Small 12v cool boxes

[Ru88ell]

Folks

My rewire is going well, and it looks like I'm only going to be using 4Ah of my 60Ah battery per 24 hrs in my 19 footer. I've been looking at the Waeco Coolfun CD22 for keeping the beers chilled:-

http://www.waeco.com/en/3106_5908.php

Does anyone have experience of such kit? I will be able to run it on shore power overnight, so just plan to run it off the 12v for a few hours through the middle of the day. Does this sound like a plan - or am I missing something?

 

[Bru]

No experience of the specific model mentioned but from general experience with decent quality coolboxes, if you can run it on shore power overnight and don't open the lid any more and for any longer than necessary you probably won't have to run it on the battery at all

Even if you do, we found with a big Electrolux coolbox (which replaced a ;life expsired gas fridge) that a couple of hours running a day generally sufficed to keep everything satisfactorily cool

Bru

 

[bedouin]

I don't think I'd want to run any Thermoelectric coolbox off a battery. Much better push the budget and go for a proper compressor box. They use much less power.

With a compressor box you could turn it down over night to get it really cold, then it would not require much energy at all to keep it cool during the day

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Folks

My rewire is going well, and it looks like I'm only going to be using 4Ah of my 60Ah battery per 24 hrs in my 19 footer. I've been looking at the Waeco Coolfun CD22 for keeping the beers chilled:-

http://www.waeco.com/en/3106_5908.php

Does anyone have experience of such kit? I will be able to run it on shore power overnight, so just plan to run it off the 12v for a few hours through the middle of the day. Does this sound like a plan - or am I missing something?

I've found these things to be just about better then nothing but no more.

 

[Liz_I]

Our 12/220v coolbox worked very well for 3 years (Med). Running on 12v was extremely heavy on the batteries though . Found it more efficient to operate on the 220v using an inverter (while the sun was shining and powering the battery bank). Sadly the 220v side has died and although it will run on 12v we will replace with a similar unit when they become available in the late spring.
The insulation isn't brillient on these boxes so if you can cool it down overnight and put in those frozen ice pack things. Wrap the box in tin foil & bubblewrap, that should keep the beer nice & cold. (Don't wrap it up when it's running though!!_)

 

[owen-cox]

Thermoelectric coolboxes have come on loads in the last few years but they will never be anything like as good as a compressor one. Thermoelectric will be very heavy on battery but is much cheaper to buy, Waeco are one of the best for either type. I have a waeco compressor fridge and I used to leave it on 24/7 in my work van in Mallorca and it could keep ice cream at -18 even in the summer sun. It even kept going all night on the standard van battery when I had it set to about 2 degrees. A thermoelectric will not do anything like this but it just depends how cool you are expecting it to get and how fast. If all your food is cold when you put it in it will probably be Ok for a few days if you can cope with the charging requirements. The shore power will keep it cool if you have it.

 

[maxi77]

We have a CF 35 which is excellent, we run it on 12v all the time. Whilst that size is perhaps over the top there are smaller models and decent prices can be found with a little searching. My experience of peltier units on boats is that they eat batteries like they are going out of fashion. and don't keep things that cool. The waeco compressor units use the same power when they are on, but they are only on for some 20% of the time. They also keep a very even temperature ours barely changes by a degree.

 

[VicS]

Folks

My rewire is going well, and it looks like I'm only going to be using 4Ah of my 60Ah battery per 24 hrs in my 19 footer. I've been looking at the Waeco Coolfun CD22 for keeping the beers chilled:-

http://www.waeco.com/en/3106_5908.php

Does anyone have experience of such kit? I will be able to run it on shore power overnight, so just plan to run it off the 12v for a few hours through the middle of the day. Does this sound like a plan - or am I missing something?

Sorry
I think you may have misunderstand the quoted power requirements

It is rated at 12 volts, 48 watts That means it draws a current of 4 amps. (Amps, not Ah)

Peltier element cool boxes are not thermostatically controlled. They run contiuously so it will draw 4 amps all the time it is on!

This means that it will take 4Ah for every hour it is running. If you run it for say 6 hours it will take 6 X 4 = 24 Ah

If you run it for 12 hours it will take 48 Ah

If you run it for 24 hours it will take 96Ah


Not only will you need a battery large enough to to avoid discharging it below 50% but you will need the charging ability to recharge it in a reasonable time.

