Removal of cold plates

[Sta-Sea-Dawn]

I have a 2 plate assembly mounted in the top of the cold box.  I want to remove it and add a evaporator for the CU 200 Cold machine.

Does anyone have suggestions besides cutting the box apart.....?



This is my first attempt at posting a picture......

[Sta-Sea-Dawn]

The 7/16 nut on the bottom left and right side of the bracket, I  loosened and removed nut.  The bracket separates but I can not reach the back right and left corners....I just do not comprehend how to proceed......
There are about 8 screws on the bottom right and left of the bottom brace...but the cold plate is in the way of removing them.

[Dale Tanski]

Don't cut the box, if it went in there it has to come out.  This is where having kids with small hand comes in handy. 

Dale

[Sta-Sea-Dawn]

Thanks...I just was not sure if that put it in and then put the top on....I sure do not want to cut anything

[Sta-Sea-Dawn]

OK...........I got it out.  Not a big deal after all...I just had to get in the box and stretch my 5'5 frame to around 5'9...
I am looking at the

WAECO ADLER BARBOUR......CU-100 Air/cooled ColdMachine Compressor..............
WAECO ADLER BARBOUR......ColdMachine VD-153...Large Horizontal Evaporator.....

the water cooled version (CU-200) is about 700.00 more after buying the water conversion kit..Is it worth the extra initial expense?

Comments...views...opinions....?

[Dale Tanski]

Billy,

Seeing as you are in Florida my vote would be yes.  Your outside air temperature I am guessing, approaches 100, and in the cockpit locker the temperature would probably be 10 to 15 degrees higher.  That would mean with a desired box temperature of say 40 degrees F the difference or delta would be a whopping 75 degrees. If your hull is a dark color add another 5 degrees at least.

If you went with the water cooled option I am guessing your water temperature wouldn't get higher than 90 or 95 degrees in the still of the marina.  That would give you a delta T of 55 degrees.  That 20 degree difference between an air cooled unit and a water cooled unit could be the difference of making ice and not making ice.  Or more importantly cycling off or the unit running all of the time which becomes a huge difference when you are off of the shore power cord.  It could also mean a shortened life cycle of the equipment if it were made to run too hard. 

The only down side is see is pump and inlet strainer maintenance for the water cooled unit.

Dale

[RayNWanda]

 Not sure where you are planning to mount the compressor unit, but if it's in a cockpit locker, engine heat will play a part too, especially with an air cooled unit. The water cooled unit will keep on cooling, the air cooled one may not if you have been running the engine and got the air heated up in there.
What I did on Abracadabra is teed into the seawater supply to the head so that the refridgeration was first in line. Next inline is a ball valve. My reasoning was that I could leave the water open to the refrigeration unit, but shut it off to the rest of the boat when we were not aboard.

[Sta-Sea-Dawn]

I am going to bite the bullet and spend the extra money for Adler Barber CU-200 (900.00) with the water kit (500.00) and the V53 Horizontal Evaporator (600.00)...but trying to find the best deal possible.  I am going to put it in the starboard cockpit by the water heater...saving the port for batteries......

[RayNWanda]

 I think you will be better off if you do that. The water cooled unit will be more efficient, which equals more down time. More downtime leaves more A/h in the battery bank. It's the same old story we are all familiar with- Pay me now or pay me later.

[Randy]

What about a keel cooler?

[Dale Tanski]

Randy,
I love your question!
I have been interested in keel coolers for a long time.  The concept is a very interesting one and a great idea.  There are lots of commercial work boats out there that use external heat exchangers for cooling the engine.  An external cooler for the refrigeration unit is a natural.  All in all a great idea, then the issues start to creep in.

Any cooler/heat exchanger immersed in sea water has the issue of corrosion to deal with.  A keel cooler made of bronze is the only practical solution but bronze sucks for heat transfer efficiency as does stainless  A heat exchanger immersed in sea water is going to grow grass at an elevated rate due to the elevated temperature, and grass is an insulator.  For you salty boys the shell issue becomes even a bigger issue.  For sure the day that the cooler is install is it most efficient and every day it is used and or sits there the thermal efficiency gets worse and worse. 

