New Refrigerator - Frigoboat with Keel Cooler.

[Monique]

http://www.penguinfrigo.co.uk/shop/category/drawer-fridges-and-freezers/#G60055

The above is 90 liters capacity. More insulation than the below unit.

http://www.penguinfrigo.co.uk/shop/category/drawer-fridges-and-freezers/#G60035

The above has 130 liter cap and will fit. Both driven by keel cooler.

How much importance will the thicker insulation have on total leckie consumption? Boat has much V/A generation...

Please... we will RTW at or near the Equator... if you cruise in the Arctic, your experience does not really apply... TQA on the other hand may have a reasonable take

All with tongue in cheek of course.

 

[nimbusgb]

The bigger capacity unit is actually very slightly smaller overall.

The 90l unit has almost twice as much insulation, invaluable!

Make ice and use that to 'store cold'. If we load up our fridge with a bag of ice the power consumption almost flat lines, it takes a lot of energy ( heat ) to melt ice.

 

[dslittle]

I have just recently had my 'cool box' turned into a freezer with a keel cooler. My current locale means that I cannot help with experience. The only thing I could assist with is that the engineer who fitted my unit did comment upon the super efficient freezers similar to your first one. He said that the increase in cooling capacity and subsequent electrical savings were sometimes offset by using energy to power the electric seals!!! Obviously I do not know how much power the electrically heated seals use but it might be something you want to look into before committing.
I can't wait until I can give my experiences in hot weather conditions, a wee while yet - next stop is Scotland. The keel cooler will hardly have to work at all...

 

[vyv_cox]

Insulation is the key. Over the years there have been many threads on refrigerator performance in warm/hot climates and the most efficient, i.e. lowest electrical consumption for lowest temperature, are always those with the most insulation. Top loaders with 100 mm of foam probably do best but of course the converse is that they are far less convenient to use. We have a 60 litre fridge with a front opening door and fairly minimal insulation thickness, accepting that it is less efficient. With pumped seawater cooling we achieve about 30-35% running time in the eastern Med in summer, water temp up to 28C.

 

[Monique]

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your comments. Had a Frigoboat w/keel cooler in the past; it was far more efficient than the unit it replaced


Many thks and Happy NY.

 

[Melleman]

We rebuild our fridge last year.

100 mm PU(kingspan we used)
around a fridgeliner from tectank.(toploader)
http://www.tek-tanks.com/website/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/TEK-TANKS-2013-BROCHURE.pdf
page 10...


We did not choose keelcooler because then we can not use it when we are on the hard.(livaboards)
But the insulation was great the new fridge use noting in power compered with the old 40mm insulation.

we used frigoboat "danfoss"db50 compressor aircooled to a 128l fridge with a freez compartment,a standing one with no lid.
It works very well indeed.(-6C in the freezer +1C in the fridge)


Insulation is the key........me think

 

[vyv_cox]

We did not choose keelcooler because then we can not use it when we are on the hard.(livaboards)

I assume this particular keel cooler means the small unit that includes the sink drain, in which case your statement is probably true. However, it is surprising how little water is needed to cool refrigerant. My system uses seawater pumped through the heat exchanger, exiting through a fitting on the transom. When we are on the hard I hang a bucket below the fitting to catch the water and pipe it back to the pump inlet through a length of hose. Other than topping up the bucket to cope with water that escapes, it needs no attention at all. Even in the heat of the Mediterranean the water never gets warm and the fridge runs well.

Another possibility is to have a diverter valve for the coolant, enabling an air cooled heat exchanger to be used when hauled out. Since my son built our prototype that doesn't have this he has built a couple more that do, with good results.

 

[Melleman]

I assume this particular keel cooler means the small unit that includes the sink drain, in which case your statement is probably true. However, it is surprising how little water is needed to cool refrigerant. My system uses seawater pumped through the heat exchanger, exiting through a fitting on the transom. When we are on the hard I hang a bucket below the fitting to catch the water and pipe it back to the pump inlet through a length of hose. Other than topping up the bucket to cope with water that escapes, it needs no attention at all. Even in the heat of the Mediterranean the water never gets warm and the fridge runs well.

Another possibility is to have a diverter valve for the coolant, enabling an air cooled heat exchanger to be used when hauled out. Since my son built our prototype that doesn't have this he has built a couple more that do, with good results.

We never thought of that.

But we have heard problems with the coolingfluid after a keelcooler been on the hard while on in working mode.

If that make sens......:ambivalence:

 

[nimbusgb]

I have a keel cooler connected to the standard frigoboat/penguin aircooled compressor/exchanger unit. Works both in and out of the water. Keel cooler just increases efficiency ( significantly )

Been in several years now with weeks of working ashore, never any problems.

 

[howard easton]

I installed a penguin system in my old prout cat and it worked really well. But I would go for a keel cooler every time - you can get one that doubles as a ground plate for the SSB. As for insulation there is only one correct answer - the thicker the better.

