Thinking about adding some insulation to the inside of my fridge in an attempt to reduce power consumption. I have seen claims from "heatshield" and "vacum panels" about their products, but has anybody actually done the inside of their box with these of similiar products? If so, how much power savings did you see? How much of a pian was it to do it? Brian
Insulation on the inside of the fridge
- Thread starter FlyBri737
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I did. It was a major part of a major job.
I added vacuum panels and lots of foam. The foam was both the pour type and the phoof-can product. The entire cabinet around the old box had to be ripped out. The problem with vacuum panels is that they don't work well as an add-on. You've pretty much gotta start from scratch and make sure there are NO sharp edges that could wear or puncture the panels, even many years later. If they leak, the R-value goes from something like 30+ to about R-2.5. For just adding a little insulation, consider those Home Depot phoof-cans. Depending on your boat, they may be just the ticket. For filling voids try to provide an escape path for extra foam. Let me re-phrase that. You MUST provide an escape path for extra foam. Make sure you have enough cans for the job and then stick the tube in a low spot and squirt it in. I would caulk around escape areas first. You don't want any to escape in the wrong spot. This job can be more than messy. It can be a disaster. But it's worth the risk. Just be sure to get the new kind of foam that can be cleaned-up with some kind of thinner or solvent. Did I mention this stuff is nasty?
I added vacuum panels and lots of foam. The foam was both the pour type and the phoof-can product. The entire cabinet around the old box had to be ripped out. The problem with vacuum panels is that they don't work well as an add-on. You've pretty much gotta start from scratch and make sure there are NO sharp edges that could wear or puncture the panels, even many years later. If they leak, the R-value goes from something like 30+ to about R-2.5. For just adding a little insulation, consider those Home Depot phoof-cans. Depending on your boat, they may be just the ticket. For filling voids try to provide an escape path for extra foam. Let me re-phrase that. You MUST provide an escape path for extra foam. Make sure you have enough cans for the job and then stick the tube in a low spot and squirt it in. I would caulk around escape areas first. You don't want any to escape in the wrong spot. This job can be more than messy. It can be a disaster. But it's worth the risk. Just be sure to get the new kind of foam that can be cleaned-up with some kind of thinner or solvent. Did I mention this stuff is nasty?
Add insulation
We had a very large ice box on our sailboat that used nearly 100 amps per day cruising. I bought special 2" foam sheets custom cut, from a supplier off 2nd Ave in Fort Lauderdale. These were cut to fit the inside of the box, and a layer of fiberglass was applied before installation. The pre cut pieces were thenn glued to the interior surfaces and a tape added to the seams. The new panels were then painted with a no oder epoxy white paint, and the job was done.It looked good, and the cost was not bad at all, and the job done at the slip took maybe ten hours. The best part was the special foam did not restrict the size of the box greatly, but the amp hours per day dropped to about 40. Good sailing Ron B
We had a very large ice box on our sailboat that used nearly 100 amps per day cruising. I bought special 2" foam sheets custom cut, from a supplier off 2nd Ave in Fort Lauderdale. These were cut to fit the inside of the box, and a layer of fiberglass was applied before installation. The pre cut pieces were thenn glued to the interior surfaces and a tape added to the seams. The new panels were then painted with a no oder epoxy white paint, and the job was done.It looked good, and the cost was not bad at all, and the job done at the slip took maybe ten hours. The best part was the special foam did not restrict the size of the box greatly, but the amp hours per day dropped to about 40. Good sailing Ron B
Ron - WOW!
That is a very impressive report, Ron. From 100A to 40A per day! Do you have any pictures of the insulation panels prior to installation and post installation? Jack "Friendship" C350, #80
That is a very impressive report, Ron. From 100A to 40A per day! Do you have any pictures of the insulation panels prior to installation and post installation? Jack "Friendship" C350, #80
wow!
Thanks Fred and Ron... If I could knock out even 30amps a day that would really my time between engine runs (with solar). Would love to see pics and get more details ron on your project. Thanks Brian
Thanks Fred and Ron... If I could knock out even 30amps a day that would really my time between engine runs (with solar). Would love to see pics and get more details ron on your project. Thanks Brian
low expansion foam
There are two types of the spray expanding foam. One has very high expansion and should be used in areas (home or boat) where there is room for the stuff to expand freely and excess can be later cut off: ie between joists, window jambs, door frames, etc. If you intend to use foam in an area where there is little to no egress for the product as it expands then use the low expansion stuff. Basically it expands to fill the space available but won't push on side walls or bow out non-structual areas. Just look for the "low expansion" label on the can.
There are two types of the spray expanding foam. One has very high expansion and should be used in areas (home or boat) where there is room for the stuff to expand freely and excess can be later cut off: ie between joists, window jambs, door frames, etc. If you intend to use foam in an area where there is little to no egress for the product as it expands then use the low expansion stuff. Basically it expands to fill the space available but won't push on side walls or bow out non-structual areas. Just look for the "low expansion" label on the can.
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