sailboat refrigerator units

[FrKim]

I am looking to install a refrigerator unit for my 1995 Hunter 35.5 ice box.
Does anyone have experience with the water cooled,
Isotherm SP Refrigeration Systems - Compact Water Cooled refrigerator unit?

Indel Webasto: Compact sea water cooled - Self Pumping

The Isotherm SP units cool with the use of seawater. This method has the advantage that refrigeration efficiency is completely independent of the air temperature inside the boat.

www.indelwebastomarine.com

vs the air cooled refrigerator units such as the below unit (or others).

Nova Kool LT201-RT4 Ice Box Conversion Kit

www.suremarineservice.com

is the heat produced by the air cooled units significant?

Thanks for you input.

 

[jeepbluetj]

I wouldn't use a water cooled unit anywhere but possibly the tropics (and likely not there, either). It's unnecessary, adds complication to the system, requires 2 more holes in the boat, and reduces lifetime (if in salt water).

On both my now-gone C-30 and the current boat, the condenser and compressor are in the laz. Never really noticed it much warmer than ambient.

 

[Terry Cox]

Our 1991 boat came with dual air cooled Adler Barber 12V units; freezer and refrigerator. Freezer unit still works, but the refrigerator unit died a few years go and replaced with same from Defender. Self installed plug and play and am very pleased with the performance with no heat build up. Beer always nice and cold, as I keep both on 24/7. No experience with water cooled units.

 

[MikeHoncho]

I have the air-cooled version of the Isotherm unit. I'm very happy with it once I got rid of the added module that was supposed to increase efficiency. It didn't work worth a damn. Ambient air temp affects its performance. My compressor is in the lazerette. I prop the hatch open at night to dissipate heat

 

[senang]

On our 2005 Hunter38 we have a fridge and a freezer from Novakool installed by the Hunter factory. They were performing rather lousy until I discovered that Hunter did NOT installed an airflow over the condensers of both units. Now that I have improved airflow at the back of both units (cheap 12V computer fan and some holes for airflow) both units are performing as expected. I do not recommend you go go down the rabbit hole of a seawater cooled fridge, where all kind of growth develops in the tubes.

 

[DeniseO30]

The heat generated IE removed is only in the 300 600 btuh range so it's not a whole lot of heat my choice (50 yrs in HVAC) are the units made by Engle and Norcold that use the "swing compressor" instead of the danfoss BD series but, they are all extremely efficient and can run on 1 battery for 2 days.

Unless the unit has a true keel cooler many of the kind like frigoboat units have a condensing coil that goes around the sink drain for example, but still use a fan for the condenser.
IMO, not worth the added expense

 

[Ward H]

is the heat produced by the air cooled units significant?

Not on my Isotherm system with the unit installed in my laz. Unit works great and has never indicated it needs additional cooling.

 

[RoyS]

I installed the isotherm SP unit that uses the galley sink thru-hull for water cooling. Works great for me near Boston. If you get the system with a small freezer compartment, you can get a thermostat probe located in either the freezer compartment or the refrigerator compartment. I tried both and prefered the refrigerator compartment probe. Do not believe their description about the optional remote temperature controller that automatically lowers the temperature setting when the engine is running by sensing battery voltage. That is all lies but all else is good.

 

[FrKim]

Thank you Roy