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Could a self-professed bafoon install 12V refrigeration?

3K views 21 replies 18 participants last post by  VallelyJ 
#1 ·
Well, there you have it; if my 40' boat just had a good ice box before, could I install a 12V refer unit without hiring it out? (Assuming I was - am - reasonably handy?)
 
#4 ·
I've not done one, but from what I've seen out there it should be no problem as long as you can follow the directions and have the basic skill sets of being able to measure, drill and saw.
The conversion kit's I looked at were all 'cut a hole, insert unit' types - with quick connects on the piping so no plumbing skills etc. Wiring is or should be as simple as black wire to this and white wire to that (with drawings to show which is which).

If you do it please come back and post your story with pic's. Good or bad it will help other forum members.
 
#5 ·
The thing beyond the reefer instructions themselves is how you will drain condensation water from it.

Directly into bilge below it is a generally accepted no-no.

Plumbed to drain directly to lower bilge and out via the bilge pump, is better but can still be stinky.

Separate dip tube and pump overboard is least stinky, but has a tendency to fill water too much before you remember to pump.

Take heart that the pros don't know which is best either. :)
 
#7 ·
Controlling the drainage stink is the challenge for sure. While there shouldn't be much drainage, there is always some,especially if you carry ice for cocktails. Depending on how big your 40'er is you might consider a shower sump box in the bilge to collect and discharge water. Hi-effiency furnaces have a consendate pump that sends the water to a floor drain or laundry tub drain. Lacking either, your choices are limited to a separate collection site below the drain level (sealed sump pan, 'colostomy bag') , T into a nearby drain (galley sink?), or plug the drain hole and remember to spounge it out regularly.
 
#9 ·
.....While there shouldn't be much drainage......
Always more than one would think. Nothing sweats more than a beer or soda can. When I plug the drain in mine, I can get an inch of water in no time. Add any organic substance and it does stink. Even if you don't spill, things may have spilled on your containers in the factory or store. The condensation washes it off and it seems to like to grow on boats..........
 
#10 ·
There are plenty of professional bufoons that manage to install them, so there is no reason you can't.

A few tips:

Choose the location of the condensing unit carefully. They need good air circularion to work efficiently. If you put it in an interior locker, make sure there is a grille for air to be drawn in, AND a route for the warm air to escape. Remember, they are quiet, but you will hear it if it is in the cabin.I always preferred to put them in an exterior lazarette where there is lots of air space.

Keep the connectors clean. Wrap them with electrical tape or plastic so that you don't force debris into them when you fish them through.

Insulate the lineset with Armaflex pipe insulation if it didn't come insulated. This will prevent condensation and reduce pipe corrosion. It will help efficiency too.

Strap down excess lineset coil in a location where it is safe from damage, and in such a way that the pipes do not vibrate or chaffe. Soft drawn copper that is allowed to vibrate excessively will work-harden and become brittle and prone to cracking over time.

Good luck, and enjoy your cold beer!
 
#11 ·
"Soft drawn copper that is allowed to vibrate excessively will work-harden and become brittle and prone to cracking over time."

Very little known fact about copper.... why it's not seen on moving equipment very often.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I've done it, so you can. Did the freezer, part way through doing the fridge.

Clive at Seafrost is a great help. They will send you everything you need. The connectors are simple to use after you read the instructions.

I bought the double gauges and pipe cutter from the local Harbor Freight store. It has easily paid for itself. There's a great book on marine refrigeration by Richard Kollmann. Definitely buy it. Never be afraid to buy tools and instructional books.

Figure out how to power it. A fridge will need one 130w solar panel, at least wehre I am. That's assuming your battery bank can handle it. (We have 330 amp-hours, which is pleny for a fridge where we are.) The Kollmann book talks about how much juice you'll need, based on the surface area of the fridge and whether it's top loading or side loading.

I ran 30 feet of tubing (x2) and put the compressor back near the steering quadrant -- think under the swim platform. That was to keep the noise away. Once I get insulated, flexible ducts to the outside, I expect it will be untra quiet -- only thing you can here on the Tradewinds units are teh little "computer fan". So they are quiet. Compressor don't drip water. The part inside the box will attract condensation.

