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Hi All!
Happy New Year! Woohoo! Hope everyone gets on the water!
Anyway, I think I need to replace my refrigerator system. It’s air cooled
and draws 6 amps – so it’s a pretty old Adler-Barber system. It’s
guaranteed to have been running for 7 years constantly, and for at least 5
or 6 years before that either constantly or seasonally.Whatever I do, it will be air cooled, and I’m just curious as to whether to
go with a cold plate or evaporator system, and how everyone separates the
freezer part from the refrigerator part.It is almost less expensive to do this than get a marine A/C person to show
up. And I seriously don’t want to purchase all the tools for dealing with
this (even though I could).Thoughts?
Bob
—
Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
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I put in two SeaFrost BDwXP systems and they work very well. I got the
water cooled option so I can do air cooled or water cooled. When in
clean water, I use the water cooling. In the marina (or on the hard), I
only use air cooling.Pete
On 12/30/2014 8:25 AM, Robert Fine via maillist wrote:
Hi All!
Happy New Year! Woohoo! Hope everyone gets on the water!
Anyway, I think I need to replace my refrigerator system. It’s air cooled
and draws 6 amps – so it’s a pretty old Adler-Barber system. It’s
guaranteed to have been running for 7 years constantly, and for at least 5
or 6 years before that either constantly or seasonally.Whatever I do, it will be air cooled, and I’m just curious as to whether to
go with a cold plate or evaporator system, and how everyone separates the
freezer part from the refrigerator part.It is almost less expensive to do this than get a marine A/C person to show
up. And I seriously don’t want to purchase all the tools for dealing with
this (even though I could).Thoughts?
Bob
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Hi Robert and Happy (almost) New Year to you. Getting an early start on the celebration are you?
Installed a new fridge in my boat as part of the refit and read everything I could find on the subject before choosing a system. Here’s my opinion, for what it’s worth.
1. Holding plate vs straight evaporator systems.
Holding plate only if your boat and systems are set up so you occasionally have a large surplus of power, For example you regularly run a generator for a couple of hours every day to make water and charge batteries. In this situation you can also run the fridge compressor and store a lot of cold in the holding plate and not have to run the compressor again until the next time you generate power.
Otherwise, a straight evaporator system seems to be more efficient, less complex, less expensive.
2. Separate freezer from fridge. Will depend on how large a freezer section you want, shape and size of the space you will use for the whole system.
I went with a large box shaped evaporator installed in the top of my fridge box, very traditional setup. The freezer is of course the inside of the box and sends enough cold outside to keep the fridge cool. Actually cooled the fridge too much so I ended up packing insulation around the outside of the freezer/evaporator to keep the freezer cold enough inside without also freezing the fridge section outside.
Second option is to build a separate box or area for the freezer with a small opening to the fridge section. The evaporator goes in the freezer box and in the opening you would install a small, thermostat operated fan that blows cold into the fridge section. This is probably the best option for a slightly larger freezer say 2-4 cu ft.
If you have a large freezer (large maybe 4-5 cu ft or more) then you might need two separate systems. A lot more money but you will have a backup in case one dies. NOTE: my definitions of large vs small or medium size freezers is approximate and will vary depending on the size of the fridge section, size of compressor you choose and R-value of the insulation.
3. Brand???
That’s the $64,000 question. I went with Frigoboat and so far have been very happy with the system and with support from the dealer. Didn’t have any serious problems but did have a couple of installation questions and got prompt, accurate communication from them. I have heard minor negatives about the Frigoboat, mostly on the older keel cooler systems which isn’t applicable for me. There is a concern that the fittings depend on O-rings to seal and long term the O-rings will deteriorate and possibly leak so should be replaced periodically.
A couple of comments. First, I 100% agree on going with an air cooled system. The other, how’s the insulation on the existing system? The original from Pearson in my boat was terrible. Not sure if some years or specific boats came better from the factory but if you’re going to do this it might be the time to upgrade the insulation if it needs it.
