The World's Most Eco-friendly Fridge

[Searush]

The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

For those of you who are a little less than rolling in the loot, and love your Planet as it is, here is a model of fridge that will appeal to the Boy Scout in you. (NB You being in a Boy Scout is illegal)

First take your typical boat bucket (or emergency toilet/ baler/ sea anchor/ dishes basin etc). Half fill it with sea water. You should find plenty of this just outside your boat. If it is inside your boat simply use the same bucket to bale frantically untill the approved balance is restored.

Next place items requiring cooling (wine, milk, beer, butter, sore feet or whatever) into the bucket of seawater. Some items may need to be in a waterproof container at this point.

Now, to maintain the cooling effect, take an old sock (you should find a few odd ones of these at the back of your visitor's lockers) and place it over the edge of the bucket with one end in the seawater.

What happens next is a miracle of physics. Seawater is drawn up the sock (or any other small fabric item) by capilliary action and is evaporated by the sun and wind. The Latent Heat of Evaporation is partly drawn from the water in the sock & thus from the sea water in the bucket. Thus you have "A Sock Powered Fridge"

Disregard the jokey presentational style THIS REALLY WORKS!!! Check it for yourself next time you're out.
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[ccscott49]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

"loss of latent heat due to evaporation" just so!!

The beduin in north africa use tight weave sack water containers, the water seeps through the sack, evaporates and keeps the water cool. When I was with the LRDG in Libya, we used the same method, but didnt store our water in the "sacks" just put enough for a day in them and it stayed very cool, even in the middle of the HOT libyan desert.

So Searushs' method has a basis in science/life and would work.

 

[alec]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

Searush we love you !

Am going thru me sock basket from the wardrobe as I type..........

Found loadsa singles.........

 

[tritonofnor]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

remember reading in an oldish book about using a method whereby one of those hanging fabric shoe holders so beloved of SWMBO's the world over was used as a compartmental fridge by hanging it over the boats sink, and partially filling the sink with sea water. As stated above Latent Heat of Evaporation does its stuff - chilled compartmentalised food at no running cost - what a winner! Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Searush]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

[ QUOTE ]

So Searushs' method has a basis in science/life and would work.

[/ QUOTE ]

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Thank you for your testimonial. I know it works /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif, I have used it for 25 years. But it is brilliant to find out where the original concept so obviously derives from! I love this Forum! Excellent info!

Just don't expect it to produce ice tho' /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[sailorman]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

OK smattass wot if the sun aint out ( bit like 2 day ) & pi@@in with rain

 

[Billjratt]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

No-one remember the "osokool", a permeable box with an indentation for water on top? worked the same way to keep milk fresh in the 50's (before we could afford a fridge)

 

[sarabande]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

Now that summer is nearly upon us, may I add another supernumerary nugget to Searush's posting ?

We spent a decade in the Middle East at a time when the 'lectric supply was somewhat intermittent. A friend with army experience set up the following device, based on his experience in Somalia.

1 Take one large clay pot (a plant pot will do).
2 Place a smaller pot inside it (ideally so that there is about 1 to 2 inches gap)
3 Fill the gap with sand (an easy commodity out there, but - raid the children's sandpit, here ) so that the inner pot is separated from the outer pot.
4 Pour water into the sand till it oozes out of the outer clay pot.
5 Place butter, beer, or bananas into the inner pot.
6 Cover with a thick cloth.

The summer heat evaporates the water from the exterior of the outer pot, and draws lots of heat from the inner pot.

It works a treat, and costs nothing to run. Works more effectively in the sunshine of the Trucial States, but you never know with this 'ere global warming stuff !

 

[ccscott49]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

Then you dont need a fridge!!! Obvious innit? Doh!!

 

[MoodySabre]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

I remember seeing Riley Ace of Spies do that in his basin to chill a bottle. Had forgotten it so well done Searush.

Is it alright to use a worn sock to keep the cheese chilled? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Channel Ribs]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

Hang on a minute....

Surely if the bucket is a black builders type then the heat absorbed by the sun will be greater than the cooling effect? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

What is the top of the range bucketry here.. White enamel perhaps, or shiny galvanised?

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Seriously, top tip - can't wait it try it on the milk/chadonnay combination.

 

[silver-fox]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

Sea Rush

I humbly submit my thoughts for your consideration.

I am very concerned that you are flying in the face of the laws of nature and safety here! As a married man of many years, I have always had odd socks that could be used for this purpose.

