What everyone in the real world (those people who live in houses) takes for granted is that big cold box in the kitchen, you know… the “fridge”. The ability to refrigerate and freeze things on a boat though, is a challenge. On a boat your “fridge” seldom sits level and at times it’s violently moved around. It has to work in changing environments and run on everything from 11.8 volts up to 14.5 volts DC. This box also is a power hungry little beast. A typical system can consume from 40 to 80 amp/hours of electricity per day. Doesn’t sound like much but it is the total usable energy in a typical battery and you have to replace that energy when it is gone because the next day (like a 2 year old) the little beast is hungry again!
I built (what I thought was) a bullet proof system on the Snow Goose and until last Thursday it ran flawlessly (you can see where I’m going with this). On Thursday, the compressor locked up and we went from having a refrigerator to having a built in ice chest. The problem is that the refrigerator was the only thing that I truly “built in” to the boat and the removal/ installation of a new refrigeration system is going to be time consuming, costly and very ugly. We will probably spend a bit more time in Marathon Key dealing with this problem than we had planned. We both agree that having a working refrigerator is a luxury that we would rather not loose.
Good luck with the project! We went to a 12 volt reefer a couple years ago, one for the fridge, one for the freezer, and have been most happy with it ever since. Hope to see you soon, and call if you need to know where to go for parts, etc. Also, Publix carries Dry Ice if you are in need, the very same reason we stopped in Marathon the first time!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Boot Key Harbor!
Does a sundowner need ice? I am having a hard time feeling sorry for you, we have ice, called sleet and freezing rain.
ReplyDeletehey more pics it's stupid cold here
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