 

[TSB240]

We use a similar coolbox and find that we load it up at home including a pre frozen bottle of Water from the freezer. This usually is enough to keep it cool without running it off the battery much. We will turn it on if we have shore power( Rare ebvent) or if we are motoring. We have found that the water bottle trick works for up to 3 days depending upon ambient temperature and how cold you want your beers.Keep a spare bottle and get your sailing club or local pub to freeze it for you.

I think that as they are not thermostatically controlled running them permanently off a battery is impractical.

Previous to having this we practised the oldest technique of the lot for keeping milk fresh using a bowl of water and a teatowel soaked and wicking and evaporating the water over the bottle.

 

[Ru88ell]

Sorry
I think you may have misunderstand the quoted power requirements

It is rated at 12 volts, 48 watts That means it draws a current of 4 amps. (Amps, not Ah)

Hi Vic
I might not have explained myself very well. Adding the draw for all of my equipment I have a total of 0.9A. Multiplying each by the expected number of hours required in a 24 hour period I get 4.3Ah. I was suggesting that with only 4.3Ah per day from a 60Ah battery I should be able to keep a small cooler running for a few hours when away from the shore power.

All this 12v DC stuff is still pretty new to me, so I could be wrong, but I think I could afford to run a 4A cooler for a few hours per day with my current battery. Does that make sense? (I recognise that you are the forum expert on these matters )

Russell

 

[planteater]

As a fellow small boater I came to the conclusion that it's not really possible to store food long term on a 20'er without living out of cans. I use one of the igloo unpowered coolboxes and fill it with a couple of frozen meals, some chicken breasts, mince and salad. That's good for 2-3 days then we have to restock or eat dried/canned. Cold beer would be nice but it's an expensive luxury on a small boat - a wine box works much better.

 

[LittleSister]

As a fellow small boater I came to the conclusion that it's not really possible to store food long term on a 20'er without living out of cans. I use one of the igloo unpowered coolboxes and fill it with a couple of frozen meals, some chicken breasts, mince and salad. That's good for 2-3 days then we have to restock or eat dried/canned. Cold beer would be nice but it's an expensive luxury on a small boat - a wine box works much better.

I agree with the general sentiment that running a fridge on a 19 footer is probably impractical, certainly if, like most boats this size, you have an outboard motor (and hence no real charging capability).

But you don't need one, you just have to adapt your eating habits to what works. I'd never had a cool box before our current boat, we now take some cold milk, some frozen milk, and other stuff frozen, or pre-chilled in the frdge at home. This lasts a good few days.

Most veg can be kept cool enough (in UK) in most boats to last without a fridge or cool box. I used to keep potatoes, carrots, etc, under the floor in the bilge (very dry) on my Hurley 22, and they'd last for weeks. (Make sure they're aired - no plastic bags.) Tomatoes, mushrooms, green veg etc, will last for days or longer somewhere coolish on the boat (again not in plastic), even in summer.

With the cool box, we usually have the first day's main meal (if meat) fresh, the second starting out frozen from home, then third day switch to veg or veg and tinned or dried meat - e.g. a stew or curry with tinned meat can be dull, but if you cook it with fesh veg it will jazz up the taste and texture no end.

Once you run out of fresh veg, move onto packet/tinned stuff. An old favourite on a boat with no cool box and a single burner cooker was boil in the bag rice, and (unheated) a tin of mackerel in some tasty sauce and a tin of 3 Bean Salad. Some nice stews and suchlike now avalable in tough plastic bags. With the money you save from this diet, you can treat yourself to the odd meal ashore to vary the fare.

You're not likely to be away for many days in a 19 footer from some shop with a bit of fresh produce to top up your stores (unless your name's Shane Acton, of course!).

I second the recommendation of wine boxes (or bettter still in a small boat, the wine bags available from some supermarkets). If you want your wine/beer/fizzy drink cool, put it in a carrier bag, and tie it over the side, hanging in the water (not underway!).

 

[VicS]

Hi Vic
I might not have explained myself very well. Adding the draw for all of my equipment I have a total of 0.9A. Multiplying each by the expected number of hours required in a 24 hour period I get 4.3Ah. I was suggesting that with only 4.3Ah per day from a 60Ah battery I should be able to keep a small cooler running for a few hours when away from the shore power.

All this 12v DC stuff is still pretty new to me, so I could be wrong, but I think I could afford to run a 4A cooler for a few hours per day with my current battery. Does that make sense? (I recognise that you are the forum expert on these matters )

Russell

Sorry I did misunderstand you.

So apart from your cool box your electrical consumption is next to negligible.

So yes you can afford to run the cool box for around 6 hours without running the battery below 50% of full charge but remember the more frequently you take it down to the that level, the shorter its life span will be unless of course you have true deep cycle battery.