The Prout was great as it had the fridge under a bunk and surrounded by in places a foot or more of foam. Result was that we froze SWMBOs tonic on one trip round Foreland ( not amused) and had lots of cold beer down in Spain.

I dont see the point in keel coolers. Iron or even lead transmits heat worse than water - what better way of getting rid of heat from the fridge than direct into the water under the boat

 

[Caladh]

I assume this particular keel cooler means the small unit that includes the sink drain, in which case your statement is probably true. However, it is surprising how little water is needed to cool refrigerant. My system uses seawater pumped through the heat exchanger, exiting through a fitting on the transom. When we are on the hard I hang a bucket below the fitting to catch the water and pipe it back to the pump inlet through a length of hose. Other than topping up the bucket to cope with water that escapes, it needs no attention at all. Even in the heat of the Mediterranean the water never gets warm and the fridge runs well.

Another possibility is to have a diverter valve for the coolant, enabling an air cooled heat exchanger to be used when hauled out. Since my son built our prototype that doesn't have this he has built a couple more that do, with good results.

When I planned my Frigoboat setup I requested a compressor from Penguin that would be keel cooled and also have an optional air cooled fan as well so it could be used out of the water. Zak came up with the goods. In the water the coolant passes the air-cooled fins on its way down to the keel cooler. When out of the water I just switch the fan on. The coolant is then cooled prior to flowing down to the keel cooler so the k/c doesn't get "hot".

 

[Melleman]

When I planned my Frigoboat setup I requested a compressor from Penguin that would be keel cooled and also have an optional air cooled fan as well so it could be used out of the water. Zak came up with the goods. In the water the coolant passes the air-cooled fins on its way down to the keel cooler. When out of the water I just switch the fan on. The coolant is then cooled prior to flowing down to the keel cooler so the k/c doesn't get "hot".

Nice stuff

I wish I have known that......

 

[nimbusgb]

When I planned my Frigoboat setup I requested a compressor from Penguin that would be keel cooled and also have an optional air cooled fan as well so it could be used out of the water. Zak came up with the goods. In the water the coolant passes the air-cooled fins on its way down to the keel cooler. When out of the water I just switch the fan on. The coolant is then cooled prior to flowing down to the keel cooler so the k/c doesn't get "hot".

Same as my installation. Works just fine out of the water.

 

[Monique]

Good to know...

 

[pyrojames]

When I planned my Frigoboat setup I requested a compressor from Penguin that would be keel cooled and also have an optional air cooled fan as well so it could be used out of the water. Zak came up with the goods. In the water the coolant passes the air-cooled fins on its way down to the keel cooler. When out of the water I just switch the fan on. The coolant is then cooled prior to flowing down to the keel cooler so the k/c doesn't get "hot".

Yep, it's the best of both worlds. I have the fridge and freezer setup this way. I got lucky with the fridge as they didn't have the normal compressor for a keel cooler in stock, so they gave me the air cooled one for the same price.

 

[Saguday]

There is an air-cooled fan option for Frigoboat too. I was looking at it this summer when we were out of the water for maintenance. Back afloat now though so it's dropped onto the "might do it one day" list.

 

[Monique]

I had Frigoboat keel cooler on Pegasus; it reduced the interior temperature by a definite amount. As we will cruise between 20N and 20 S, we wish to reduce any heat source in the cabin... hence keel cooling.

Thanks for your thoughts. HNY too!

 

[Tim Good]

When I planned my Frigoboat setup I requested a compressor from Penguin that would be keel cooled and also have an optional air cooled fan as well so it could be used out of the water. Zak came up with the goods. In the water the coolant passes the air-cooled fins on its way down to the keel cooler. When out of the water I just switch the fan on. The coolant is then cooled prior to flowing down to the keel cooler so the k/c doesn't get "hot".

Just saw this thread as im nstalling my keel cooler in the same air air cooled compressor to work both in and out of water. It's already been running as an air cooled for 1 season.... However if you look carefully the coolant actually goes to the keel cooler first and then to the fins on the compressor unit.

My concern is that the water will cool it down and then, if in a hot climate, the air will end up warming it back up again to a point.

Thoughts?

 

[macd]

Just saw this thread as im nstalling my keel cooler in the same air air cooled compressor to work both in and out of water. It's already been running as an air cooled for 1 season.... However if you look carefully the coolant actually goes to the keel cooler first and then to the fins on the compressor unit.

My concern is that the water will cool it down and then, if in a hot climate, the air will end up warming it back up again to a point.

Thoughts?

I trust Monique's system has long-since been successfully commissioned, but: the air may warm it back up a little, but the coolant doesn't cool the fridge by being cold. It cools it by absorbing latent heat as it evaporates from a liquid to a gas (which is why the plate in the fridge is called an 'evaporator').