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Hi Skip,
Thanks for the insight. I no doubt need to upgrade the insulation. Rodd,
from Port Washington, said he drilled holes around the box and injected
foam from the Home Depot ‘Great Stuff’ cans. This sounds like a decent
idea, actually. I’m going to try that.Tor added insulation to the box and then a skin of the material for
re-doing shower/bath walls from Home Depot, essentially making the box
smaller but better insulated.Just out of curiosity, what did your system cost? I like the idea of the
horizontal box, and I’m tempted to get the unit that is water or air
coolable, but will probably stick with air.Power won’t be a problem as I expect to be sporting 3 – 135 watt solar
panels max (I have 2 now).Bob
On Tue, Dec 30, 2014 at 8:54 AM, Skip MacElhannon wrote:
Quote:Hi Robert and Happy (almost) New Year to you. Getting an early start on
the celebration are you?Installed a new fridge in my boat as part of the refit and read everything
I could find on the subject before choosing a system. Here’s my opinion,
for what it’s worth.1. Holding plate vs straight evaporator systems.
Holding plate only if your boat and systems are set up so you occasionally
have a large surplus of power, For example you regularly run a generator
for a couple of hours every day to make water and charge batteries. In
this situation you can also run the fridge compressor and store a lot of
cold in the holding plate and not have to run the compressor again until
the next time you generate power.Otherwise, a straight evaporator system seems to be more efficient, less
complex, less expensive.2. Separate freezer from fridge. Will depend on how large a freezer
section you want, shape and size of the space you will use for the whole
system.I went with a large box shaped evaporator installed in the top of my
fridge box, very traditional setup. The freezer is of course the inside of
the box and sends enough cold outside to keep the fridge cool. Actually
cooled the fridge too much so I ended up packing insulation around the
outside of the freezer/evaporator to keep the freezer cold
enough inside without also freezing the fridge section outside.Second option is to build a separate box or area for the freezer with a
small opening to the fridge section. The evaporator goes in the freezer
box and in the opening you would install a small, thermostat operated fan
that blows cold into the fridge section. This is probably the best option
for a slightly larger freezer say 2-4 cu ft.If you have a large freezer (large maybe 4-5 cu ft or more) then you might
need two separate systems. A lot more money but you will have a backup in
case one dies. NOTE: my definitions of large vs small or medium size
freezers is approximate and will vary depending on the size of the fridge
section, size of compressor you choose and R-value of the insulation.3. Brand???
That’s the $64,000 question. I went with Frigoboat and so far have been
very happy with the system and with support from the dealer. Didn’t have
any serious problems but did have a couple of installation questions and
got prompt, accurate communication from them. I have heard minor
negatives about the Frigoboat, mostly on the older keel cooler systems
which isn’t applicable for me. There is a concern that the fittings
depend on O-rings to seal and long term the O-rings will deteriorate and
possibly leak so should be replaced periodically.A couple of comments. First, I 100% agree on going with an air cooled
system. The other, how’s the insulation on the existing system? The
original from Pearson in my boat was terrible. Not sure if some years or
specific boats came better from the factory but if you’re going to do this
it might be the time to upgrade the insulation if it needs it.*
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Bob,
The PO just recently put in a new Adler-Barber system air cooled with
water cooled option. It’s located in the port cockpit locker all the way
forward on a small platform and covered with a milk crate to keep it safe
and breathing. The water option has a pull knob that draws from a small
pump that was attached directly to the old manifold. Thank gawd I never
turned it on as the manifold and strainer was completely stuffed with mud
and crap. I’ve removed that thru hull to relocate the new strainer and
manifold but have found the boats doing just fine without any of it. Not
using the watermaker (draws way to many amps for what it gives) Not using
the fridge option (air only is presently doing just fine) Don’t need head
intake (the bucket stays dry 🙂 )I think I have the evaporator system (looks like the freezer part of the
inside of an old fashioned refrigerator. The PO added 2″ insulation to the
complete inside of the fridge, put the “unit” outboard with the
top accessible and built a removable wall with vent and fan to circulate.
