Refrigerator conversion

woodster · Dec 1, 2013

Goldenage said:
Hi Guys,

Planning on adding a refrigerator conversion to my Hunter 335. Looking at the Isotherm units and having problems deciding between the air cooled or water cooled compressors. Also deciding between the flat evaporators or O type.

The water cooled looks like it might be the way to go but I am concerned about the winterization.

The next issue is power, should I add an AC convertor for shore power. Not sure if it is good to have it running off my battery charger all the time when in the slip.

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

water cooled is the way to go for sure it is self draing if you haul it out the water will run out the cooling water coil....as far as the cooling plate goes the flat panels are fine.....and the last one i installed had the 12v power built in as i remember ...when on 120 vac it is really running on 12 vdc or if there is no 120 vac it runs on 12vdc on it own it always runs on 12 vdc and they do avery good job in 95 degree heat in the gulf as i can atest too....

there in a company in Savannaha Ga called Beard marine that you can call and talk to about the units they are most helpful and have good priceing as well.....good luck on your choice...

regards

woody

Bob 04 H260 · Dec 2, 2013

This web site is a great source of information to do what you are considering,

http://www.kollmann-marine.com/answers.aspx

good luck, Bob

Richard Kollmann · Dec 2, 2013

When cruising conditions are pleasant for swimming small water cooled refrigeration is not energy friendly and when it comes to dependability, water cooled refrigeration is very unfriendly.

It is difficult to have an area for freezing with a flat plate evaporator so a freezing chamber evaporator can provide a second area for freezer.

Icebox conversions using Swing compressors like Norcold and ENGEL are standard with AC and DC power. Danfoss compressor systems can be purchased with an AC/DC converter built in or a converter installed separately for either the BD35 or another one for BD35 compressors. The nice feature of all of these units they are automatic switching when boat detects AC power from any source.

Steve Dion · Dec 2, 2013

Actually the Isotherm SP is NOT water cooled but has a coil that is in the galley sink thru hull valve. They do not have a cooling pump. They are very energy efficient and almost silent.

Is you have room I would suggest the "O" type so you can make ice cubes, otherwise the flat panel is just fine.

Sailgunner · Dec 2, 2013

If you are in salt water with oysters, then air cooled is best. I have one of each and my water cooled system is always get plugged up with sea stuff.

bananabender56 · Dec 2, 2013

Sailgunner said:
If you are in salt water with oysters, then air cooled is best. I have one of each and my water cooled system is always get plugged up with sea stuff.

Have tried putting swimming pool chlorine tablets in the pump suction strainer - works ok on our A/C strainer

Steve Dion · Dec 2, 2013

I would think that if your sink drain gets plugged then you may have an issue. Otherwise there should not be any difference.

I would pour a cup of bleach down the drain every couple of weeks if it was an issue.

We had ours installed 6 years ago and it has worked like a dream. We leave it running 24 x 7 x 365 (+1 every 4 years).

woodster · Dec 2, 2013

Goldenage said:
Hi Guys,
Thanks for the advice. I talked with Beard Marine today they were very helpful. He was pushing an air cooled unit until I told him I wanted to leave it running all the time. I am in the northern Chesapeake and we can get some hot days. The Isotherm SP sounds like the better option for this. He confirmed it is just a coil in the sink drain line, the problem that scares me now is I need to bore the through fitting hole out to 2.5 inches. That's a big hole.
I put one in an almand 35 three years ago and it went to the gulf in Mobil..as for the hole wate till the kit comes in and measure the hole size needed.....a 2.5 inch hole is not really that big if you look at my dept transducer requireing a 2 inch hole.......it worked fine in that boat ...the icebox cavity was about 8 cubi ft in open space and we had to set the dial on 3.5 to maintaine 36 degrees fh in the hot summer time... i powered it with both 120vac and 12vdc and it did just fine no problems at all .....

hope this helps

Is anyone else using this system? And how well does it work? I need a little more encouragement before boring a hole that big in my hull.
He was also saying to just run it on DC and my battery charger in the slip. My fear is the charger quitting and the batteries going dead over a time that I am not there, no bilge pump. I don't want to put the pump on my starting battery. Am I overthinking this?

regards

woody

PKFK · Dec 2, 2013

Check out the isotherm ASU units - they have a holding plate and microprocessor controller that runs the compressor at 175% whenever the engine is running (uses voltage sensing to determine this).

The theory is that the holding plate can be "charged" (frozen) faster than you can store the energy in your batteries (due to charge acceptance rate - a fancy AGM bank might be different).

I put the system in as an icebox conversion in a Ticon 30 about 7 years ago, and have been extremely pleased with it. The ASU controller allows the system to be very, very energy efficient, and you don't have to run the engine all the time topping up batteries like in a standard type of system.

This was in Ottawa, Canada for summer sailing - temps often in the 30 degree centigrade range. Not sure about this set up in a tropical setting - but it sure keeps the beer cold for us.

Paul