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
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