There is a lot of tough to use space in this “freezer” section and if
something isn’t touching the unit it won’t freeze. We fill the bottom of
this space up against the hull as best we can with plastic bags of water
that do eventually freeze. Everything inside the unit freezes well but must
be shuffled around every once and awhile to keep it from going solid. I
don’t care for it too much and think I might want a large plate in that
outboard space, but it’s working well enough and we’ve learned to deal with
it. It’s on the list of “to-do’s” when we’re not living aboard and have
time to dig in.Ken
On Tue, Dec 30, 2014 at 8:34 AM, Pete Dubler via maillist <
> wrote:I put in two SeaFrost BDwXP systems and they work very well. I got the
water cooled option so I can do air cooled or water cooled. When in clean
water, I use the water cooling. In the marina (or on the hard), I only use
air cooling.Pete
On 12/30/2014 8:25 AM, Robert Fine via maillist wrote:
Hi All!
Happy New Year! Woohoo! Hope everyone gets on the water!
Anyway, I think I need to replace my refrigerator system. It’s air cooled
and draws 6 amps – so it’s a pretty old Adler-Barber system. It’s
guaranteed to have been running for 7 years constantly, and for at least 5
or 6 years before that either constantly or seasonally.Whatever I do, it will be air cooled, and I’m just curious as to whether
to
go with a cold plate or evaporator system, and how everyone separates the
freezer part from the refrigerator part.It is almost less expensive to do this than get a marine A/C person to
show
up. And I seriously don’t want to purchase all the tools for dealing with
this (even though I could).Thoughts?
Bob
_______________________________________________
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Woohoo to you, too, Bob. At Green Cove Springs Marina tomorrow
night, potluck munchies & live music (i.e., our usual Saturday
evening jam session on the porch, moved up this week for New
Year’s Eve). Y’all come!Silverheels had an old Adler Barbour system when I bought her,
which I used until last summer. Then I replaced it with a
brand-new-in-the-box, 10-year-old Adler Barbour ColdMachineT that
I picked up really cheap from a guy in the yard. This gave me a
larger freezer box, which I’m enjoying. I like these units for
their simplicity, reliability and price. Yes, it’s a big power
draw, but so is any refrigeration. I insulated the icebox years
ago, the original Pearson box being a bad joke. I don’t do
anything to separate freezer from fridge. The one automatically
chills the other perfectly with the thermostat knob set at around
3 (out of 10).I did the entire installation myself, but paid a professional to
check, re-charge and boot up the system the first time. I’m happy
with the result.FYI, I pulled this up online: “The air/water cooled CU-200
SuperColdMachineT has default air cooling, but includes
supplemental water-cooling to further increase cooling.
Water-cooling will generally result in shorter run times, and
lower amp draws – power consumption can be reduced by 25 – 40%.
Water cooling requires an owner supplied, 150 gph circulation
pump, switch, strainer, hoses, and fittings”Have fun,
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
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Original Message
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Hi Ken and Tor,
No doubt there is work to be done with insulation – I will probably take a
two-fold approach. First, inject foam outside the box in all 4
directions. I like Skip’s top mounted freezer better than the stupid
vertical one (so I can use proper ice trays, not the vertical ones that
require you to melt some ice so you can get them out. Seems stupid.At the lower level of the box, I’ll probably put a new floor approximately
5″ above the bottom made of 2″ styrofoam and fiberglass with a new drain.
