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How to pack a refrigerator for best cooling?

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Hi,

We have a 6 cubic foot (small) icebox which is cooled by a Norcold refrigeration unit which uses a one foot by two foot evaporator plate for cooling. It generally works quite well, but we are having a few issues which we would like to resolve as we are doing some extensive cruising this summer.

We usually start the fridge cooling a few hours before departure, and add a block of ice to help keep everything cool. Whenever possible we pack frozen items--ie meats, soups, etc. We pack the most sensitive items like meat and milk closest to the evaporator plate, where they are likely to stay most cold. We minimize the number of times we open the fridge. When using the engine or are at shorepower we run the fridge continuously; when at anchor we run it every few hours for an hour or two to re-cool the fridge.

The problem we are having is that even though the fridge is relatively cold at departure, when we have loaded everything the temp rises to about 8 -10 degrees and it takes quite a while (about 24 hours) to reach a colder 4 degrees or so. Whenever we don't run the fridge for a while (ie. at anchor or when sailing), the temp goes up again from about 4 degrees to 8 degrees or more.

I do not want to disassemble the ice box to improve insulation as that is a bigger project than I can take on at the moment. My wife doesn't want me to add Reflectix inside the icebox as she is concerned it will reduce the available space in the small fridge (it is about 1/4" thick) and she is also concerned that it may get wet from condensation and other moisture in the fridge.

I think what I am asking is whether there are any special tricks to packing and using the fridge that have worked for others. For example, my wife puts food in plastic bags to make it easier to find various items--we don't know if this might hinder air flow, or even insulate the food to impede cooling.

Any tips or advice would be much appreciated!

Frank
 

Sven

Seglare
Not an answer ...

... but where is the temperature read ?

I've been thinking about your question since before you asked it as installing insulation and the Frigoboat is climbing up our to-do list.

If the cold plate is on one side and the temperature is measured on the other side and there is a solid mass of things in plastic bags in-between the two, then it seems reasonable that the thermometer side would get cooled very slowly and heat up relatively easily.

Our thinking is to use baskets which do not make a good seal with the box interior so that air can circulate around the contents better. Don't take that as advice as I'm not sure passive circulation will be enough (it depends on your insulation) and a small fan may be needed.

Good luck with the solution !



-Sven
 

Blue Chip

Member III
One two things i discovered that seem to help, and I think you havea sim ilar set-up. I use a silver car window shade to cover the hull of the boat where the gridge jis. Not while moving of course, but that setuing sun hitting the side of the boat is a real killer.
Also we discovered by accident that propping (sp) open the starbioard Lazerette where the compressor or what ever is for the fridge really helps. There is very little circuulation for that gasdget in there and what little you can give it is much appreciated.
 

cruis-n

Member II
Bubble Wrap

Another suggestion is to go the The Container Store or an office supply store and get 6-8 feel of bubble wrap that is used for shipping (you can buy it by the foot). It does not seem to matter if it's the small bubbles or the big ones (we use the big ones). Fold it in half and place it in the top of the icebox between the "stuff" and the lid. Here in TX, it makes a huge difference. The insulating properties of the little air cells really keeps the cold in and the warm out. It's easy to clean, just hose it off, and best of all, it's cheap.

BTW, a side benefit... on a cold & rainy afternoon, you can entertain yourself/children by popping the bubbles when you get bored.

Paul
 

D & DM Cahill

Member II
Packing the refer

I second Paul's suggestion of using bubble wrap. We use it on our boat by inserting it between the food and the lid and it seems to help keep things cold. It also means that you can open the lid and reach what you want by just moving a portion of the bubble wrap without having all the food in the refrigerator area open to warm air. Dave
 
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