Gday comrades,

I have just oulled out my old Waeco/Danfoss fridge unit - it worked okay but is noisy and I put it in a bad spot. It is 23 years old and I don't want to go to the trouble of putting it back in as it is near the end of its life. I talked to Ozefridge and they quoted me north of $3000 for a new setup. I don't think the Ozefridge idea is that clever (the eutectic tank storing "cold" overnight) in the new world of cheap solar (I will soon have 880 watts) and our new 400 AH of lithium. It is much cheaper to generate more power on our cat than get an efficient fridge. So my issue is - 1 - I am getting tired of needing to know stuff about the boat. I can strip the engines and built all the rest of the boat. I can do everything and I could install a new fridge but it will be a hassle to get it properly charged and running well.
- 2 - Getting someone out to look at an installed fridge is hard. When I made the new fridge compartment I took the Waeco unit and compressor as one to the locak fridge shop. I asked them to test it and they didn't know what to do. So I don't know if my very amateur job of putting the kit together is any good. A fridge mechanic said he would deign to look at it if I had the boat at the wharf during work. He would only charge me about $250 to show up and $200 an hour to work on it. So getting anyone to tune my installed fridge is impossible.

So what are people's thoughts on just going to Anaconda and getting a plastic camping fridge? I have one in the 4wd and it is silent, works dependably and draws little power. You just don't know it is there. I could get a 95litre version in the cat pretty easily. It will mean less space than the current box but we never fill that up at the moment. A 95 litre Dune 4wd will cost $899 at the moment. Sometimes cheaper.

www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/fridges-coolers/camping-fridge-freezers/dune-4wd-95l-dual-zone-fridgefreezer/BP90221918-multicoloured

Or I talk to DC fridge and they send me a new BD50 with a plate and I pop it in. dcfridge.com.au/products/isotherm-classic-diy-400-140-kit-400l-fridge-or-140l-freezer-381516

It will cost more double and I will never be able to take it out if it goes bad.

I am at analysis paralysis stage.

cheers

Phil

Go the new portable fridge, I'm not sure about the durability of the cheap end of the range. If you get one with the secop / danfoss you should be good. You could get 2 smaller units instead of the 95l. I've just upgraded to 500w solar with a miserly 200ah lead acid & the 65l fridge hardly makes an impression. If you haven't already install a battery monitor

Try Jaycar/RTM - at least they seem to know what they are selling !!

I've had a "Dometic" middle range from BCF running 24/7 as a freezer for a couple of years now. It replaced a Waeco that failed doing the same job after a few years.

I purchased the 65l champion brand 2016 from bcf, I was told it had a danfoss compressor, just before 2yr warranty expired it died. Turned out it was a danstar compressor there was a pile of them at the repairer I was directed to, anyway I was given a replacement & the warranty started again, the replacement/ renovated unit had the secob / danfoss running gear & is still going good 24/7.

Thanks for the replies all.

Some expensive production boats build them into the boat either in the galley or cockpit.

I had both a Waeco (in a rear storage berth) and a Novakool freezer /fridge diy kit in the S&S39. Both worked flawlessly and the NovaKool 12 volt was very easily installed and quiet. I did make sure the unit was 30% larger than required and we had 100mm insulation all around the 65litre freezer in galley. Ran the boat off 600 A/hr battery and 2 x 190 solar panels and never missed a beat. NovaKool plate and unit was easily removed should a problem have occurred.

Turned up at the boat today, fridge running, 18 degrees, hmm. The cheap fridge that ended up with a secob compressor has lost some gas, it's doomed. I think I will try the dometic cfx, it's got some new twist on the compressor for power efficiency & it's got a drain plug !

I am not an expert but I understand they all run one of two types of compressor (Engel uses a diff type, rest mostly used the other) and the only real difference is the amount of insulation they carry and therefore the amount of power they use. Opening up two fridges of the same size most ppl will go for the one with the most space and not the most insulation.

When I got my Engel many years ago one of the things I read was that they are better at keeping a constant temperature. Not a deal breaker of course.

Have an installed fridge and a camping fridge on the boat. The fitted fridge has tonnes of insulation compared to the camping fridge but when it dies it would be replaced with another camping fridge.

I've actually just put a cheap Kings fridge on mine (thanks Santa!).

Bring the nerd I am though, I've also got a Victron Cerbo GX connected up to the MPPT & Smart Shunt, as well as a Ruuvi temperature sensor in the fridge. The fridge itself is connected to the Cerbo via a relay

All this means that I can monitor the batteries and turn fridge on and off remotely. I've written a little program that'll do it automatically too, but just trying things out at this stage.

So far, the hottest it's gotten (while in an insulated cover) is 19?. While it's running, it uses about 1.5A (15-20W), probably would take about 30 mins to cool down to 4?. Because I can choose how and when it's running though, I can be pretty conservative and leave the batteries charging, or if there's loads of sun, just let it run for ages.

At this stage though, I don't have lithium and they're also my start batteries, so I'm being quite conservative and just running it ahead of when I know I'll be on board.

Ive been using a Waeco for the last 5 years, it works perfectly. I turn it on and off remotely from home using my Trek Transponder by SMS. Usually leave it off to save batteries and its wear and tear and turn it on the night before heading to boat. Trek Transponders have a new 50A relay that you can use to remote anything which I use for the fridge even though its only 6A (10A surge at turn on).. Ive got a second one remoting the deck lights in case a crim gets on board. I monitor the fridge temperature remotely as well to make sure fridge is working. The Weaco takes about 4 hours to cool to beer drinking temperature below 4 Deg C and is half half fridge freezer. Perfect! Relay below - IP67.

I think a portable chest fridge is much better than a built in but most portable fridges don't have enough insulation. The guilty companies have optional extra or included bags but they don't make much different.
Aus made fibreglass Evakool fridges have the edge on most other brands with thickness of insulation and reduced running time. They cost more but last a lifetime or two. Just make sure the ventilation is good around the compressor end of the box

I would love to install one of these, I have the space for it. But $4K is way to expensive for me.

www.boatgearaustralia.com.au/isotherm-itc-diy-fridge-freezer-kit-200-65l-ss-ut?srsltid=AfmBOoqxa2YYoKHuRjgGfPupGFHv5gOzgMIdfxm1GiDSFLfFttZQBYIE

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Trek said..
I would love to install one of these, I have the space for it. But $4K is way to expensive for me.

www.boatgearaustralia.com.au/isotherm-itc-diy-fridge-freezer-kit-200-65l-ss-ut?srsltid=AfmBOoqxa2YYoKHuRjgGfPupGFHv5gOzgMIdfxm1GiDSFLfFttZQBYIE

You would be better off with an Ozefridge kit, made in Victoria and very reliable, not particularly cheap but, like you, as an Australian manufacturer they aim for quality.

Select to expand quote

Trek said..
I would love to install one of these, I have the space for it. But $4K is way to expensive for me.

www.boatgearaustralia.com.au/isotherm-itc-diy-fridge-freezer-kit-200-65l-ss-ut?srsltid=AfmBOoqxa2YYoKHuRjgGfPupGFHv5gOzgMIdfxm1GiDSFLfFttZQBYIE

I had one of these, they were fantastic. If I forgot to rig shore power, it would stay cold for 7 days running on a 400ah house battery bank.

It's done new dometic, same litres as old unit, quiet, more efficient & match's the upholstery

Looks good.

IMHO it seems to be if you can easily fit a car fridge do it. If it doesn't fit in the galley or you will loose interior space then do built in.
I have a Ozefridge and think it's great, but if if a car fridge worked for my boat layout, I would have saved some cash.