The box is too deep anyway – I have to use an old people grabby thing to
clean the bottom.Also, as I mentioned, I’ll use Rodd’s method of re-insulation. It’s been a
thorn in my side since I got the boat and now that the compressor runs
constantly I think I’ll have to do something about it.I’d also like to seal the top better – I have some weather proof gaskets
around it but as it gets cold it ceases to seal allowing warm air to
trickle in. Also not particularly efficient. So, 1″ foam on the top,
fiberglass, some kind of fancy closure and I’m all done.Shouldn’t take but an afternoon to accomplish…
Bob
On Tue, Dec 30, 2014 at 9:06 AM, Silverheels via maillist <
> wrote:Quote:Woohoo to you, too, Bob. At Green Cove Springs Marina tomorrow
night, potluck munchies & live music (i.e., our usual Saturday
evening jam session on the porch, moved up this week for New
Year’s Eve). Y’all come!Silverheels had an old Adler Barbour system when I bought her,
which I used until last summer. Then I replaced it with a
brand-new-in-the-box, 10-year-old Adler Barbour ColdMachineT that
I picked up really cheap from a guy in the yard. This gave me a
larger freezer box, which I’m enjoying. I like these units for
their simplicity, reliability and price. Yes, it’s a big power
draw, but so is any refrigeration. I insulated the icebox years
ago, the original Pearson box being a bad joke. I don’t do
anything to separate freezer from fridge. The one automatically
chills the other perfectly with the thermostat knob set at around
3 (out of 10).I did the entire installation myself, but paid a professional to
check, re-charge and boot up the system the first time. I’m happy
with the result.FYI, I pulled this up online: “The air/water cooled CU-200
SuperColdMachineT has default air cooling, but includes
supplemental water-cooling to further increase cooling.
Water-cooling will generally result in shorter run times, and
lower amp draws – power consumption can be reduced by 25 – 40%.
Water cooling requires an owner supplied, 150 gph circulation
pump, switch, strainer, hoses, and fittings”Have fun,
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
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Are you done yet?
We have a Velcro closed flat vinyl pocket type thing filled with a car’s
windshield/dashboard protector thingy in it. It lays flat, folds over well,
easily cleaned and does a good job of supplementing any leakage from the
lift up doors.Ken
On Tue, Dec 30, 2014 at 9:34 AM, Robert Fine via maillist <
> wrote:Quote:Hi Ken and Tor,No doubt there is work to be done with insulation – I will probably take a
two-fold approach. First, inject foam outside the box in all 4
directions. I like Skip’s top mounted freezer better than the stupid
vertical one (so I can use proper ice trays, not the vertical ones that
require you to melt some ice so you can get them out. Seems stupid.At the lower level of the box, I’ll probably put a new floor approximately
5″ above the bottom made of 2″ styrofoam and fiberglass with a new drain.
The box is too deep anyway – I have to use an old people grabby thing to
clean the bottom.Also, as I mentioned, I’ll use Rodd’s method of re-insulation. It’s been a
thorn in my side since I got the boat and now that the compressor runs
constantly I think I’ll have to do something about it.I’d also like to seal the top better – I have some weather proof gaskets
around it but as it gets cold it ceases to seal allowing warm air to
trickle in. Also not particularly efficient. So, 1″ foam on the top,
fiberglass, some kind of fancy closure and I’m all done.Shouldn’t take but an afternoon to accomplish…
Bob
On Tue, Dec 30, 2014 at 9:06 AM, Silverheels via maillist <
> wrote:Quote:Woohoo to you, too, Bob. At Green Cove Springs Marina tomorrow
night, potluck munchies & live music (i.e., our usual Saturday
evening jam session on the porch, moved up this week for New
Year’s Eve). Y’all come!Silverheels had an old Adler Barbour system when I bought her,
which I used until last summer. Then I replaced it with a
brand-new-in-the-box, 10-year-old Adler Barbour ColdMachineT that
I picked up really cheap from a guy in the yard. This gave me a
larger freezer box, which I’m enjoying. I like these units for
their simplicity, reliability and price. Yes, it’s a big power
draw, but so is any refrigeration. I insulated the icebox years
ago, the original Pearson box being a bad joke. I don’t do
anything to separate freezer from fridge. The one automatically
chills the other perfectly with the thermostat knob set at around
3 (out of 10).I did the entire installation myself, but paid a professional to
check, re-charge and boot up the system the first time. I’m happy
with the result.FYI, I pulled this up online: “The air/water cooled CU-200
SuperColdMachineT has default air cooling, but includes
supplemental water-cooling to further increase cooling.
Water-cooling will generally result in shorter run times, and
lower amp draws – power consumption can be reduced by 25 – 40%.
