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Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:46 am
by Russ
Neo wrote:RussMT wrote:Generally, the bag of ice is still frozen after 2 days.
Hmmm .... you see it's things like this that makes me wonder why I'm bothering with a fridge
And the best way to conserve energy is to "keep the lid closed!".... or get-in-and-out as fast as you can!

Sometimes we like ice in our drinks. The ice doesn't melt (as it would without the fridge) into a sloppy mess.
Our ice is usually a ziplock back filled with ice from the fridge at home.
--Russ
Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:19 am
by Tomfoolery
RussMT wrote:Neo wrote:RussMT wrote:Generally, the bag of ice is still frozen after 2 days.
Hmmm .... you see it's things like this that makes me wonder why I'm bothering with a fridge
And the best way to conserve energy is to "keep the lid closed!".... or get-in-and-out as fast as you can!

Sometimes we like ice in our drinks. The ice doesn't melt (as it would without the fridge) into a sloppy mess.
Our ice is usually a ziplock back filled with ice from the fridge at home.
--Russ
The ice takes some of the load off the refrigeration system so it can stay cold with less run time, which in turn preserves battery power. If electric power isn't an issue (plenty of solar, for instance), then there's no benefit to adding ice unless, as Russ points out, you want ice. Or do as I do, and just use ice on a trip, with my thermoelectric used 'round the clock but only on shore power.
My cold plate system had a vertical ice tray, but I never used it.
Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 5:17 pm
by Highlander
I picked up an ice maker $180 brand new just no box as it was a display unit for $45. with full warranty
so no more running around looking for ice plug into hydro or run the invertor Genny
J

Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 5:19 pm
by Highlander
makes a bucket of ice every 6 mins
J

Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 5:33 pm
by K9Kampers
Highlander wrote:makes a bucket of ice every 6 mins
J

That should keep up with your consumption of Monkey Shoulder fer sher!!

Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:00 pm
by Neo
Highlander wrote:makes a bucket of ice every 6 mins J

Hmmm ... so when you think about it you could make ice at the marina and top up a cool box .... It's effectively like storing energy.

Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:19 am
by Russ
Highlander wrote:I picked up an ice maker $180 brand new just no box as it was a display unit for $45. with full warranty
so no more running around looking for ice plug into hydro or run the invertor Genny
J

For the boat?
Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:22 am
by Ponaldpe
Highlander wrote:makes a bucket of ice every 6 mins
J

So you can put your melted ice water back in and make more ice , as needed.
Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:32 am
by BOAT
Hey! You can use the Engle to make ice and put the ice in your cooler !

Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 10:23 am
by Highlander
Ponaldpe wrote:Highlander wrote:makes a bucket of ice every 6 mins
J

So you can put your melted ice water back in and make more ice , as needed.
Yes u can if u want or No need too as any un used ice just melts back into the reservoir & starts makin more ice as needed

u could also add some vodka to the water & then have some nice ice cubes with ur orange juice in the morn & ur spicy clamato juice in the aft
for water sterilization & medicinal purposes only of coarse
Just Sayin That,s All
J

Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 12:48 pm
by kevinnem
Has anyone used an inverter and a dorm fridge? or small chest freezer?
You will get the loses of the inverter, do you come out ahead.
wish there was a 500$ or less compressor solution. Right now I have a colemen cooler.. and it COOLS only , . doesn't get cold though. I think I might do some tests with water cooling the hotside of the plate, and more insulation, at the end of the day, seems a lot like pushing a rope. It has no on/off function , . so at night you either let it run ALL night, and it does run... or you turn it off, an dhope for the best. If I were to add a temp sensor that might help, but the TEC pads cool slowly , so really you need it to run a lot anyway.
keep looking for a used engel, . and can't find a cost effective one.. there is one on kijiji here, but 1000$!
Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 1:35 pm
by sailboatmike
kevinnem wrote:
wish there was a 500$ or less compressor solution.
Just before christmas one of our local Autostore (they seem to sell almost everything these days) had a 40 liter compressor fridge for $499, I tried to ring the Admiral to get agreement to spend the Boat$$$ but alas I couldn't get hold of her.
So yes they do come up every so often for under $500 and I have noted a few more companies entering the market so this should drive the prices down, just seems a bit ridiculous than a small fridge costs as much if not more than the one in your house.
Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 3:56 pm
by Sumner
kevinnem wrote:Has anyone used an inverter and a dorm fridge? or small chest freezer?
You will get the loses of the inverter, do you come out ahead........
People have gone that route and it possibly could work if you could leave it plugged in at the marina (if your boat stays in the water) and just day sail. They are terribly inefficient (lacking in insulation), every time you open the door you lose a lot of cold air, and as you mentioned the inverter is a further large waste of electricity. I think you would still end up with a lot in it and it would prove to be a waste. Google should find you threads on using one in a boat.
kevinnem wrote:.....wish there was a 500$ or less compressor solution...
EdgeStar 43 quart $459 in the states at a number of places...
https://www.compactappliance.com/fp430- ... FP430.html
https://www.amazon.com/EdgeStar-FP430-P ... B0012EGZ9S
EdgeStar 63 quart $559 .....
https://www.compactappliance.com/edgest ... e-coolers/
https://www.amazon.com/EdgeStar-FP630-P ... ble+fridge
Got our 63 quart some years back at Christmas on a deal for about $440 and free shipping. They have gone up some but keep a look out for a special.
Sumner
============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015
The MacGregor 26-S
The Endeavour 37
Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links
Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 12:29 am
by kurz
well, I have a waeco cf35 kompressor since 2011. Youll get it here in EU normal online for around 500.--
So for this price I would never do some handwork solution. Works great for me, really. And even with my two 50w solar panels I run it without any problem. As I have only 1 battery the waeco runs just if the power is higher than 12.5V, says if the current comes from solar. Cannot remember it was not cold enough...
And since I run it over a GSM switch... I switch the coller on at home with an SMS, and when I arrive 1 hour later... ... beer alreay is COLD

Re: 12 volt cooler or refrigerator
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 2:27 am
by Neo
VERY Smart Kurz
