Having spent a few months structurally repairing my new '83 H34, I am now starting to address the systems onboard. Ice Box - 1 - How much ice (pounds/volume) do most of you put into the box ? 2 - How long can one expect to keep foods cold with x amount of ice ? 3 - Are these older models well insulated ? A friend of mine has a brand new refrigerator that was meant for his new sabre, the trim was damaged in shipping and will sell it to me dirt cheap. I would like some pros/cons feedback on those that have refrigeration. Thank you, Rusty,,,
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I would buy it
And insulate the ice box with the foil coated bubble wrap that Home Deopt sells. You can trim out your whole ice box in about an hour. The H34 iceboxes were not very well insulated. You will want to make a removable blanket for the bottom and the top of the refrigerator. This will help to keep everything cold while you are away from the dock. Also put a rubber cork in the icebox drain and it will help to keep everything cold. Have fun
And insulate the ice box with the foil coated bubble wrap that Home Deopt sells. You can trim out your whole ice box in about an hour. The H34 iceboxes were not very well insulated. You will want to make a removable blanket for the bottom and the top of the refrigerator. This will help to keep everything cold while you are away from the dock. Also put a rubber cork in the icebox drain and it will help to keep everything cold. Have fun
Plug the icebox drain?
Peter, How do you get the melted ice out from your box? And how long does your icebox stay cold? Thanks Rusty,,,
Peter, How do you get the melted ice out from your box? And how long does your icebox stay cold? Thanks Rusty,,,
2 blocks and a 20# bag of cubes in WI
We find this easily supports up to three days in northern WI (Highs in the 80s, lows in the late 60s F). I've heard there is no insulation below the floor of the icebox...if true, since cold air sinks, this would hamper the effectiveness. My boat's previous owner lined the icebox with blue styrofoam (building material). It was ugly, dirty and reduced capacity. I cut it out. I am considering cutting access hatch below and blowing in expanding foam insulation (ie Great Stuff). wondering if anyone has considered this?
We find this easily supports up to three days in northern WI (Highs in the 80s, lows in the late 60s F). I've heard there is no insulation below the floor of the icebox...if true, since cold air sinks, this would hamper the effectiveness. My boat's previous owner lined the icebox with blue styrofoam (building material). It was ugly, dirty and reduced capacity. I cut it out. I am considering cutting access hatch below and blowing in expanding foam insulation (ie Great Stuff). wondering if anyone has considered this?
Ice Box Drain Plug
What Peter mentioned about plugging the drain hole in the ice box is correct. If this isn't done, because cold air is heavier than warm air, it will drain out. Put a cork in it and when you're ready to drain the water from the melted ice out pull the plug then put it back in. When you're through with the trip leave the ice box lid ajar, or off, to prevent odor buildup. Foam: It keeps expanding for a while after it is applied, say a week or so. Therefore, be careful applying it around the cabinetry or other immovable objects like the hull as potentially it could move the cabinetry. The ice box on our H-35 was very poorly insulated, especially where the box meets the counter top. Check the thickness with an ice pick (if you can get to it).
What Peter mentioned about plugging the drain hole in the ice box is correct. If this isn't done, because cold air is heavier than warm air, it will drain out. Put a cork in it and when you're ready to drain the water from the melted ice out pull the plug then put it back in. When you're through with the trip leave the ice box lid ajar, or off, to prevent odor buildup. Foam: It keeps expanding for a while after it is applied, say a week or so. Therefore, be careful applying it around the cabinetry or other immovable objects like the hull as potentially it could move the cabinetry. The ice box on our H-35 was very poorly insulated, especially where the box meets the counter top. Check the thickness with an ice pick (if you can get to it).
Peter & John, longevity of ice lying in water
First, thank you for clarifying Peter's comment. 2 blocks & a 20# bag of ice would be more water than the small holding pit at the bottom of this icebox could hold. That got me thinking of an article I had read about a test conducted on the longevity of ice laying in water vs a drained container. Apparently the drained ice lasted substantially longer. If that test was accurate,,, I wonder if one could form a little trap from the drain hose as to shut-off the excaping cold air while keeping the water drained below the ice levels? I will be exploring the icebox issue when I go to the boat this weekend. Thank you, Rusty,,,
First, thank you for clarifying Peter's comment. 2 blocks & a 20# bag of ice would be more water than the small holding pit at the bottom of this icebox could hold. That got me thinking of an article I had read about a test conducted on the longevity of ice laying in water vs a drained container. Apparently the drained ice lasted substantially longer. If that test was accurate,,, I wonder if one could form a little trap from the drain hose as to shut-off the excaping cold air while keeping the water drained below the ice levels? I will be exploring the icebox issue when I go to the boat this weekend. Thank you, Rusty,,,
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