I am getting ready to (finally) start on the icebox conversion... the old refrigerator finally giving out. How do I decide if I should use a standard vertical evaporator or a holding plate? Does either tend to use less amps over a day?
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Mike DiMario
my understanding
Debra, My understanding of a holding plate is that it is primarily intended to manually charged. This is so you can control when it is using power. Something you would want if you are away from hookups often. If you are hooked up at a marina, and my understanding of a cold/holding plate is correct, refrigeration is the choice of convenience. hop this helps, Mike D
Debra, My understanding of a holding plate is that it is primarily intended to manually charged. This is so you can control when it is using power. Something you would want if you are away from hookups often. If you are hooked up at a marina, and my understanding of a cold/holding plate is correct, refrigeration is the choice of convenience. hop this helps, Mike D
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Ron
Agree with Mike
A holding plate will stay cold for a very long time, but there ain't nothin' free! It takes a lot of power to get the holding plate down to the temp you want. Most are connected to a drive on the engine which means you'll have to have the "refrigerator hour" everyday and run the engine for about an hour. Not my first choice unless I was going on some really extended cruising to remote islands. My choice would be, and is, an evaporator system. With a well insulated box you should get many years out of this type system. A lot of people have used hundred dollar apartment refrigerators and have built them in to their ice boxes with great sucess. Just depends on how handy you are with tools. It sure beats $1200 for a 12 volt refrig if are only going to use it on weekends. A 1000 watt inverter will keep the apartment refrig running off your batteries while underway and you can pick one of those babies up for $150 and up... Good luck and save a cold one for me... Ron/KA5HZV
A holding plate will stay cold for a very long time, but there ain't nothin' free! It takes a lot of power to get the holding plate down to the temp you want. Most are connected to a drive on the engine which means you'll have to have the "refrigerator hour" everyday and run the engine for about an hour. Not my first choice unless I was going on some really extended cruising to remote islands. My choice would be, and is, an evaporator system. With a well insulated box you should get many years out of this type system. A lot of people have used hundred dollar apartment refrigerators and have built them in to their ice boxes with great sucess. Just depends on how handy you are with tools. It sure beats $1200 for a 12 volt refrig if are only going to use it on weekends. A 1000 watt inverter will keep the apartment refrig running off your batteries while underway and you can pick one of those babies up for $150 and up... Good luck and save a cold one for me... Ron/KA5HZV
Not necessarily Ron.
Ron: The holding plate units are expensive but do not use more power. Check out Technautic Marine Cool Blue. www.technauticsinc.com
Ron: The holding plate units are expensive but do not use more power. Check out Technautic Marine Cool Blue. www.technauticsinc.com
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Ron
Go to their link.
Ron: I posted their link. I have one of their older units and it has worked good for use for several years. They have special so you should go to their site and check out the prices if you are interested. They have different combinations and your can order custom options too. www.technauticsinc.com
Ron: I posted their link. I have one of their older units and it has worked good for use for several years. They have special so you should go to their site and check out the prices if you are interested. They have different combinations and your can order custom options too. www.technauticsinc.com
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Ron
Ouch!
Do you know how much ice I can buy for $2288.00?? Just kidding! But that is way out of my refrigerator price range. I can install a Cold machine with a thousand bucks left over toward a solar/wind charging system. It may work great, but so do a lot of things... just not for me! But thanks for the info... Ron
Do you know how much ice I can buy for $2288.00?? Just kidding! But that is way out of my refrigerator price range. I can install a Cold machine with a thousand bucks left over toward a solar/wind charging system. It may work great, but so do a lot of things... just not for me! But thanks for the info... Ron
Purchase one several years ago.
Ron: I purchased mine several years ago. This was about the same time that West Marine started selling them. We got our in an off season special for about $1300. I think if you look at their special now through the end of July of Aug they are offering a 15% discount, so it is still not cheap.
Ron: I purchased mine several years ago. This was about the same time that West Marine started selling them. We got our in an off season special for about $1300. I think if you look at their special now through the end of July of Aug they are offering a 15% discount, so it is still not cheap.
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Max Clark (GMC Refrig)
Evaporator vs Plate
An evaporator gives you cooling while it's running a nothing when it's not. A holdover plate is like putting a block of ice in your frig. In fact that's what it is, a container of water that you freeze into ice, then it cools as it melts. You get as much refrigeration out as you put in, so to speak
An evaporator gives you cooling while it's running a nothing when it's not. A holdover plate is like putting a block of ice in your frig. In fact that's what it is, a container of water that you freeze into ice, then it cools as it melts. You get as much refrigeration out as you put in, so to speak
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