Dishwashing liquid and a small paint brush is your friend for finding leaks -- usually an indicator the your connectors need to be tighted a little more.

Use slightly oversized wiring to keep line-loss low -- especially if you have a long run.

--

This spring I'm connecting the fridge compressor. I have both copper tubes and the thermostat wires already run.

I'm also connetion thefreezer's thermostat wires to a relay driven off the solar panel dump load, and maybe a second thermostat. If there's extra juice, the freezer compressor will just run and run. It's my way of saving the batteries by reducing the load at night. If I do the freezer right, the holding plate (and maybe some homemade icepacks made from diluted, non-toxic antifreeze) will keep the freezer cold enough to last through the night. That and I'm reducing the depth of the freezer with white-painted, pink (or blue) foam from Home Despot.

Anyone know of a liquid container that is really flat. It would be for making home-made ice-packs made from diluted, non-toxic antifreeze. Somehting 1" thick that still hods a quart would be great.

Regards,
Brad
 
#14 ·
Always more than one would think. Nothing sweats more than a beer or soda can. When I plug the drain in mine, I can get an inch of water in no time. Add any organic substance and it does stink. Even if you don't spill, things may have spilled on your containers in the factory or store. The condensation washes it off and it seems to like to grow on boats..........
I have my drain hooked to a bilge pump with a bypass valve. I leave it on the "freezer" side most of the time. Just manually turn the pump on once and a while. I trickle a little bleach in once in a while to keep any smells at bay. Any serious cruising i switch the valve over in case i need the additional pump. Factory installed, kinda nice. Keeps everything nice and dry below.
 
#19 ·
It's not a difficult installation. The tricky part is figuring out how feed the beast. Every cruiser will tell you that the refer is the biggest hit on their batteries. Keeping up ain't easy.

Ralph
Busy and new solar power | sailing away with R & B
I installed an Isotherm system myself about 10 years ago. It was a "Self Pumping (SP) version with "Automatic Start Up" (ASU). The SP bit meant is used an in-water heat exchanger that circulated coolant by convection--no fan. The ASU bit meant that the compressor would kick into high gear if the engine came on so as to freeze the cold plate faster.

The worst of it was changing out the galley sink drain thru-hull with a bronze one that housed the heat exchanger. Hasn't fouled or corroded in 10 years. It is a fairly compact thru-hull and wasn't any big deal to install. The only other large hole was a little over an inch to accommodate the special fittings that allow the system to be precharged. Other than that it was a matter of less than a dozen screws to secure the compressor, cold plate, fuse, and controller and running wiring.

Bottom line: The unit was more expensive than an air-cooled refrigeration system, but it is extremely compact, quiet, and apparently very efficient. I once ran it for 4 days on battery power to see how long it would take to discharge my battery bank. I wasn't running any other loads, so I would estimate that I could go 2 days on 3 fully charged 105 AH gel cells under realistic conditions (house lights, electronics, windlass).
 
#21 · (Edited)
DIY Fridge Install

I did my own install of a Frigoboat unit with the "keel cooler" option about a decade ago. Very Quiet (no fan) and efficient. The install is very fiddley work, in places where one can put only one arm and shoulder at a time, and some swearing will be needed.
:rolleyes:

After wising up and putting a gasket around the lid, almost zero condensation or frost on the evaporator plate.

I have some pics over at EY.org in a refrigeration thread. PM me for a link if wou wish.

Take your time, diagram out what your boat requires, and be sure to buy the parts kit from a reputable supplier who can answer your questions when you are upside down in the boat with a drill in one hand and cell phone in the other!

Frigoboat Home Page
These folks were extremely helpful and patiently answered all my stupid questions.
;)

Loren
 
#22 ·
It really depends.
I've known scullions and jack-a-napes to really screw that job up. Dolts, even poltroons can manage it if they team up, or at least get some advice from a varlet. Naves, never.
But a buffoon ought to manage it ok.
If you run into real problems, though, your best bet would be to hire a lout.
John V.
 
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