Fridge insulation

[Colinkilner]

Hello, I have built a fridge and it is about 60 litres. Have a Waeco CU54 with a VD 07 o evaporator. Says it can cope with up to 130 L or so. It is situated below the waterline and I also have 50-75mm of cellotex around the sides/bottom. I wondered if it would be ok just to have 25mm of polystyrene under a 28mm chipboard worktop above. Or would that be so bad the unit runs a lot. It is a top loader. Area of top is about 450mm square. Anyone out there into this sort of thing? Thanks.

 

[MoodySabre]

I recently fitted a CU55 and a VD02 in the <50 litre cool box (above the water level). There is about 50mm insulation on the sides and bottom and the top is no more than yours. On its first long weekend I was very pleased at the performance (and quietness (didn't hear it at all) and it ran for 36 hours on the battery without noticeable drain.

 

[mainmarine]

you can get rolls of foil bubble wrap insulation about 3mm thick that gives insulation the equivalent of 50mm polystyrene, look in Wickes or B&Q it's used to insulate behind radiators and in roofs, it will give you more insulation without taking up too much space and is easy and clean to work with.

 

[Quandary]

If you read the technical info. on the performance of the various insulation products you will find that the bubble foil performs in particular conditions, it actual advantage is mainly in reflecting radiant heat. I am not saying it is not useful, I have specified it in insulating voids alone and in combination with quilts and foams, just that it is not directly comparable with foam. Read the blurb on the label carefully!! EPS is far from the best foam to use, while the modified platinum expanded polystyrene is better than white, a closed cell foam such as Celotex or even ordinary polyurethane will have much greater thermal resistance, even better if foil faced. These reason polystyrene is so popular is that it is good value, but for an application like this where only a very small quantity is needed it is worth sourcing a 25mm. high performance aluminium faced closed cell insulation, not only will the thermal performance be at least 100% better but it will be much more durable. There are dozens of products made all with fancy names and claims. Google for closed cell or composite slab thermal insulation and look at the k values, you will then have to find a local user who will sell or give you an offcut, but high spec. insulations are now commonly used even in the building industry in things like facade cladding in high tech. buildings.

 

[pappaecho]

Cellotex is a better insulator than polystyrene, so better to use if you can, but if space is at a premium then polystyrene and reflective foil, is better than nothing

 

[Colinkilner]

Thank you chaps I found some Kingspan ? closed cell insulation at B&Q which looks simular and its foil faced on both sides. Thanks for help, Colin.