If the cool box warms up it may take a long while to get it and its contents cool again but provided you can run it on shorepower overnight and also recharge the battery i guess it will work but it is dependent on always spending the night in a marina with a shorepower supply. No good when anchored for the night or even on a visitors mooring.

I bought a Peltier type cool box some years ago. My idea was to load it with cold or frozen stuff, including some "freezer packs" that we used to use when camping. Run it in the car for the ( 2hour) journey to the boat but once on the boat just use it as an insulated storage box.
I found it was not that well insulated ( I guess a more expensive one might have been better) but was in any case too big to stow anywhere on board.
I never use it now.

I pretty much do as little sister says.

Fresh food for the first day, precooked food for 2nd and third days, thereafter tinned or packet food topping up with some fresh stuff when the opportunity arises.

Fresh milk I avoid altogether. I use to take UHT, which I found keeps well for several days if transfered to a sterilised bottle once open, but now I only use Marvel, reconstituting it if and when necessary.

Stuff that only needs to be chilled I put in the bilges. A can or two of beer for example. Well its all stored in the bilges but anything to be chilled goes right at the bottom.

 

[William_H]

Fridge

I bought a WAECO CF25 for wife for her birthday in Jan. it is a compressor type. About 2.5 times the price of the electronic Peltier type cooler. It draws 5 amps when running and will freeze contents in a few hours.
The electronic type are useless. You will be disappointed.
Now the freezer is actually for the car for camping and picnics. It just runs when the car engine is running.
I do not ever imagine using the Waeco on my 21ft boat.
Far better is an insulated box with 2 or 3 litre drink or milk bottle of water frozen at home. Despite our hot weather (max over 33 for the last 3 months) most boaties here find ice is the best bet. Or for bigger boats a compressor freezer/ fridge with big batteries and solar and or engine charge or shore power. olewill

 

[LeonF]

I use a combination of those freezer blocks and frozen milk/mineral water to keep my ice box cold. Lasts for about three days in the summer. It's difficult to find somewhere to refreeze them, but I have just noticed this new very small box from Waeco. Anyone tried it yet ? http://www.minicoolers.co.uk/products/waeco/cdf11.htm

 

[bedouin]

One of the options I've considered is to get a small portable compressor fridge/freezer such as that little one and use it to freeze cool packs and water when power is available, and then using those to cool a cool box (a sort of manual accumulator)

 

[Liz_I]

Very small! Did you see the price!!!!

 

[bedouin]

Very small! Did you see the price!!!!

Of course.

The only real difference between a small one and a large is the amount of space inside - the mechanics are the same and they will all use the same compressor. That space is supplied filled with air, that does not cost that much

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Very small! Did you see the price!!!!

I don't know. It's big enough for the essentials....some meat, milk and butter, some ice and a drink or two. My only gripe is that it isn't tall enough for a bottle of wine, but you may be able to squeeze one in at an angle.
Price? Well it's cheaper than any other compressor box and cheaper than an installed set up.
Quite tempting!

 

[VicS]

I use a combination of those freezer blocks and frozen milk/mineral water to keep my ice box cold. Lasts for about three days in the summer. It's difficult to find somewhere to refreeze them, but I have just noticed this new very small box from Waeco. Anyone tried it yet ? http://www.minicoolers.co.uk/products/waeco/cdf11.htm[/SIZE]

Thats much more economical in terms of electrical power requiremnts

Taken from Waeco's website

Power input: approx. 30 watts
Current consumption: 0.29 Ah/h at +20°C ambient temperature,
0.61 Ah/h at +32°C ambient temperature,
both at +5°C interior temperature​

So at 20C ambient temp one could maintain an internal temp of 5C for as little as 0.3 Ah /h .
Thats only 7.2 Ah in 24 hours


Details for the next model up in the range CDF 18 are

Gross capacity: approx. 18 litres
Voltage: 12/24 volts DC
Power input: approx. 35 watts
Current consumption: 0.38 Ah/h at +20°C ambient temperature,
0.64 Ah/h at +32°C ambient temperature,
both at +5°C interior temperature​

Still something that could realistically be used on a small boat.

For details of even larger models , including one with a built in rechargeable battery, see http://www.waeco.com/en/3122_420.php?hirID=284&sprID=2&artOrigID=44857

All also listed on the "Minicoolers" website http://www.minicoolers.co.uk/products/compressor.htm

Rather more expensive than the Pelter types but I think the differnce could well be that one would work well whereas the other might be as William H suggests rather disappointing