Fridge/freezer use

[jviss]

O.K., gotcha, refrigerator only. Mine's quite large, and on trips I always start it off with a couple of blocks of ice in the bottom, and I usually have a large bag of cubes in there, too. It's moist, and as the ice melts, it needs a place to drain. Many boat fridge designs started life as ice boxes, too. I guess that's why they have drains, and also to ease cleaning.

 

[jviss]

To the OP's original question, what you propose makes sense to me. I don't have experience with that kind of setup, though.

 

[Windpilot]

The op's question is if you just freeze the freezer side and not turn on the spillover fan would that be efficient.
Disregarding any measurable efficiency the problem is the refrigerated side will never go below 50 degrees here in California weather.
On the plus side you would have less frost build up since the fan isn't pushing warmer air into the freezer.

 

[danm1]

The op's question is if you just freeze the freezer side and not turn on the spillover fan would that be efficient.
Disregarding any measurable efficiency the problem is the refrigerated side will never go below 50 degrees here in California weather.
On the plus side you would have less frost build up since the fan isn't pushing warmer air into the freezer.

Not exactly. I was wondering about just using the freezer side at refrigerator temperature and not turning on the fridge side. Perhaps even covering the spillover vent temporarily.

 

[Windpilot]

Oh, well if you don't need the space sure, I can see that working. Makes sense, use the frig side as dry storage. Probably would save some power.

 

[Stu Jackson]

O.K., gotcha, refrigerator only. Mine's quite large, and on trips I always start it off with a couple of blocks of ice in the bottom, and I usually have a large bag of cubes in there, too. It's moist, and as the ice melts, it needs a place to drain. Many boat fridge designs started life as ice boxes, too. I guess that's why they have drains, and also to ease cleaning.

I sometimes bag ice, too, but only on the first day at the beginning of a cruise before my fridge makes its own. I use hefty freezer bags so they don't leak and keep the bagged cubes inside the evaporator section. The bags don't leak.
Most older boats had fridges as owner add-ons to ice boxes, or dealer supplied as options. It is only relatively lately that builders are installing packaged fridge units. In between, the factory still made ice boxes but installed the fridge evaporators inside and ran the refrigerant tubes to the compressors and condensers at the factory.
Just a short history for those who may not know.
When I clean my fridge, the very last thing I want to do is open the drain. Why send the dirt that may be there (which is why I clean it to begin with!!!) into my bilge?