Move Refrigerator Compressor?

[bigd14]

Has anyone moved a compressor for a refrigeration system? I have a Nova Kool system, with the compressor currently located underneath the quarter berth. The compressor is sitting on top of the battery charger and is not supported except with a bit of foam. There is also a long run of copper tubing that is was zip tied to the exhaust hose crossing over the engine compartment. This seems unwise to connect a refrigeration line to an exhaust line, for heat transfer and vibration issues. In order to move it I have to disconnect the copper tubes, which will cause all the coolant to escape (yes I know I need to make arrangements for the coolant to be collected).

My question has to do with how difficult it is to replace the refrigerant in the Nova Kool system? I understand that it is pre-charged and once installed is automatically charged to the correct pressure with (I assume) no accommodations for charging it. The manual offers no guidance in this regard. Also, for other E30+ owners, where is your compressor located? I have a fuel tank for the cabin heater on the little shelf to port in the lazarette, which would otherwise be a great place for it.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Frank Langer]

Doug,
I agree that your current arrangement is not ideal. I think a refrigeration technician can recharge the system even though the manual indicates they are a one time charge.

On our E30+ our compressor is under the shelf you mention in your post, and fits nicely there. I put plastic vents in front of the compressor to let it cool. Being in the engine compartment, or next to it, is not ideal cause of higher temperature, but is a reasonable compromise given the lack of options.
Frank

 

[bigd14]

Frank, that is good to know it could possibly be recharged by a tech. I'll look into that. So has your compressor been put into a compartment cut into the liner underneath that shelf? The liner that can just be seen on the far left in the photo I attached? That is all just blank space right now, but there is clearly some space between the liner and the hull that might be suitable.

By the way I plan on installing my fuel filters and fuel pump on the forward bulkhead wall in the photo, and devising some kind of shield to prevent damage to them from errant fenders, etc.

Thanks,

Doug

 

[Frank Langer]

Hi Doug,

Our fuel pump is mounted on the inside left of the door under the sink into the engine compartment--it fits nicely there. The primary filter is mounted in the engine compartment on the right side bulkhead between the engine and the refrigerator compartment, ie. just to the right of the door opening under the sink. Both are out of the way, yet accessible, and not vulnerable to activity and fenders in the port locker.

Our compressor is underneath what looks like a light blue bin in your pic. There is an opening cut into the bulkhead in your pic and the compressor is placed a shelf in there at the same level as the floor of that port locker, and bolted down. It works well.

Let me know if you have other questions about it.

Frank

 

[toddster]

It's not difficult to recharge if you have the right tools.

But first, carefully examine the connections at either end of the tubing. Most of them have (very expensive) quick-disconnect fittings that will allow you to disconnect the compressor without losing coolant. Of course, you will lose a tiny bit, and the more times you open the connection, the sooner the unit will need to be serviced. Some older units had fittings that punctured a seal when first tightened, and will not act as quick disconnects. However, adapters are available to change those to standard QDs.

If everything is soldered, you can still recharge the system, but it will take some study, some soldering, and some specialized tools. A technician could certainly do it, but it might be one of those cases where his bill is more than a new fridge.

I chased down all the proper QDs and fittings to retrofit an old system and the QDs cost as much a used fridge (with intact QDs) at the chandlery. But by then I was too far down the rabbit hole to back out. I already had the tools from working on my cars. If I started again, I'd just solder everything in place and add a standard automotive AC charging port. Or junk the system and buy one of those from the chandlery.

Edit: Oh, I see you're in Portland. By "the chandlery," I meant Columbia Marine Exchange. Last time I looked they had three or four Adler Barbour units and several other types on the shelf.

 

[chasandjudy]

Refridgeration

The secret to the Nova kool is never,never turn it offf this applies specifically to you weekend sailors, turn it down but not off My step son in a refridgeration specialist. After the freon chang-over about 15 years ago it has been left on. the expert says turning it off and on is the worst thing for refridgeration. I there for have had cold beer any time I visit "EDEN"

chas and judi E30+ eden

 

[Loren Beach]

New Fridge, Perhaps?