I have read studies where the heat exchange ability of a keel cooler on a boat that is not moving is very poor.  The water warms up around the exchanger and acts as an insulation barrier from the cooler surrounding water.  While moving this of course is not an issue, however most of our boats sadly sit still 90 plus percent of the time. 

Frigo is one name that comes to mind and they are sold on the idea.  The question is does it really preform like their marketing department says it does, it better because they are not shy about the price structure.  What they also don't remind you of is that you will have to pull the boat to install it which I suppose is true if you do not want to piggy back on an existing thru hull inlet.  Let's face it, how much water actually flows through you galley sink inlet fitting?  Certainly you can us that as an inlet.

Then there is the damage issue.  One thing for sure there will be at least one more hole in you boat to get to and from the cooler.  Because all coolers sit on the hull they are susceptible to damage.  A brush with a log or other dead head type item could peal that unit right off of the bottom. 

One last little quirk.  I have never seen a company suggest a keel cooler for an AC unit.  Again, I have never seen one but I do find this curious. It is probably because the delta T for an AC installation is so small compared to the delta T requirements for a freezer installation.

Again, I love the idea but have never done it myself or know anyone that has. 

Good Luck...
Dale

[INCOMMUNICADO]

Gordon,I have the original Grunert engine drive holdover system,it has done a great job four trays of ice per day keeps freezer side frozen with about seventy minuets running time per day.But I am tired of throwing money and time at a thirtyfive year old unit.Could you post pictures of your plates mount in your box? Thanks Allen

[Henri Hali]

When I purchased Windrider the seller agreed to replace the defective water cooled refrigeration unit as part of the purchase agreement.
At the time I did not give much thought to what he would have installed. ( I'd never had refrigeration in a boat before.) As it turned out he replaced it with an air cooled Alder Barbour system and mounted in the port locker. The installer, I suspect being aware of the high temperature in the locker tapped into the vinyl ventilator hose that is attached to the cowl vent on the transom. He then secured the open end with cable ties in the general area of the condenser. So much for pride in workmanship!
As a young buck I spent a number of years working in the HVAC field. I'm glad I did, I learned a lot. Amung which was that I did not want to spend the rest of my life lugging tools, gauges, rolls of copper tubing and dragging around drums of F12 and F22.  (Some of you may remember those.)
After a time, I could not stand it any more and I decided to fix it. Converting to a water cooled system was cost prohibative. Instead I fabricated a plenum around the condensor and connect it directly to the ventilator hose. Not only did it look much better, but improved the system dramatically.
If, (As I've said before) I could figure out how to attach photos to this magnificent site, I'd  share them, but my computer skills are a rung below neanderthal.

Anyway, I thought you might find this twist interesting.


Regards,

Henri

[Sta-Sea-Dawn]

After a time, I could not stand it any more and I decided to fix it. Converting to a water cooled system was cost prohibative. Instead I fabricated a plenum around the condensor and connect it directly to the ventilator hose. Not only did it look much better, but improved the system dramatically.
If, (As I've said before) I could figure out how to attach photos to this magnificent site, I'd  share them, but my computer skills are a rung below neanderthal.
Anyway, I thought you might find this twist interesting.
Regards,
Henri[/quote]

Hey there...I am fixin to install the CU200 in my starboard locker.....can I add the water kit later and run it for awhile as air cooled?
Could you send pictures to an email....homeagain2008@live.com.....could I do the plenum to the CU100 and it work as well as the CU200....Billy

[Henri Hali]

Billy,
I believe I have a CU100. I don;t think it can be converted to a water cooling system easily, economically if at all. If the CU 200 is both air and water cooled, the plenum may be an option.

I plan to be at the boat tomorrow and will take some photos and give you the details on how I constructed the plenum.

Regards,

Henri