Improved Insulation for 1990 C30 Ice Box

[Davis Moon]

I have installed an Alder Barbour refrigeration system for my ice box but need to improve the insulation around the outside of the box. I was plannig to do it this winter when I haul. Has anyone done this or have any advice on the best way to do this. I cannot see any easy way to do it.

 

[Michael Cohn]

try this

I did it this way on my h45:Drill some holes in the furniture around the box, then use canned foam and insert the tube into the holes and get as much in as you can - be careful - this stuff can BREAK things it expands so much. When you are finished, put teak plugs in the holes, trim and sand them, then varnish. If you do this carefully, they cannot be seen unless you look really closely.This method works fairly well, but my preference would be to remove the countertop and put vacuum panels around the outside of the box - unfortunately, this is a major project that involves tearing up a lot of stuff. You could also put material of some sort on the inside of the box, but wou will lose space and it's not clear what sort of material will hold up well.I wish you luck - if Hunter had had enough sense to insulate these boxes adequately to begin with, none of us would have to go through these hassles...MC

 

[Phil Williams]

Adding insulation only for experts

This is a tricky job. If you go with the foam in the can, which is available from your local hardware store, you must be very careful as Michael mentions. You begin by drilling a series of holes in a vertical path starting 6 inches from the bottom of the outside box, space the holes every 6-12 inches. Blow the foam in the lowest hole first and then wait to see it expand out of the next hole up. Wait about another 15 minutes before going to the next hole to blow more foam in. You must give sufficient time for the foam to expand. The colder the weather the longer it takes for the foam to expand. You continue doing this until you have filled any voids found.The foam should expand about 12 inches around the hole location so you will have to dril a series of holes to be sure you get good coverage. DO NOT RUSH THE JOB.It is best if you do this type of work when the weather is warm as the foam will expand faster and you will get better performance. If you have never used this type of expanding foam before I do not suggest you try it now. Instead I would concentrate on beefing up your charging system and enjoy the boat as is.

 

[James]

Ice Box Improvements

By the late 1980's Catalina had made subtantial improvements in icebox insulation over prior years.By removing the drawer assembly adjacent to the box, you should be able to view the exterior surfaces under the counter.You may be able to add additional insulation to the box by adding pieces of 1" closed cell foam board. Use an adhesive like Sika's to secure the material to the box. You will have to cut the foam board to fit the box's surfaces, and affix the foam piece by piece to the accessable surfaces. Piece by piece cover as much of the box exterior as possible, taking care to fill gaps on curved surfaces. Any gap along the back side (between the box and hull can be filled with expanding foam at the end of the job.Adding insulation is not an easy job. As previously mentioned, upgrading the charging system might be easier. However, if properly installed, additional insulation will improve the holding ability of the box.Also, other places to look for possible areas of improvement are; 1. The ice box drain, which allows warmair from the bilge spaces to enter the box. We added a loop to the drain line tube to trap some water in the line. The factory supplied drain plug has little insulating effect. 2. The box lid insulation - there are several blanket type products out there that can be placed over the lid or over the box contents to reduce heat transfer.3. The box lid seal - really imporant to have a good seal(s) to prevent warm air from entering the box.4. Minimize opening the ice box as much as you can.The coldmachine is the best small boat system on the market. Good luck.