Icebox/Refrigeration on Ericson Yachts [Master Thread]
- Thread starter e38 owner
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- box or ice refridgeration
Do you also have the icebox refrigerated?
Installation of Isotherm Refrigerator unit on Ericson 381
The Adler Barbour Cold Machine on board had served well for my eight years, and probably many years prior. When it quit, I balked at the $4500 estimate to replace it in kind. The Isotherm brand is simpler and less expensive, and I thought suitable for Southern California, where the temperature is moderate and even in summer often dips toward 50 degrees when the sun goes down.
I chose the isotherm Compact 2301, which is rated for a max 5.3 cubic foot icebox. The E38 box is 6 cubic feet, but close enough.
The unit is three components: thermostat, compressor and evaporator, total price about $1,000. I like the "'O form" evaporator, which can make ice in vertical trays. The alternative is an evaporator sheet on the wall of the box, bent to conform. Others have reported pretty quick installation, in cases where the evaporator and compressor are less than 6 feet apart. That's the length of the stock refrigerant tubes, which come pre-loaded with no need to fill or top off. The aim is owner installation.
Alas, the E38 puts the compressor in a cockpit lazarette, about nine feet from the icebox. That requires purchasing a tube extension kit, for an additional $220. The tubes are somewhat delicate, and the connections specific to their purpose of keeping pressure as they are joined.
On the E38 they need to be unwound and carefully threaded through holes in three bulkheads, along with the wiring of the thermostat. Awkward, but doable alone. This is a job, however, where a helper would be worth her weight in copper tubing, if such a helper could be found who did not resist me yelling at her a little, or if my usual boatsmith had not just had his knee replaced, or if maybe I were patient enough to wait for assistance. Impatience caused me to crawl in and out of the lazarette 25 times, which was the price to pay.
The excess tubing of the extension kit is coiled behind the stove, mounted on a board secured to the hull with construction adhesive.
.
The unit works. It is nearly silent, draws less than the old Adler Barbour, and maintains, at thermometer setting "3" of "9," a temperature of 47 F at the high point in the icebox. I may have to turn it up a little to make ice, we'll see. I'm using the old Dometic aluminum ice trays.
[update: A thermostat setting of "4" is required to keep ice in the trays, although the temperature of the icebox at top remains about 45-47F. The compressor runs infrequently--every few hours--and then with a draw of 2.2 amps for only a few minutes. This is at the dock, with icebox lid closed and contents already cold.]
For a total cost of $1200 and a few days work, there is no reason not to have yacht refrigeration these days. I used to think ice in an icebox works fine, is traditional, and a self-defining feature of the real yachtsman. But I now appreciate a cold Diet Coke any time, and ice for shaken martinis, and can't even remember who that young guy was.
Also denoted as a Thelonious Blog entry.
Video:
The Adler Barbour Cold Machine on board had served well for my eight years, and probably many years prior. When it quit, I balked at the $4500 estimate to replace it in kind. The Isotherm brand is simpler and less expensive, and I thought suitable for Southern California, where the temperature is moderate and even in summer often dips toward 50 degrees when the sun goes down.
I chose the isotherm Compact 2301, which is rated for a max 5.3 cubic foot icebox. The E38 box is 6 cubic feet, but close enough.
The unit is three components: thermostat, compressor and evaporator, total price about $1,000. I like the "'O form" evaporator, which can make ice in vertical trays. The alternative is an evaporator sheet on the wall of the box, bent to conform. Others have reported pretty quick installation, in cases where the evaporator and compressor are less than 6 feet apart. That's the length of the stock refrigerant tubes, which come pre-loaded with no need to fill or top off. The aim is owner installation.
Alas, the E38 puts the compressor in a cockpit lazarette, about nine feet from the icebox. That requires purchasing a tube extension kit, for an additional $220. The tubes are somewhat delicate, and the connections specific to their purpose of keeping pressure as they are joined.
On the E38 they need to be unwound and carefully threaded through holes in three bulkheads, along with the wiring of the thermostat. Awkward, but doable alone. This is a job, however, where a helper would be worth her weight in copper tubing, if such a helper could be found who did not resist me yelling at her a little, or if my usual boatsmith had not just had his knee replaced, or if maybe I were patient enough to wait for assistance. Impatience caused me to crawl in and out of the lazarette 25 times, which was the price to pay.
