Thermoelectric cooler

Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Hi all,

I have a thermoelectric cooler that we have used in the past while traveling and I’m not sure it is cooling to capacity now. The Coleman site doesn’t offer much guidance other than it cools up to 40 degrees of ambient temperatures. My test was to leave it outside overnight (temperature about 50F) with a glass containing two ice cubes. This morning the ice had melted but the water was cool. In the past we had frost inside the cooler on occasion. Is there a better way to test how efficient ours is compared to new?
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,377
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
The difference in Temperatures from Inside the Box to the outside is the Key.

Very little difference , very little cooling.;)

Example:
Inside the box temp 40°F
Outside Temp 41°F

Very little heat transfer.
______
Another possibility is the Heat Sinks are dirty.

There are 2 of them.
If the outside Heat Sink is dirty, little heat transfer.
______
I have used one.
IMHO just way to keep pre-cooled stuff, Cool.

Jim....
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Buy a new one? :biggrin:
Unless you have reasonable access to the refrigerant ports to recharge, of course.
No refrigerant involved, it cools by the Peltier principle. Two dissimilar metals that produce a thermal transfer when energized.
 
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Feb 14, 2014
7,377
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
In the past we had frost inside the cooler on occasion
That would only occur very near the Inside the box's Heat Sink.

Frosting suggest that your inside the box air circulation fan was blocked by your Bahama Mama drink mix.:banghead:
Jim...

PS: Sometime magic works.:pimp:
 
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Jun 2, 2004
3,387
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
I think 40 degrees is a marketing dream we never saw more than 25 to 30 with ours. It also works much better with stuff in it than empty. I wonder also if it works better at like 60 than at 40.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
I think 40 degrees is a marketing dream we never saw more than 25 to 30 with ours. It also works much better with stuff in it than empty. I wonder also if it works better at like 60 than at 40.
But that is pretty good.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Full strategy tomorrow, I hope my wife doesn’t notice a roast missing from the freezer.
 
Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
Bring it inside and plug it in. Is the cooling plate cold after an hour? If so it's working. Clean the heat sink and the fan blades on the outside under the cover of the box.

Ken
 
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Mar 9, 2011
6
Hunter 280 St Petersburg
Hi all,

I have a thermoelectric cooler that we have used in the past while traveling and I’m not sure it is cooling to capacity now. The Coleman site doesn’t offer much guidance other than it cools up to 40 degrees of ambient temperatures. My test was to leave it outside overnight (temperature about 50F) with a glass containing two ice cubes. This morning the ice had melted but the water was cool. In the past we had frost inside the cooler on occasion. Is there a better way to test how efficient ours is compared to new?
I use the domestic fridge/freezer combo found at west marine. It works great. You can only select to use it either as a fridge or a freezer, not as both. But will run on 12v or 120v power and is very efficient on 12v power.
 
Dec 4, 2018
60
Balboa 27 Denver
The thermoelectric cooler will not freeze, unless you are in below freezing weather.

please read up on peltier coolers, They are energy hogs and provide minor refrigeration, and are cheap. They are NOT COMPRESSOR FRIDGES.

It‘s physics.
 
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Jan 4, 2010
1,037
Farr 30 San Francisco
The compressor fridge will create 5 or more watts of cooling per watt of energy put into it. It does this by moving heat from the inside to the outside, no physical law is broken by this. The TEC cooler takes 3 watts of energy or more to create 1 watt of cooling. It is 15X less efficient than a compressor fridge.

What is cool is no moving parts ( other than a fan) so in theory reliable.
 
Oct 8, 2008
362
MacGregor/Venture 25 Winthrop Harbor, IL Drummond Island,MI
Here goes my two cents.....these peltier junction coolers aren’t very efficient, but they are reliable. Pull the cover off, slide the outside squirrel cage off and put some 3in1 oil on the motor shaft bushing. Do the same on the inside. Check the crimp terminals for a broken wire to the heat sink. Mine draws about 5 amps or so. Mine will also freeze inside if the ambient temp is below 60. I agree 40 degrees differential is the upper limit of operation, low thirties is about where mine operates. I did make an adjustable control unit that uses a thermistor inside and a comparator and relay to try and save power by setting it at 35 degrees. It only really cycles when below 60 degrees ambient. I also velcroed and inside outside recording thermometer on it to monitor the temps. A couple things you can do to tip the scales in your favor....is to wrap the cooler in a blanket, just don’t cover the fan inlet/outlet. The other is to attach a clothes dryer hose to the inlet and get some cooler air if the coolers location is warm. They are not insulated very well. Nothing like a yeti. After doing all this.....I eventually bit the gullet and bought a Dometic 12 volt fridge. Much more efficient, and it actually COOLS. Still needed added insulation to improve efficiency. Hope this helps. ( the kids liberated the Coleman and were using for cooling beer it in the basement with the included power adapter some years ago......still works as far as I know. It definitely helps precooling items before operation)
 
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Jan 7, 2011
4,703
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
The thermoelectric cooler will not freeze, unless you are in below freezing weather.

please read up on peltier coolers, They are energy hogs and provide minor refrigeration, and are cheap. They are NOT COMPRESSOR FRIDGES.

It‘s physics.
Yep...I have one. Used it in my minivan when traveling....kept stuff cold (or at least cool). But I didn’t worry about battery consumption back then. Or that the beer was really cold...


Greg