Convert Ice to Fridge

[Andiamo 34]

I have a 1985 Hunter H34 and want to convert the ice box to fridge, MAYBE. We are not live aboard, but have recently retired and will be doing multiple weeks at a time now. It is a 5 cubic foot box. was not thinking of freezer only cold storage for now. Does anyone have a suggestion for equipment? How many amps per day would be expected? Is there a better solution than converting? Any suggestions would be welcomed.
Bob

 

[sail sfbay]

Do an internet search on "converting a sailboat icebox to refrigerator" like this one: Conversion Kits that Turn Your Boat's Ice Box Into a Galley Refrigerator - Practical Sailor (practical-sailor.com) and check these vendor articles out:

Norcold Icebox Conversion Kit (into a refrigerator/ freezer!) - Norcold Parts (thenorcoldguy.com)
Isotherm Ice Box Conversion Kits (suremarineservice.com)

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

60+/- amps per day is the conventional wisdom depending on efficacy of insulation. Add cost of additional battery capacity, increased charging capacity, compressor and ventilation = not a trivial addition. But we’ll worth it.

 

[Stu Jackson]

60+/- amps per day

60 AMP HOURS per day is what Don meant. Better insulation can reduce it. A friend of mine got his down to 38, but that's extremely rare and quite superb.

Doing what you're planning simply means getting ice will, I say WILL, become a PITA very soon. It's a great improvement.

 

[SycloneDriver]

I converted my old Beneteau 285. It wasn't that difficult and I loved having cold beverages waiting for me.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I have gotten mine down to less than 50 Ah per day without changing the factory insulation on my 1988 mk C30. In my last two week-long cruises, I have averaged 120 Ah per day for icebox conversion fridge, -4ºF 54-qt freezer, hydronic for morning heat and domestic hot water, and all other loads.
I improved the efficiency of the icebox by converting the mechanical thermostat (which also runs the compressor on high) to a digital thermostat that eliminates the short cycling. On the mechanical thermostat, it would cycle 5-min on and 10-min off (24/7). Now it runs for about 20-minutes and then is off for a couple of hours. This is also much better to sleep with because the constant on/off would keep me awake while I fumed about the short cycle. I also added a PWM fan control to the fan on the condenser which allows me to slow it down to use even less amps and makes it almost silent. The temperature now has a digital readout and ranges from an "ON" temp of 39º to an "OFF" temp of 33º.

 

[DeniseO30]

I have a hunter 34 apparently was converted quite some time ago it has an alder Barber cold machine probably running on R12 but I'm a retired HVAC business owner and know enough not to touch it until it actually breaks down, it consistently gives me 29° in the Box with semi Rock hard Frozen Goods inside the evaporator could go colder but I don't bother has a cute little styrofoam board sticking in the front like a little door so it works like a little freezer

 

[kloudie1]

The box on the 34 has pretty good insulation.. Note the position of the evaporator box in Denise's installation..My box had been converted by the PO back in 1986 ish.. It was an F-12 water cooled unit from a company, Frost, in Florida and worked pretty well. The evaporator on mine had been placed vertically on the engine-side bulkhead and had little vertical ice cube trays inside.. The vibration from the engine eventually caused the trays to wear holes through the expanded aluminum evaporator. At that point, the unit was removed .. we were not cruising much because of jobs, raising kids etc so it never has been fixed/replaced.. The cost of replacing the evaporator box and conversion from F-12 is a significant % of the cost of a new unit, so I never bit that bullet.. My advise is to install the evaporator as in Denise's boat.. and think about where to install the condenser unit for good ventilation in your tropical, Melbourne heat.

 

[JBP-PA]

Another option is to get one of the many portable refrigerators around. Engle and Dometic are the big names but there are several others. Prices range from $200 to nearly $1,000 for an Engle or Dometic. My 22 liter one uses about 25 AH a day and holds enough food for up to a week.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Another option is to get one of the many portable refrigerators around. Engle and Dometic are the big names but there are several others. Prices range from $200 to nearly $1,000 for an Engle or Dometic. My 22 liter one uses about 25 AH a day and holds enough food for up to a week.

I did this to add a freezer to my boat. I got this unit which is 50 liters and can be set to 65ºF to -4ºF for under $300.

 

[RoyS]

Most original ice boxes are deep to accommodate ice on the bottom. When you convert you will discover that food and beverages on the bottom are difficult to access. I made two stacking crates that solve this problem but you have to lift out the top one to get to the bottom one. Be sure to note Don's comments above about increasing battery and charging capacity.

 

[Benny17441]

I just depends on how do you intend to travel. If you stop every night at a transient slip with shore power you could use a very basic system but if you intend to overnight for consecutive days you may need to upgrade your battery banks, charging options as well as budgeting your power needs. Borrowed an h34 once to go from the Cheaspeake Bay to NYC and the long Island Sound. The boat had a dorm refrigerator 120V under the stove in the place where the oven used to be. We took a Honda EU2000i portable gas generator. We spent nights either at Marinas or at anchorages where we ran the generator. Every morning the batteries were charged and the refrigerator was cool. Residual cooling from the refrigerator lasted almost all day and we watched our perishables. we did not suffer any lack of power during the two week trip there and back. A set up of Lithium Batteries, controlers, inverter and solar panels could go for $5k to $10k. An inboard diesel powered generator would run for a similar investment amount. We still have and use the Honda 2000 W which originally cost $950 and it also runs our Air conditioning unit, power tools and other appliances and we take it home for Hurricanes in case we loose power.

 

[Andiamo 34]

Thank you all for your suggestions and recommendations. I appreciate the support I get from this community.