is in the next locker which was rarely used due to poor access. I've been very please with both noise and efficiency. It was around £350 at the time so £400 now is probably about right
 
Pasarell said:
I fitted a Waeco kit 5 years ago. Converted a locker under the saloon seat so top opening to keep the cold in. After 2 inches of Celotex insulation around sides and bottom and a thin marine ply inner surface I was left with 65L of usable space. The compressor is in the next locker which was rarely used due to poor access. I've been very please with both noise and efficiency. It was around £350 at the time so £400 now is probably about right
Click to expand...

I agree, that seems right, whereas a lesser kit at around £150 might be just what we are looking for. Our fridge is the full Danfoss water cooled device, excellent but a bit small for all the food we carry immediately after a big shopping expedition. We could do with something to keep the cool box down at about 10 - 12 degrees so that fruit and veg might last a little longer. Peltier might be the answer as we have an excess of solar power in the middle of the day but all the ones we see have an external fan that, in the current humidity of anything up to 90%, would flood the boat!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top