The excess tubing of the extension kit is coiled behind the stove, mounted on a board secured to the hull with construction adhesive.
.
The unit works. It is nearly silent, draws less than the old Adler Barbour, and maintains, at thermometer setting "3" of "9," a temperature of 47 F at the high point in the icebox. I may have to turn it up a little to make ice, we'll see. I'm using the old Dometic aluminum ice trays.
[update: A thermostat setting of "4" is required to keep ice in the trays, although the temperature of the icebox at top remains about 45-47F. The compressor runs infrequently--every few hours--and then with a draw of 2.2 amps for only a few minutes. This is at the dock, with icebox lid closed and contents already cold.]
For a total cost of $1200 and a few days work, there is no reason not to have yacht refrigeration these days. I used to think ice in an icebox works fine, is traditional, and a self-defining feature of the real yachtsman. But I now appreciate a cold Diet Coke any time, and ice for shaken martinis, and can't even remember who that young guy was.
Also denoted as a Thelonious Blog entry.
Video:
Last edited:
Frank Langer
1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Congratulations, Christian! I knew you could do it, and $1200 is much better than the initial quote of $4500! 
Frank
Frank
Bolo
Contributing Partner
Good work, Christian. In hind sight I wish I had installed my replacement frig myself instead of calling a “pro” who came with recommendations. After four visits to fix his mistakes I ended up feeling rather “frosted” over the whole ordeal and $$$ lighter in the wallet.
Nice work! So now that you're done, how accurate was the original estimate for 6 hours labor + $250 in handling & supplies?
I think the answer is probably typical of boatowner work.
There were hours of research and planning, unnecessary for a pro. There was the removal of the old system, which I puzzled over, since the tubes were full of refrigerant and disconnecting would pollute. In the end I just crushed the ends of the tubes to seal them and removed them still charged. .
There were three bulkheads through which to pass the delicate new tubing. No matter how I worked it, the connections--requiring access with wrenches--tended to wind up inaccessible. And neatening up the tubing was awkward, and required installing a backer board (a pro might have just skipped that).,
I have a huge electrical kit, but it failed to contain two female push fittings for #10 wires, and I had insufficient #22 wire to extend the wire of the thermostat. Trip to hardware store ("we don't have those")". So I bought 100 female push fittings #10 for $9.95 on line, a two-day wait. Anyone need 98 such fittings?
I don't think the 6-hour pro estimate included all the prep necessary--moving stored gear, uninstalling the old system, cleaning the icebox, and so on.
Doing it again, I might hope for 6 hours. But that's with all the necessary fittings and extensions at hand.
Probably took me 20 hours in four days. But the E38 does make it a bit awkward, and if the compressor and evaporator were closer together, the job would go faster.
There were hours of research and planning, unnecessary for a pro. There was the removal of the old system, which I puzzled over, since the tubes were full of refrigerant and disconnecting would pollute. In the end I just crushed the ends of the tubes to seal them and removed them still charged. .
There were three bulkheads through which to pass the delicate new tubing. No matter how I worked it, the connections--requiring access with wrenches--tended to wind up inaccessible. And neatening up the tubing was awkward, and required installing a backer board (a pro might have just skipped that).,
I have a huge electrical kit, but it failed to contain two female push fittings for #10 wires, and I had insufficient #22 wire to extend the wire of the thermostat. Trip to hardware store ("we don't have those")". So I bought 100 female push fittings #10 for $9.95 on line, a two-day wait. Anyone need 98 such fittings?
I don't think the 6-hour pro estimate included all the prep necessary--moving stored gear, uninstalling the old system, cleaning the icebox, and so on.
Doing it again, I might hope for 6 hours. But that's with all the necessary fittings and extensions at hand.
Probably took me 20 hours in four days. But the E38 does make it a bit awkward, and if the compressor and evaporator were closer together, the job would go faster.
More options: stand-alone coolers and the "drawer fridge," a new one on me:
ericsonyachts.org
Installing a “portable” fridge in place of the cooler in the sink
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