My solution, FWIW.
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/entry.php?408-New-refridgeration

Loren

 

[Christian Williams]

I'm just learning about refrigeration this being my first unit (10-year-old Dometic Air cooled plate, which I think is same idea as Loren's).

It was on all summer at the slip, with battery charger on, and was a distinct luxury. New they're pretty cheap, about $1500 at Defender.

MIne seems to draw about 5 amps when on, but if the box starts off cold the 24-hour draw is more like 1 amp average (very preliminary observation in a coolish environment).

http://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/cruising-tips/choosing-the-perfect-refrigeration-for-your-boat/

 

[bigd14]

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I reviewed the cubby underneath the waste basket that Frank identified and it will fit this unit perfectly. I will have to use a slightly smaller waste basket but that is fine. I started cutting it out but ran out of light and did not have my Allen wrench to change the Multimaster blade. Thanks everyone for the advice and guidance!


Under quarterberth


Damaged bilge hose


These pads were all that were holding the refrigeration unit in place!

Damaged radiator fins


New refer location in port side lazarette.

 

[GrandpaSteve]

Fin straightener

Great tool for less that 3 bucks:

http://m.harborfreight.com/radiator-fin-straightener-69024.html

Dead link, Substitute link 2024:

Amazon.com

 

[Frank Langer]

Hi Doug,

I'm glad this is going to work out for you. The tool to straighten the fins looks quite useful! Amazing what they can come up with!
Good luck in getting the job completed!
Frank

 

[bigd14]

Fin straightener... Who would have thought? Very cool. Thanks!

 

[bigd14]

The recent thread on refrigeration got me thinking about this. I only use the fridge periodically and turn it off in between, forgetting about the advice in post #6 above to leave it on always. I have found recently that the fridge has not been cooling as well as it used to, as in not getting very cold. I guess the next step is to leave it running for a week and see what happens, but wondering if anyone has other advice. Thanks

 

[Christian Williams]

Mine has been on continuously for 8 years.

 

[bigd14]

Mine has been on continuously for 8 years.

Wow! Next time to the boat I’ll turn it on and leave it and see what happens. Hopefully it’s a non-issue.

 

[Christian Williams]

My unit is run by the house batteries, continually recharged by the charger, rather than by AC. I asked my electrician about that, who said it doesn;t harm the battery bank and in fact prolongs life. Same batteries, 8 years, 10,000+ miles.

 

[Rivergirl7]

Mine has been on continuously for 8 years.

Like… in never turned off?

 

[bigd14]

I have left mine on for the past month and while it cools, it’s not getting as cold as I would like, despite me playing with the thermostat settings. I probably need to recharge the coolant.

 

[Pete the Cat]

I would be interested in the physics rationale for "leave it on all the time". In my delivery days, I was always amazed at the horrid places the boat designers put compressors--in a closed box, near the engine heat, etc. Always amazed that they worked at all. I have a 40 year old Adler Barbour unit that works great (I have upgraded the fan on the compressor and put a small one in the bottom of my box to circulate) that is located in the lazarette away from the engine. In my years In the tropics I used to open the lazarette at night to ease its burden, but it provided frozen food and beer all these years--main problem was too cold. I had to turn it off periodically before I located a very small computer fan in the bottom of my box-wired to the compressor--because the unit would freeze stuff there. Solved that problem. Keep wondering if "keep it on" is just so that your compressor can recover some cool at night when it is cooler or if something else is going on.

 

[Christian Williams]

Rivergirl: yes, believe it or not. We're in the water 12 months a year here, and of course our temperature swing is modest--45F-70 winter, 60-75 summer. It's a 20-year-old 12v Adler-Barbour cold machine evaporator unit installed in the stock E381 icebox, with condensing unit on a shelf in the cockpit lazarette. Probably the standard install on boats like mine. Runs continuously on shore power (charger keeps the batteries up).

Off the shore wire, if left on it requires an hour of 100amp alternator time a day to maintain 40F, maybe more if family cruising means a lot of open refrig time.

If solo, I only turn it on during engine-on recharge time, an hour of which will cool a couple of beers in the evaporator box and keep the box at 60F all day even in warm water.