Water cooling requires an owner supplied, 150 gph circulation
pump, switch, strainer, hoses, and fittings”Have fun,
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
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HI Robert,
Not sure if the issue is consistent from boat to boat, year to year but the insulation in my 1984 422 was horrible. I decided to do a complete redo on my fridge and it turned into a really big project. Without a doubt the single most time consuming thing so far in my refit. But the results I think were well worth it.
I took the galley cabinet completely apart and cut the fiberglass freezer box into quarters to get it out of the companionway. What I found was quite dismal. Apparently Pearson built the fiberglass box, sprayed a token bit of foam on the outside of the box and installed the box into the cabinet work. The thickest area of foam I found was 2-3″, a lot of areas less and several areas with no spray at all. Not sure if this was normal or if my fridge was one of those installed late on a Friday afternoon.
20/20 hindsight it might have been better to use another technique but I liked the existing box design so decided to reuse it. I cut strips out of the box pieces to make the whole thing smaller, glassed the four pieces back together, insulated the whole thing and reinstalled into the cabinet. Had to do this inside the main cabin since the finished box wouldn’t fit through the companionway. $@!$#$!!!!
I wanted to make sure there were no air gaps next to the fiberglass (would cause condensation and wet the insulation) so foam sealed insulation right onto the outside of the box. Then also added insulation to the insides of the cabinet. BUT, that meant the box had to fit perfectly into the insulated cabinet to prevent any voids and air gaps. That was tricky and added many hours to the job. It would have been easier to toss the old box, insulate the inside of the cabinet and then use the stuff Tor used to make a new liner. By the way, that stuff is very handy and I’ve used it for several projects. It’s basically 4X8 sheets of thin fiberglass, smooth one side, textured on the other. Not expensive and glues or glasses well to itself or other boat bits.
I ended up with 4-6-8″ of insulation around the box and it works very well. In mid summer, temps in the mid nineties typically used 45-50 amp hours/day. When it cooled even slightly that dropped a lot. This was with the boat closed up all day and very little ventilation so probably over 100 inside.
If your box is no better insulated than mine then the drill holes and spray foam will help a LOT but at the end of the day I don’t think it will do nearly as well as a complete redo. You just have to decide if it’s worth the extra work. I have also read that long term the spray foam also absorbs moisture and gradually drops in R-value so factor that in to the process.
By the way, in case you don’t already know this, be very, very careful spraying Great Stuff into an enclosed space. It expands a lot and will exert a huge pressure, enough to distort or even crack the fiberglass box. There are three different types as I recall and some are more forgiving in this than others. Also, I learned that Great Stuff needs moisture to cure. I tested using it to fill gaps between a large foam board and the fridge box. The middle never cured and days later I pulled the pieces apart to find a soupy mess in the middle.
Hope this is helpful and you can benefit from my vast experience or to be more accurate, my mistakes and screw ups.
Skip
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Start of attached email. Subject: Re: Refrigeration
Talk to Clive at SeaFrost. He’s the best there is. Owner/sailor. Will spent the time with you to make you sure have it right.
Alan
Sent from my iPhoneOn Dec 30, 2014, at 8:25 AM, Robert Fine via maillist wrote:
Hi All!
Happy New Year! Woohoo! Hope everyone gets on the water!
Anyway, I think I need to replace my refrigerator system. It’s air cooled
and draws 6 amps – so it’s a pretty old Adler-Barber system. It’s
guaranteed to have been running for 7 years constantly, and for at least 5
or 6 years before that either constantly or seasonally.Whatever I do, it will be air cooled, and I’m just curious as to whether to
go with a cold plate or evaporator system, and how everyone separates the
freezer part from the refrigerator part.It is almost less expensive to do this than get a marine A/C person to show
up. And I seriously don’t want to purchase all the tools for dealing with
this (even though I could).Thoughts?
