Insulation - adding additional to fridge

[safariofhowth]

Can anyone tell me of a sheet material ( or any other kind of material ) that can be added simply to the inside an existing fridge to improve insulation. Was ok for Irish Sea but not performing too well in Caribbean !
Thanks in advance

 

[sailorman]

Celotex

 

[mainmarine]

I used a foil based bubble wrap, available from B&Q etc for insulating roofs or behind radiators, its about 2mm thick and supposed to be the equivalent insulation of 55mm of polystyrene

 

[roger]

Celotex Board aluminium foil either side of polyurethane foam is what I use. It is said to be better than polystyrene. However I use it outside the fridge. It is usually sold for house insulation at 35mm. thick. Have you enough space to lose 70 mm. in height and width?

 

[mandlmaunder]

In the caribbean getting hold of top quality products isn't always so easy (celotex and the like).
Polystyrene is easily available in most Ace and Home depot stores it is always werth asking in which ever island you are on as to the best local DIY store .
Bugdet Marine and Island Water World both carry insulation as well.
Or spray foam insulation such as "Great stuff " (about $10)expanding polygupp or similar. If you go the spray route this will optimise the available space for insulation, just be shore not a leave any voids
PS where are you in the Carrib

 

[safariofhowth]

Many thanks all for advice.
Neither Budget nor Island have material which does not absorb water.
Will investigate suggestions
We are currently in Grenada but will soon be heading north, visiting most islands along the way, and ending up in New York.

 

[tobble]

expanded polysytrene good - Extruded polysyrene better, try builder's merchants. Also a note on foil - this blocks RADIANT heat not conductive, which is what you're interested in for fridges. For foil tobeeffective it's got to be facing into a void, preferably the oneyou're trying to insulate. for example the stuff to go behind radiators you should fix to the wall with the foil facing the radiator, so the shiney surface relfects back the radiant heat.putting this stuff in a fridge is counter productivebecause you want stuff that's a very bad conductor of heat, and metals are very good!

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Could it not be used back to front, silverside away from the fridge, to reflect the heat of the cabin. Surely it is the heat of the cabin that is trying to heat the inside of the fridge box?

cause and effect?

 

[roger]

On Celotex board the foil also stops water vapour transmission - which would be useful in a fridge.
Ordinary white polystyrene foam does tend to absorb water but (in the UK) the pink and pale blue forms are said not to do so. This probably corresponds to "extruded".

 

[tobble]

That might work a bit better, but you'd still need a void into which it can reflect the heat. and then the heat would be still more or less trapped inthe void; really it needs to be facing the 'outside' i.e. a ventilated area, where the reflected back heat can be carried away in the air. however, if the fridge is an after-market sort of thing just put in a suitable cabinet, there won't be much radiant heat anyway!

so basically don't bother with it... IMHO of course.