Fridge/Ice Box question

leo310 · Mar 28, 2018

The 310 is a great boat we have had our for over 15 years. About the refrigeration, what type of batteries and total amp hour you have will give you the time on the hook that you'll have before charging is required. For us we found that 3-4 days was ok with 4 6 volt golf cart batteries. We have now installed 2 65 watt solar panels that extended this to weeks. The only mod I did to the fridge was add a external controller and rewire the power to the compressor as the installed wire is under sized for the load, this helped and reduced the cycling of the compressor.

buddybear · Mar 28, 2018

My consumption for the fridge is about 3.5 amps per hour which comes to 84 amps per day. On my 310 there is not a separate ice box, to the left of the fridge is a storage compartment which you could maybe turn into an ice box.

Calif. Ted · Mar 28, 2018

Usually not a problem with 4D or larger battery bank which I assume a 310 has. However I do vaguely remember a some problem with the refer on the earlier built 310's, maybe relating to the seal on the door. My boat has a giant top loader and I usually put about 20 lbs. ice in the bottom for long trips. Ice lasts for weeks, maintains refer temp better and really reduces load.

Calif. Ted · Mar 28, 2018

The front opening door was kind of a new thing when first used on the 310, I don't think the door was level with the bottom and there may be a lower "sump" area. On my 320 there is a drain tube, look for a small hole in lowest part of interior. Then there is a Wye valve under the head sink that switches the shower sump pump over to discharge the melted ice after switching the pump on. I'd imagine something similar on the 310. The freezer section ices up somewhat and that is normal and actually aids, but every now and then you must defrost. It really helps to be able to pump that stuff out rather then mop it up.
When on shorepower I leave the icebox on even when gone from the boat a few days, it pretty much runs year round.

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Mar 28, 2018

The fridge can be used as an ice box. There is a drain that shares the pump and discharge with the shower sump. You use a Y valve to select which source to pump from.

We had to use the fridge as an ice box when Maria claimed our controller for the refer. We found the best was to put the ice in the evaporator and the more critical items on the bottom shelf.

Someone posted they are using 84 amps per day for the fridge. Check your ground for corrosion! That's too much. In the Caribbean we use 85 amp hours total per day, not just the fridge, total (except for the watermaker). About 50-55 amp hours per day is for the fridge. We have 500 watts of solar and are topped up to 100% SOC almost every day.

Congrats on the new boat. Hope you love the C310 as much as us.

Fair winds,

Jesse

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Mar 28, 2018

Oh, and the front door of the fridge won't leak. The fridge drops about 6 inches down to the lower shelf. The lower shelf is perforated plastic and there is a sump below it that holds over a gallon of water. You would need 30-40 pounds of ice to melt to start flooding over the door.

buddybear · Mar 28, 2018

Are you referring to the ground for the fridge?

marchem · Mar 28, 2018

MikeToronto said:
Wow, so many responses so quickly - thanks, guys!
@Calif. Ted : that's something that I am thinking about as well - when I am not running the fridge, just put some ice on the top or on the bottom, but with 310s having a front door as well, wouldn't it leak? Also, is that refer set up for draining water, either to a sink or to the bilge?
Finally, standard order form for 310 mentions "Pump for Overboard Discharge of Icebox"? Does anyone know what this means? Is its intake somehow plugged into the fridge? Or into that second separate compartment which could be used as an icebox?

Jesse's reply about the plumbing is probably correct, but you'll need to track hoses on the boat you're looking at to be certain. Many things were changed during the years of construction (our shower/reefer drain is under the galley sink, on other boats it's next to the head), and it's possible (but not likely) a previous owner modified things.

Our reefer draws about 5A when running. Assuming 50% on time that's 60Ah/day, which is close to Jesse's numbers.

Welcome to the family!!

marchem · Mar 28, 2018

leo310 said:
The 310 is a great boat we have had our for over 15 years. About the refrigeration, what type of batteries and total amp hour you have will give you the time on the hook that you'll have before charging is required. For us we found that 3-4 days was ok with 4 6 volt golf cart batteries. We have now installed 2 65 watt solar panels that extended this to weeks. The only mod I did to the fridge was add a external controller and rewire the power to the compressor as the installed wire is under sized for the load, this helped and reduced the cycling of the compressor.

How hard was it to run the wires from the panel to the compressor? I'll have to look at ours and see what size they are.

marchem · Mar 28, 2018

MikeToronto said:
Hello, everyone!
First time poster, new to Catalina 310, apologies for potential naivete.

The admiral and I are actively looking to purchase a 310. One of the things I am not clear about is the refrigeration situation. The boat specs indicate that she comes with Adler/Barbour top and front opening fridge, which is fine and dandy when the boat is plugged in, but I doubt could be relied on when on the hook or underway with the engine off unless solar panels or wind-powered generator supply enough extra juice for it to not drain the battery. Is there a separate ice box on the boat, so that I could turn the fridge off and rely on it instead? Or perhaps I am overestimating the fridge energy consumption?

I'd appreciate it if the owners of 310s could share their experience and solutions they've come up with.