Enthused by your idea and deciding to test it for myself, I immediately went to my sock draw to find all my socks neatly paired, something that has not happened in twenty odd years!

How creepy is that? Always an odd sock except when you want one. I should imagine this is a constant frustration for one legged people -unless of course they wear sandals.

But back to your evaporating/cooling system, can I make a suggestion for an improved design? What about using a pair of SWMBO's tights? Big as my feet are they don't have a surface area to match these - and I am guessing surface area counts.

In fact thinking about this some more if there was a way of dipping the foot of a sail in the bucket that would give "N" hundred square feet and the evaporation would be such that you could freeze things!

But why think small? If the whole cruising population did this we could have a solution to global warming - and have cold beer to boot.

Sea Rush your moment has come; or should I say "Arise Sir Sea Rush a grateful Nation salutes you!" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

(Still worried about the lack of odd sock though. )

Isn't the forum a perfect antidote to to an otherwise cr*p day??) /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[upthesolent]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

[ QUOTE ]
No-one remember the "osokool", a permeable box with an indentation for water on top? worked the same way to keep milk fresh in the 50's (before we could afford a fridge)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I do! Some 40 years ago on our camping hols, Mum & Dad had this fridge which was basically a lump of plaster of paris built around a small alloy box with that indentation on the top. Just pour the water on and physics chilled the contents! Weighed a ton though /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[JKay]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

Here is a "modern"version with thanks to some mates at

norman boats appreciation society

http://www.vwcurtains.com/easicool.htm /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

cheers Joe

 

[Searush]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

[ QUOTE ]
OK smattass wot if the sun aint out ( bit like 2 day ) & pi@@in with rain

[/ QUOTE ]

So what nit-wit needs a fridge when its cold? Ever tried selling fridges to eskimoes?
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[JKay]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

Well said /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Cheers Joe

 

[Searush]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

[ QUOTE ]
Hang on a minute....

Surely if the bucket is a black builders type then the heat absorbed by the sun will be greater than the cooling effect? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

What is the top of the range bucketry here.. White enamel perhaps, or shiny galvanised?

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Seriously, top tip - can't wait it try it on the milk/chadonnay combination.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some interesting issues there. I have to say I always use the black plastic Calf Bucket with galvanised handle (I live in a farming area and calf buckets are cheap, wide and not deep - so a good shape for use on a wobbly boat). My guess is that a canvass bucket would be best as they must naturally have some seepage and can be folded away when the weather is inclement (as commented on earlier /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif) But I must admit I have not carried out any trials, comparative or otherwise.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[rob2]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

I don't want to slide off the subject, but the old long keeled boats - like my mate's Contessa 26 - had a built in fridge. The whole length of the keel was packed with tetrapacks of custard and the like!
Unfortunately a friend decided to emulate this on his Folkboat which was to be left afloat for the winter. Come the first warm spring day, we were invited to sup aboard, as they hadn't opened yet. Pulling the aluminium beer cans from the steel keel bolts we got a fine, drenching beer shampoo. By the time we'd cleaned up the pubs were open, so no problem really!

 

[William_H]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

In Oz this kind of cooler is known as the Coolgardie cooler. It was popular around 1900 and named after Coolgardie a town where the streets were littered with gold nuggets but water was more expensive than whisky. The cooler is a box made of hession with steel frame and a tray around the bottom to hold the water. They are kept in the shade but in a windy place. Coolgardie is as hot as hades so the coolers were quickly replaced by real fridges when electricity came.
Sorry the gold has run out by now but the town Kalgoorlie 30k down the road still produces gold by the ton.
Interesting that Perth would still be much tinier than its first named Perth in Scotland but for this gold rush around 1850 when the population tripled every year for several years.
All good history like the Coolgardie cooler. olewill

 

[alec]

Re: The World\'s Most Eco-friendly Fridge

Thought you might like a couple of tips from an old 'Yachtsman's Week-End Book' that I bought from a junk shop :-

To soften bone-hard brushes
-----------------------------

Put 1 pint of turps into a can and set it alight. After burning for about a minute smother the flame and dip hard brushes in the liquid, working them to and fro until soft.

Sail Barking ( I assume tanning ?)
--------------------------------

Put in a huge cauldron 1 cwt oak branches, 1 cwt spent bark from a tannery, and add 100 gallons of water. Boil until reduced to 80 gallons. Strain off all foreign matter and then immerse sails totally in the liquor, boiling them in it for three or four hours. Then allow cauldron and contents to cool; when cold hang up sails without wringing them.