I am being model specific, my boat does not have a frig system. I don't know if it was an option but not something to worry about. I have a storage well just to port of the galley sink and another port of the entry ladder. The aft locker has a shelf that I assume would be for a block of ice. There is a drain. The locker port of the sink does appear to have a drain. I'm interested in putting in a frig system without having to cut up cabinets or bulkheads. I saw a system that had cold plates but I don't know enough about cooling systems. Cold plates need compressors and freon (?). I am past that stage of my life that I want to muscle blocks of ice over docks, up onto decks, and down ladders. If you hear a blood curdling yell from the SFBay/Delta its me dropping a bag of ice on my foot. Suggestions, options would be greatly appreciated. Advice from any owner would be nice. Thanks Hal
refrigeration for a s2 11a
- Thread starter Halvern
- Start date
most expeditious would be to get a portable that has a compressor refrigeration system ( not solid state, Peltier effect) ..
portable refrigerator freezer - Google Search
The biggest problem with adding a system to an existing box is to have sufficient insulation to get the compressor run time down to a manageable amount. I don't know the amount of insulation in your box but if you can verify around 2 inches or more, then press on.
Good luck..
portable refrigerator freezer - Google Search
The biggest problem with adding a system to an existing box is to have sufficient insulation to get the compressor run time down to a manageable amount. I don't know the amount of insulation in your box but if you can verify around 2 inches or more, then press on.
Good luck..
If you have an insulated icebox, adding refrigeration is not that hard (and it sure is nice to have cold beer available when ever I step aboard).
Yes, you need to find some space for a compressor, with 12-volt power at a minimum.
Today, there are kits that have the compressor setup, pre-charged line set and the plates that mount in the box. They are designed to be self-installed with no need for an HVAC person to charge the system.
If you search YouTube, I am sure you will find some installs. Sail Life is one. The guy is a perfectionist (engineer), but quality videos.
My fridge was already installed when I bought my O’Day 322…compressor is in the lazzarette, line set runs from there to the fridge. Mine is a 12-volt system. I think that there are systems that switch between 110 volt AC and 12-volt DC when away from shore power.
Greg
The “locker” to port of the ladder is an insulated box. The shelf is removable. At the aft outboard corner next to the removable top, the counter protrudes into the top of the box. You can mount an evaporator there. On my boat, the compressor is in the port aft cockpit locker. Just above the quadrant. I did not want to locate the compressor in the large cockpit locker it is used for storage for things like boat hooks, oars, line, etc etc.Run the copper lines between the box and compressor high up in the cockpit locker. Near the hull to deck join.
Hal. There are basically 2 paths non ice cooling.
- Install an insulated box. Place cooling plates in the box. Add a compressor, batteries, wiring to ac/dc power. This is used on many boats. It is involved and will require modification to your boat to install the components
- Purchase the refrigerator components packaged in a refrigerator/freezer box. This will mean modifying the cabinet to install the refrigerator. You have the same ac/dc power install issues but the insulation and the cooling components are in a pre made package
As mentioned, an compressor-based Engel or similar unit is by far the easiest. Pays your $$ and plug it in. Under no circumstances consider a Peltier based unit.
Most costal cruisers would use the typical Isotherm or Dometic icebox conversion with a standard aluminum evaporator. As mentioned, these are not particularly challenging to install. They come pre-charged.
Cold Plates (Eutectic holdover plates) have significant advantages/disadvantages depending on your use case. They are different than a typical evaporator based system.
West Marine Article on Refrigeration
Most costal cruisers would use the typical Isotherm or Dometic icebox conversion with a standard aluminum evaporator. As mentioned, these are not particularly challenging to install. They come pre-charged.
Cold Plates (Eutectic holdover plates) have significant advantages/disadvantages depending on your use case. They are different than a typical evaporator based system.
West Marine Article on Refrigeration
I can dream but I know that I am not going to be doing any long range cruising with this S2. Just hope to run back and forth here on the Delta with an occaisional trip out to SFBay. With my time I do hope to make another trip out to the Farallon Islands. With that said i want to have a nice system that will keep some cans cold, a bottle of wine or two, condiments, etc.. I figure that a cooling system will draw a bit of power under sail and drawing off the battery bank. The amount I don't know how to figure. A note: I am running a Furuno Doppler radar system and really haven't had a chance to play with it yet but between that and the Navionics plotter and all I'm thinking that a cooling system will need to be able to cool and maintain the coolness without too much of a power drain. Was thinking maybe to add a wind vane, but another project. Any recommendations on a manufacturer and start there. I have plenty of room, the lazarette is just on the other side of the bulkhead to hold a compressor and the panel is only 10ish feet away from the "ice" box. If I'm going to do it I want a good cold system so the next owner will be able to enjoy her as much as me. Thanks, look forward to advice. Hal
If you are on shore power, and plan on day sailing mostly, you should be ok with either a built in or portable fridge. I have a 215 AH battery bank (2 golf cart 6-volts) and I day sail all summer with the fridge running. Return to dock and shore power every night. I went out for a 3-day, 2-night sail last summer…I froze a gallon jug of water and out in the fridge, and turned the fridge off to save power (I don’t have solar). Worked great.
You should determine a few key pieces of info…
1) what is the capacity and condition of your battery bank?
2) what is your power consumption? Each piece of 12-volt equipment has a draw…radio, stereo, nav lights, cabin lights, chart plotter, radar, auto pilot, etc. The fridge is probably the largest draw…mine is between 5-7 amps When the compressor is running…which should not be100% of the time…but it depends on the insulation of the box, ambient temps, the temp of the stuff you put in the fridge, etc.
I used a digital volt meter with a current clamp to get an approximate draw of each component…turned everything off, put the clamp on the positive wire off the battery bank, and turned on 1 component at a time to see what sort of amps it would draw.
On a wind vane, I would probably go with Garmin, but if you want it to talk to a RayMarine AP or your Chart plotter, you should check compatibility and communications.
have fun with her,
Greg
Dream on, sailor!
Well insulated, built-in box with an Adler Barbour fridge will draw about 5A at about a 50% duty cycle, once the box and everything in it are down to temp. It takes me about 24 hours to hit that point from outside air temp, with the addition of a couple of blocks of ice.
The fridge is our biggest power consumer, followed by laptop charging, autopilot, and navigation and sailing electronics. That's thanks to going to all LED bulbs for house, anchor, and nav lights.
Make a power budget first.