Bob
—
Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
_______________________________________________
maillist mailing listhttps://pearson424.org/mailman/listinfo/maillist_pearson424.org
End of attached email
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Bob,
Speaking of old person grabby things …. as you must know, they are priceless on these boats.Cleaning under and behind the stove. the fridge as you said, the bilge, and behind the engine are where we use ours most!
Ken
-
Bob,
I mounted my AB freezer box horizontally, too. Vertical makes no sense. It’s a very good little freezer.
I put in a 2nd floor when I insulated the box, with the same double-insulation stuff and FRP skin as in the rest of the box, so it’s barely 2″ thick. One useful trick: make the floor slant slightly towards the drain hole aft. Makes drainage and the occasional wash/rinse much more efficient.
As you noted, the top of the Pearson box is as bad as the rest of it, insulation-wise. After doing what I could under there, I made up a multi-layer foam & insulation pad and wrapped it in a flat HD Sunbrella bag. This pad stuffs in through the top door and flattens out to blanket whatever’s inside the door, keeping more of the cold contained. I’m sure it helps reduce power consumption.
I use several Rubber Maid type storage boxes of various sizes to compartmentalize Silverheels’ big refrigerator box. This works quite well, enabling me to pull out “deep storage” items from the lower back portion of the fridge (under the freezer box) with relative ease.
Be careful spraying in that expandable foam. Don’t use too much. It will insist on expanding and, if overdone, may bulge or even crack whatever is containing it.
As you say, an afternoon’s project. 🙂
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
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Grabbers. A must have tool. So important I have three. One regular, one extra long and one with an LED lighted tip.
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I have heard the same about SeaFrost. Excellent support and they are excellent products. My choice came down to Frigoboat or SeaFrost. The all stainless SeaFrost was very attractive but the Frigoboat in the Practical Sailor tests was a bit more efficient and a bit cheaper.
I think either would be an good choice.
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Yea, that’s right. Just an afternoon’s project. Nothing to it.
If you count time in dog years.
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The original lid to the ice box that pearson designed is poor. It was a two part door hinged in the middle and not well insulated. To get in the ice box, you had to remove it. So where do you put it? It takes counterspace somewhere to put it aside while accessing the ice box. I built a one-piece replacement that is well insulated with rubber gaskets. It’s hinged at the back and uses a hydrolic lift to hold it up when opened. This is an easy project and makes a big difference.
I have engine-driven refrigeration as originally installed by pearson as an option. Most owners who had this system have long since replaced it. I’ve replaced almost every part of the thing over the past 30 years I’ve owned the boat. It works really well, but it’s a maintenance item. Most of the problems these systems have are related to the remote mounted compressor. If I had to replace it and cost was no object, I’d go with a 115V holding plate system that is water cooled. The 12v systems don’t have large enough compressors to make efficient use of the holding plates. The engine driven compressor I have is rated at something like 6HP. Replacing it with a 1/10 hp 12v compressor would extend my running time. Even a 1hp 115v system may require more running time.
Rich
Original Message
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Bob,
I mounted my AB freezer box horizontally, too. Vertical makes no sense. It’s a very good little freezer.
I put in a 2nd floor when I insulated the box, with the same double-insulation stuff and FRP skin as in the rest of the box, so it’s barely 2″ thick. One useful trick: make the floor slant slightly towards the drain hole aft. Makes drainage and the occasional wash/rinse much more efficient.
As you noted, the top of the Pearson box is as bad as the rest of it, insulation-wise. After doing what I could under there, I made up a multi-layer foam & insulation pad and wrapped it in a flat HD Sunbrella bag. This pad stuffs in through the top door and flattens out to blanket whatever’s inside the door, keeping more of the cold contained. I’m sure it helps reduce power consumption.
I use several Rubber Maid type storage boxes of various sizes to compartmentalize Silverheels’ big refrigerator box. This works quite well, enabling me to pull out “deep storage” items from the lower back portion of the fridge (under the freezer box) with relative ease.
Be careful spraying in that expandable foam. Don’t use too much. It will insist on expanding and, if overdone, may bulge or even crack whatever is containing it.
