Fridges ...again...but stay with me...

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firstascent2002

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Most of this we all know.

In my case, the fridge is run via a fridgemate electric stitching device that switches the fridge on and off relating to the incomming charge from the alternator or wind gen.

What optinos does the small boat man haave...

1) thermoelectric cold box (which I have). approx 4amps/hr. No thermostat. Is a cheap poorly inslulated boxe... (although there are the waeco tropicool boxes which look to be very high quality.)

2) Compressor. Waeco make the best known compressor boxes...4 amps / hr but run approx 20% of the time and in much better insulated boxes.

3) Three way fridges (240 / 12 / gas). Now looking at the waeco one of these...the box is really good and the insulation fantastic. The label on the back suggests circa 125 amp/hrs per 24 hours run...


Now, my boat is moored 2 hours motor from the sea so if every trip started with cold food and the fridge running during the two hour motor and there after only as the Rutland 913 paid for it....surly a three way would work better then the thermoeletric bit of tat I have at the moment...I runs about half the time and is never cold.

Or should I just payup and get a waeco compressor box....only they are sooo expensive...

J
 
The three way on 12V is not much better than the thermoelectric jobbie.

Compressor is the way to go.... I was reluctant to part with that much ££££ but have never looked back.
 
I have used 3-way fridges for many years (top opening box type). As I'm sure you know they need to be fairly level, but they work perfectly well when motoring.

They work MUCH better on 240v via an inverter than on DC , even when hard-wired in with adequate cable .... I have never bothered to investigate precisely why. Obviously you run on mains power if available.

I run mine on gas when at anchor. (I have permanent outside-vented flue).
 
Fridges

There is no question in my mind (in hot Oz summer) that if you are dissatisfied with ice in a well insulated box then compressor type is the next step. Don't be seduced by electronic peltier effect coolers they are no good. The smallest Waeco 25 compressor is expensive but works brilliantly. Though not to my mind well insulated. When I lift mine there is a very cold feeling patch underneath. I intend to improve insulation with an outer container and fans for the cooling. (I use mine in the car not boat.)
As for powering any fridge you might fit a VSR as used for battery isolation/charging. This will ensure fridge comes on with battery charging so removing worry of flattening battery. If you use the compressor fridge as a freezer it will effectively store the cold for a long time. good luck olewill
 
I have a 3-way fridge. Used in my VW T5, when the motor is running it works just as well on 12v as on mains but it'll flatten the battery (It's a big one!) during lunch. Probably likes the elevated voltage when the motor is running too.

A Rutland wouldn't do much at all.

Compressor fridges work far better then absorption types when it's a hot day though and that's the real reason to opt for the best. Also they heat the boat less.
 
Our boat came with an elderly 3 way fridge. Previous owner ran it on gas, though I understand this can be quite dangerous. :eek:
Ran fine on 240v, but when running on 12v it chewed through 8 amps! Yes, you heard me, 8! Continuously!

It was an old Dometic fridge, which are now branded Waeco. We replaced it with a new fridge of the same footprint that runs on 12v using one of the new Danfoss compressors. Fantastic fridge, only uses up around 1.5 - 2 amps overall.
 
We have just sold our Waeco 18 after 5 years because we fitted an Isotherm unit into the boats coolbox. The Waeco was a fab bit of kit once I worked out that it likes heavy duty wiring. Froze my sandwiches in 30 minutes on the high setting first time. Silent in operation, you had to look at the lights to see if it was plugged in. Fridge ran for 2 minutes every 15 minutes, so difficult to work out the AH used, but Waeco's claim of 3AH seems about right. Do look fo the extra therma blanket cover to increase the insulation.

Pete
 
I thought about making a compressor fridge from the cooling unit in an Argos dehumidifier.

It uses a compact compressor but would require a mains invertor.
As it cost under £100, it's an experiment I might do later this year to see how cold a couple of cubic feet insulated box will get and what sort of current consumption it uses.
 
Just to show how bad a 3 way fridge will be on a boat. I have one in my motorhome and a couple of weeks ago was parked on a slightly sloping site which I measured with an iphone app to be 5 degrees. The fridge did not work at all with the nose of the van down which was a sideways tilt on the fridge to the left. The huge vents I have in the side of the van were getting very hot but the refrigerant just wasn't going round the circuit. I then tried turning the van 180 degrees and then found the fridge worked. Because they rely on convection to circulate the refrigerant they will not work with even 5 degrees of heel so I would think they are utterly useless on a boat. This asside from the fact that you would need to build some amazing type of ventilation system to vent the hot air outside the boat (unless you want a heater all year round!) Having installed many refrigerators and seen many in my 10 years as a marine refrigeration engineer I have seen people try all kinds of cooling systems and the only ones that work consistently in a marine environment are a compressor type. It is essential though to install it correctly with adequate circulating ventilation for the condenser and compressor.
 
we have an old electrolux 3way fitted last year,(On a cat), Used to the Ilse of Scilly and back on gas.'Twas on medium ,no problem, in fact the lettuce kept freezing ,so had to turn its down !. Had one on a 9 m cat for 10 years also no problems ..you have to have the flue on and also have to make sure that free fresh air gets to the flame and no combustion gases can refeed into the flame of it will produce monoxide . I have 2 tiny fans fitted to make sure(also no heat from the pilot should be able to get to the fins) . one fan I fitted directs air to the flame and the other to the fins.
 
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