Mike, we run our reefer all the time, but are plugged in at the dock most of the time. In case someone flips our AC power switch, I put this on our DC panel to turn things off if the batteries get low:
https://www.bluesea.com/products/7635/m-LVD_Low_Voltage_Disconnect
I haven't actually seen it work yet, but it's pretty easy insurance.

leo310 · Mar 28, 2018

Too run the new wires was not a problem just took time, about 1 hour.

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Mar 28, 2018

buddybear said:
Are you referring to the ground for the fridge?

I would start with the stacked lug on the engine. I eliminated that stacked lug by installing a negative ground buss. Also grounded the alternator to the buss. I get about 45-48 amps out of a 55 amp alternator. Still probably going to a externally regulated alternator soon. Sorry for digressing.

Start with the lug. Clean everything up. See if that changes. You could measure the voltage as the compressor starts to see if there is a big drop when it starts to run.

If the ground lug isn't an issue then check the wiring at the compressor control board.

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Mar 28, 2018

MikeToronto said:
Excellent news, thanks Jesse. I've been following your adventures online, living out my dream vicariously and thinking that possibly.. one day...
We haven't acquired the boat yet, but actively hunting while educating ourselves as much as possible. Funny enough, I've used your Caribbean experience to "prove" to my better half that there is no way Smitty crew runs the fridge all the time - I assumed you have an alternative plan where ice could be use as a cold agent.

Only time I had to do anything other than run the motor was when the compressor control board was shorted out by salt water thanks to Maria. We run our fridge all the time. We make ice for cocktails, have meat frozen for weeks at a time. We have talked about adding a second freezer because when I get a Mahi it fills the fridge and freezer. So I only fish with one line when I could have 2-3 out and get a couple tuna or mahi. Plus lobster and fish I spear.

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Mar 28, 2018

marchem said:
Mike, we run our reefer all the time, but are plugged in at the dock most of the time. In case someone flips our AC power switch, I put this on our DC panel to turn things off if the batteries get low:
https://www.bluesea.com/products/7635/m-LVD_Low_Voltage_Disconnect
I haven't actually seen it work yet, but it's pretty easy insurance.

Good plan. I may add a low voltage and high voltage disconnects in the future if I move towards lithium ion batteries.

CTS · Mar 28, 2018

So if the fridge draws 60Ah/day, and we have two 4D batteries, which I think you guys told me before have about 370Ah, and I think it was mentioned that only 50% was usable. So that would net me 185Ah, so if I was just using the fridge with no other draw I should be able to use it for about 3 days before having to charge the batteries? Remember, this electrical stuff is not my strongpoint.

Per Maine Sails advice I installed a digital volt meter, and I think his advice was to monitor that and when it got to 12.2 volts it was time to start the motor and charge the batteries. I think he said that 12.2 volts would still start the motor. Does that sound about right? That seems like a long time ago when we had that conversation.

Most of our trips consist of weekend sailing with usually one or two nights on anchor. The boat is plugged in all week. I was thinking since the fridge has the drain, to put a bag of ice in the bottom when we leave to lower the load on the fridge. The fridge will be cold so the ice should last a good long time. If we can lower the load on the fridge the only other big draw is the auto pilot and we don't tend to use that a lot. Any idea what the autopilot draws?

Our boat made it in the water last Friday and we are having our shakedown sail this Saturday to get ready for our boating season.

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Mar 28, 2018

CTS said:
So if the fridge draws 60Ah/day, and we have two 4D batteries, which I think you guys told me before have about 370Ah, and I think it was mentioned that only 50% was usable. So that would net me 185Ah, so if I was just using the fridge with no other draw I should be able to use it for about 3 days before having to charge the batteries? Remember, this electrical stuff is not my strongpoint.

Per Maine Sails advice I installed a digital volt meter, and I think his advice was to monitor that and when it got to 12.2 volts it was time to start the motor and charge the batteries. I think he said that 12.2 volts would still start the motor. Does that sound about right? That seems like a long time ago when we had that conversation.

Most of our trips consist of weekend sailing with usually one or two nights on anchor. The boat is plugged in all week. I was thinking since the fridge has the drain to put a bag of ice in the bottom when we leave to lower the load on the fridge. The fridge will be cold so the ice should last a good long time. If we can lower the load on the fridge the only other big draw is the auto pilot and we don't tend to use that a lot. Any idea what the autopilot draws?

Our boat made it in the water last Friday and we are having our shakedown sail this Saturday to get ready for our boating season.

You got it. If you still have the factory battery setup your switch would need to set to both to have the 180 amp hours. But monitor the voltage and start before you hit 12.2 V .

Good luck.

CTS · Mar 28, 2018

JK_Boston_Catalina310 said:
You got it. If you still have the factory battery setup your switch would need to set to both to have the 180 amp hours. But monitor the voltage and start before you hit 12.2 V .

Good luck.

Cool thanks. I know its not the preferred setup, but was trying to keep it simple. Maine Sails advice was also to either have the switch in the off position, or both, never 1 or 2. I used to do the #1 today, #2 tomorrow deal. He explained why that wasn't the best procedure.