Waeco 12v coolbox experiences please?

[NUTMEG]

Evening all. I have just removed a 240v fridge from the wheelhouse. Installed by previous owner who never really moved the boat away from her mains hook up

Anyway, a really inconvenient place to put it, well away from the galley and the space will be used to store the inflatable dinghy.

I was about to buy a coolbox just for the odd pack of bacon and pint of milk when I came across these



I reasoned that I could plug it in when motoring or 'hooked up' and use it as a coolbox when at anchor. Only usually spend a night or two away from civilisation and have a good stock of Fray Bentos pies in a locker. Anyone ever used one? Are they any good?

Cheers all

Steve

 

[Cloven]

when I first moved my boat out to France, it did not have fridge so I needed a very quick solution. I bought a Waeco CF35
which is a real fridge but in cool box form. It runs on either 240v or 12v.

http://www.waecofridges.co.uk/freezer/cf35.htm

It has worked faultlessly for 6 seasons now, up to 4 summer months at a time. It does all we want of it and in my situation it saved the hassle of fitting a fridge. Although I have never done it, It would be very easy to take the fridge home in the back of the car, cool it, fill it and then keep it cool in transit using the car 12v socket and then tranfer to the boat.

 

[Spyro]

I have a similar one from Aldi. It works well but draws about 4.5 amps so have to keep an eye on when its running. It also runs on 240v. I find it works better with a 2 litre bottle of foozen water to give it a kick start and also keep the ambient temp down when it's opened or switched off

 

[VicS]

The trouble with Peltier element cool boxes is the contniuous current drain of around 4 amps

Compare with the Waeco "Coolfreeze" range which have a much lower average current drain. Less than 0.5 amp average to maintain 5C at an ambient temp of 20C for the smaller ones.

 

[catalac08]

+1 the Waeco compressor cool boxes have a well controlled and selectable temperature and although not cheap do not kill the boat batteries as cheapos do. Ours has worked without fault for 8 years now, usually running continuously for 3 months each summer. This is a CF25.

 

[NUTMEG]

The combined wisdom of this place never ceases to astound me. Why are you lot not managing the country!!! Thanks all.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

+1 the Waeco compressor cool boxes have a well controlled and selectable temperature and although not cheap do not kill the boat batteries as cheapos do. Ours has worked without fault for 8 years now, usually running continuously for 3 months each summer.

My Waeco CF18 compressor coolbox uses 10Ah per 24 hours running as a fridge at 4C in a typical UK summer. It can also work as a deep freezer. It is many years old now. One of the best bits of kit i have bought.

 

[William_H]

As said do not buy one of the Peltier electronic coolers. (Characterised by being able to heat as well as cool) They are grossly inefficient and not pwerful at cooling.
I have had a CF 18 Waeco for a few years. It runs on 12v. Is very capable as a freezer. I use it in the car but also at home with a home made 24v power supply. They run automatically on 12v or 24v. My only comment is that I don't think the actual insulation is that good. I feel the under side very cold when it is running. I put it on a piece of foam to add insulation. never the less it is recomended as it was cheapest 12v freezer available. Obviously you can set the thermostat to just cool with less total current drain.
A freezer fridge is nice here just now forecast max today of 39. good luck olewill

 

[Iain C]

I bought a CDF18 second hand from forumite Wandering Star and it's one if the best bits of gear I have on the boat. Utterly brilliant bit of kit which has totally transformed our sailing...we no longer have to passage plan based on availability of fresh food/milk/hookup. Even if I'd bought new, it would have paid for itself because of anchoring vs. marina costs. And to top it all, I have four words...

Ice. Cold. Beer. Anywhere.

 

[reeac]

Yet another very satisfied CF18 user. Had ours about 8 years now.

 

[Puggy]

My Waeco CF18 compressor coolbox uses 10Ah per 24 hours running as a fridge at 4C in a typical UK summer. It can also work as a deep freezer. It is many years old now. One of the best bits of kit i have bought.

