Adding a Refrigerator

[Siamese]

If you were adding a refrigerator to the galley of your 30 footer, would you opt for AC/DC operation (switches from AC to DC whenever AC is interrupted) or spend a little less and have just DC operation?

Givens: Boat is kept in a slip and connected to shorepower.
Refrigerator is left on throughout the season.

What's best? Why?

[jackytdunaway]

I am not the expert on this but a few things come to mind.fficeffice" />>>
If you are in the slip and connected to power you will use shore power all the time so why run it thru your 12-volt system. I have always believed that the best route is the straight line. Also if you ever need to take your batteries out or unhook them you will still have refrigeration.>>
Let me know how it works. I am looking into converting my icebox>>

[Freesail99]

Hands down, the engel 45. Run on either Dc or AC and switches to either one. On Dc uses .07 amps per hour.

[sailingdog]

I'd second the Engel refrigerators. They're dual voltage units, and will automatically switch from DC to AC. They're very efficient, and recently rated by PS as the best buy in portable refrigeration.

[jackytdunaway]

what about a good conversion kit to change an icebox into a refrigerator

[sailingdog]

Jacky-

The conversion kit is probably going to cost as much as the Engel, and not be as efficient and need to be installed on top of it all. The Engels don't really require much in the way of installation, besides wiring them into the shorepower and 12 VDC systems on the boat, and the 12 VDC can be done using a cigarette lighter type cord.

The units range in size from 16 qts up to 84 qts, at least in the dual voltage units. The 14 qt. unit is DC only. Prices range from $446 to $1249 or so. Website with prices and more details HERE.

I particularly like the MT60 Combi unit, which has two separate compartments. One is set at 40˚ and acts as a refrigerator, the other can be set from 40˚ down to 0˚ and be used as a refrigerator or freezer.

Originally Posted by jackytdunaway

what about a good conversion kit to change an icebox into a refrigerator

[JohnRPollard]

If you have a battery charger that runs off shore power, for simplicity's sake I would just stick with the DC unit. If you don't have a battery charger, I would still stick with the DC unit and use the savings to get a battery charger.

[Freesail99]

Most of the Engel units can be put into Freeze or refrigerate mood. The m60 can do both.

[Cruisingdad]

Do any of you actually have this unit or a freezer? That is a quickly up and coming project: Adding a freezer. It will be accessed a couple of times a week or so... so I would like something very efficient. I can double insulate.

Thoughts?

- CD

PS NO refrigeration, just freezer.

[sailingdog]

I disagree.

A DC-only unit is generally a bad idea, especially if you plan on keeping it on all the time.

Using a DC-only refrigerator means that you have to leave the battery switch on while the boat is unattended. If a power outage occurs, that means the refrigerator is now going to be draining the battery banks for whatever the duration of the power outage is... if you have a leak, the bilge pumps will have a much shorter running time due to the loads caused by the DC-based refrigerator.

If you have a dual voltage unit, then you don't run into this problem, since the DC system can be turned off, leaving the fully charged batteries for the bilge pumps alone. Granted, if the power goes out the food in the unti will spoil, but I'd rather risk spoilage than the boat sinking.

Originally Posted by JohnRPollard

If you have a battery charger that runs off shore power, for simplicity's sake I would just stick with the DC unit. If you don't have a battery charger, I would still stick with the DC unit and use the savings to get a battery charger.

And yes, the MT60 combi unit is the only one that can be set as both refrigerator and freezer AFAIK.