refridgeration

[crian11]

I'm planning on installing refrigeration  in my 365 pilothouse.I,'m looking for advice and tips on the different ways you can do this project,like holding plate or bin and folding evaporators and adding more insullation to the existing ice box.I will go with the air cooled compressor.don't need any more holes in hull.I've been looking on line at the different units and it's a bit confusing,so any help would be appreciated...Thanks....Brian

[vesper]

hi,  we installed an Isotherm Compact 2501, air cooled unit,  in our 365 there's a little compartment where the trash can was, the unit fit in there.  we installed two registers for air to flow in,  then added a 120 vAC and1 2 vDC power supply so it can switch automatically from AC to DC when the boat's unplugged,  and added a DC panel so we can kill the DC when we don't want it to drain the battery.  it works great for the monster ice box in the 365,  I think it's 9cf,  the unit we got says it's good for 7 cf,  BUT we went with the bin model vs the flat plate (that can be bent into any shape you want)  because the surface area of the larger one (that's flat) is the same as the 7 cf bin.  it keeps the whole box in the lower 40's,  and stuff around the bin is in the mid 20's, keeps ice cold, but won't keep a pizza frozen.

if you need something in the 5 below zero range, you'll need a bigger refrigerator/freezer, but it may not be able to be air cooled???

[RayNWanda]

 I built and installed a 2M system from RParts in Abracadabra. It is a water cooled system, teed in to the forward thruhull and discharges through the starboard deck scupper, so no additional holes in the boat. It is a hybrid system in that it is a 12v compressor/condensor unit cooling a pretty big (C option) holding plate. The plate operates between 0 and 10 degrees. I built a spillover so that about 1/3 of the box is a freezer. It took some tinkering and tuning to get it optimised, but it did a good job. www.rparts.com

[ishmael]

We converted the ice box to a refridgerator/freezer.  After adding more insulation ( especially on the bottom ) we went with a SeaFrost unit with optional water cooling pump.  It has served us well for 3 years now and we are aboard full time.  Sea Frost has forced air cooling and with the water option you can switch on water cooling when it's really warm.  We burn about 50 -75 amps a day keeping things cold with some small freezer space.  We do not make ice or keep ice cream but we do have frozen food.

Ron
SV Dragon's Dance
Clearwater, FL

[INCOMMUNICADO]

Gordon, I too installed a Sea Frost unit BDXPX with water cooling option and 404 gas.  Plates 12" X 21" and ice making kit.  Total cost $2,239.22.  I reinsulated inside the box using 1/2" Dow foam board stacked from 2 to 6 inces then covered it with fiberglass reinforced panels. 

We lost much of alot of space in the box will save may amps.  I will try to send pics.

Allen

[ishmael]

Hi Gordon,

We did about the same as Allen.  We used the 2" think foam boards and put 3 layers on the bottom then sealed by glueing in a new fiberglass bottom.  The sides were insulated by spraying in foam around the outside and back of the box where there were lots of gaps to fill.  Our weak spot is the lid where I haven't yet added and replaced insulation.  We do get some condensation on top in particularly humid weather. 

Sorry for the delayed response. 

Ron
SV Dragon's Dance
Clearwater Harbor

[SVJourney]

Delayed or not, it still helps for people like me who go looking into the older posts for inspiration when a project leaps top mind.  We are currently in the caribbean and are fighting daily with the amount of Amp hours used by the fridge.  So we're looking to redo the insulation soon. 

Putting a least 4 more inches into the bottom is a no brainer as the wife can't reach the bottom anyways.  I really would like to find a source for lids that doesn't cost $500 per lid like the Rparts kits do.