+1 I have a CF18 as well. More than 15 years old and never missed a beat. Makes ice- in fact the major problem is you can knock the thermostat to max and freeze all your wine and beers solid - nightmare! Don't even consider anything else.

 

[jakeroyd]

Another +1 for the cf18.
expensive but very low power needed as others have said.
Make sure you have a good low loss connection so you have no problems with voltage loss.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Waecos are undoubtably the best but also very expensive. My solution is to use a cheap Halfords coolbox with additional polystylene powered by solar panel during the day (when its hot) and switched off and kept closed at night (when its cool anyway). This solution wouldn't work for you, Olewill, but should be OK round here.
I would add that I haven't tried this yet so may be back eating humble pie later in the year and buying a Waeco. We used a waeco last year in the med and it was excellent.

 

[pcatterall]

Have got eltier and comprssor

Have got a peltier and a waeco compressor.

Yes the waeco is great but expensive and heavier to lift about.
It is horses for courses. If you have good access to shore power then the peltier is great to keep things cool and then can act as a cool box.
The waeco was sometimes a problem cutting in and out during the night.

 

[NUTMEG]

Thanks again all. I really don't think the bank balance will stretch to hundreds of pounds. I have three batteries to replace next month! The Peltier type will have to do for £50ish. Have shore power to chill it and often run the engine in any case so as long as I unplug the thing when sailing or at anchor it should, I hope, keep milk and bacon etc fresh for a few days at most.

 

[titian]

If you are going to buy a peltier coolbox, Lidl/Aldi ones often have 220V/12V capability.
Keep it in a cool place so it doesn't have to work too hard, 'coz they aren't very good at cooling
Slightly better than Camping Gaz as a coolbox, maybe.

 

[Cloven]

Thanks again all. I really don't think the bank balance will stretch to hundreds of pounds. I have three batteries to replace next month! The Peltier type will have to do for £50ish. Have shore power to chill it and often run the engine in any case so as long as I unplug the thing when sailing or at anchor it should, I hope, keep milk and bacon etc fresh for a few days at most.

Hope it works for you but I fear that once unplugged, it will warm up fairly quickly, depending on ambient temp etc, and then be no better than any other storage. With the CF35, I find that it copes well in S Brittany (temps generally around mid to high 20s in the summer) as long as we run the engine daily or the wind blows so the wind genny is doing its thing. Without these, then I reckon I get about 2 days or so before it cuts out on the low voltage setting when running on the 12v boat house batteries. I think it cuts out when the voltage gets down to 11.5 to preserve the batteries for more essential things.

 

[Laurie]

All that's been said about peltier boxes is undoubtedly true. In the context you have originally described, they would be fine....and they are a lot cheaper. We have used one (for years) for up to a fortnight away, have it running when motoring or hooked up, and all has been fine. 48 hours without being switched on has been fine......

...sorry, ours is an ALDI one, 240 or 12v, or a big Halfords one for longer trips, again 240 or 12 volts. We "kick start" them by running the night before and using a couple of freezer blocks. Food that's not being eaten for a while is frozen first...

 

[ghostlymoron]

If you are going to buy a peltier coolbox, Lidl/Aldi ones often have 220V/12V capability.
Keep it in a cool place so it doesn't have to work too hard, 'coz they aren't very good at cooling
Slightly better than Camping Gaz as a coolbox, maybe.

I've got a Camping gaz one. The mains facility would occasionally be useful.

Hope it works for you but I fear that once unplugged, it will warm up fairly quickly, depending on ambient temp etc, and then be no better than any other storage.

Hence my plan to encase mine in polystyrene.

 

[Cloven]

Hence my plan to encase mine in polystyrene.

Quite agree. Even the compressor types like the CF18 & 35 have optional padded insulation jackets. Just a bit expensive on top of an already expensive bit of kit.