As you say, an afternoon’s project. 🙂
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
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The original lid to the ice box that pearson designed is poor. It was a two part door hinged in the middle and not well insulated. To get in the ice box, you had to remove it. So where do you put it? It takes counterspace somewhere to put it aside while accessing the ice box. I built a one-piece replacement that is well insulated with rubber gaskets. It’s hinged at the back and uses a hydrolic lift to hold it up when opened. This is an easy project and makes a big difference.
I have engine-driven refrigeration as originally installed by pearson as an option. Most owners who had this system have long since replaced it. I’ve replaced almost every part of the thing over the past 30 years I’ve owned the boat. It works really well, but it’s a maintenance item. Most of the problems these systems have are related to the remote mounted compressor. If I had to replace it and cost was no object, I’d go with a 115V holding plate system that is water cooled. The 12v systems don’t have large enough compressors to make efficient use of the holding plates. The engine driven compressor I have is rated at something like 6HP. Replacing it with a 1/10 hp 12v compressor would extend my running time. Even a 1hp 115v system may require more running time.
Rich
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Ken,
I used to semi-clean beneath and behind the stove with various
long-handled gizmos. Then it occurred to me to simply lift the
stove/oven out of its gimbals, slide it inboard, set it onto a
towel spread on the cabin sole (to avoid scratching the finish),
and really clean not only the surrounding bulkheads, but also the
external sides & back of the oven. Thankfully, the LPG hose
feeding the stove was made long enough for this.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
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Hi All!
I suppose you’ve all been waiting with baited breath about my refrigeration
woes. I thank you for that and feel you deserve to know the outcome.I had decided to go with another Adler-Barbour (or Waeco, actually) Cold
Machine for cost reasons and the fact that this one has been in service for
14 years or so ( and run constantly for a month or so). From my
standpoint, that’s pretty good.Anyway, my refrigeration go-to guy made the trip up here and diagnosed and
charged the system – no leaks (or no unusual ones – any system with ports
and connectors will leak a bit). There was no liquid state refrigerant in
the system and he got the evaporator down to -4 degrees F which surprised
even him!I know how to charge the system now which is a huge thing.
It runs about twice an hour now for a few minutes, so it’s been needing a
charge for a while now.If anyone wants to know how to charge one of these beauties, I’d be happy
to describe.So, 1.5 boat units saved! Yay!
Bob
On Tue, Dec 30, 2014 at 12:01 PM, Silverheels via maillist <
> wrote:Quote:Ken,I used to semi-clean beneath and behind the stove with various
long-handled gizmos. Then it occurred to me to simply lift the
stove/oven out of its gimbals, slide it inboard, set it onto a
towel spread on the cabin sole (to avoid scratching the finish),
and really clean not only the surrounding bulkheads, but also the
external sides & back of the oven. Thankfully, the LPG hose
feeding the stove was made long enough for this.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
Quote:
Original Message
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And now, at long last, we can un-bate our collective breaths.
Yay!
😉
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Perfect!
On Jan 18, 2015 9:43 AM, “Silverheels via maillist”
wrote:Quote:And now, at long last, we can un-bate our collective breaths.Yay!
😉
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Ah, Pete, that, sir, is the secret. And now I have it!
When charging, add just gas. But before you do that, you must put a
pyrometer at the exit of the evaporator. Add gas a little at a time while
the temperature goes down (every couple of minutes or so) while the system
is running. When the temperature starts to rise, you’re done. If it rises
more than a degree or two, you put too much in.Simple, huh?
Bob
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Very funny! I’ll bet my repair was less of a charge…
On Tue, Jan 20, 2015 at 10:31 AM, cstewart via maillist <
> wrote:Bob, I fixed my refrigeration system almost the same way you did, by
charging it. Yes, I called Hansen Refrigeration Systems in St. Augustine
and had him put in a new air cooled 12v 4 amp Vitrifrigo fridge and I
charged it on American Express. Haven’t had a problem since. 8)
"People cannot discover new lands until they have the courage to lose
sight of the shore."
Andre Gide 1869-1951_______________________________________________
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—
Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
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