Freezers

[dor]

Our 12V shoreline fridge has a 4* freezer box which is enough for a couple of chicken fillets, some peas, as couple of other things and the all-important ice for the G&Ts. That's always been enough for our needs as we eat mostly fresh food.

 

As I mentioned in a fridge thread, the biggest issue for me with a 230V freezer is, like a 230V fridge, you have to keep the inverter running all the time - even when not on the boat. As an inverter is apparently the most likely bit of electrical kit to burst into flames I always switch it off at the supply when no one is on the boat, even if only for a couple of hours.

[grahame r]

Folk with freezers are generally greedy pigs and love gloating over and stocking up masses of food, they pay very dearly for they're obsession though in power costs.

Most folk shop every two or three days and if nice fresh food is bought and stored in a cool place there's no need real for a fridge never mind a freezer. Ice lollies and ice cream could be a problem, though lovely cool Yogurt is a much healthier substitute.

Oink Oink!!

[Pykebird]

Folk with freezers are generally greedy pigs and love gloating over and stocking up masses of food, they pay very dearly for they're obsession though in power costs.

Most folk shop every two or three days and if nice fresh food is bought and stored in a cool place there's no need real for a fridge never mind a freezer. Ice lollies and ice cream could be a problem, though lovely cool Yogurt is a much healthier substitute.

Chance would be a fine thing!!!! Mine is full of food for the dogs who eat better than me!

[by'eck]

I can thoroughly recommend the 12/24 volt Shoreline RR5010 100 litre fridge with generous 14 litre freezer compartment. No wasted space as with two door fridge/freezers. Available in black or white and although not cheap can be found as low as £485 inc. VAT. Details here

 

 

I have had ours on continuously since boat was new 13 months to keep up to two weeks of food frozen.

[Kwacker]

I can thoroughly recommend the 12/24 volt Shoreline RR5010 100 litre fridge with generous 14 litre freezer compartment. No wasted space as with two door fridge/freezers. Available in black or white and although not cheap can be found as low as £485 inc. VAT. Details

And only £300 odd more than a VERY similar refrigerator working off 230v.

If you google Chinese fridge compressor makers, they will sell you 12v fridge compressors for $69 (yes - dollars!), so how does it cost an extra £300+ to have them fitted on the production line in stead of 230v.

 

Many years ago, Danfoss 12v compressors were (prob still are) many times more expensive than their mains equivalents, but with the Chinese now on the scene, I can't see how that still applies.

 

I do hope I'm just being naive, and that people are not being ripped-off bigtime.

 

ps I forgot, the 12v fridges have the addition of a very expensive red "low voltage" warning LED, but then they don't come with a mains lead and plug.

Edited July 16, 2013 by Kwacker

[ditchcrawler]

 

While I can see that works electrically, how does it keep the food frozen? It was 30C inside my boat yesterday with all windows and doors open and a desk fan going. I can't see the insulation in a freezer preventing frozen food from thawing fairly quickly in these temperatures.

 

I work for a food research institute and in terms of food safety, I'm sure the idea of switching a freezer on and off to save energy would cause some of my colleagues concerns.

 

When I cruise I like to spend a few days at a particular mooring before moving on, so starting the engine or genset and running it for hours just to keep some food frozen isn't something that would suit my lifestyle. I'd rather just not have the thing.

In my view if it was safe to do that every one with Offpeak electricity tariffs would only run their freezers at night. You really need to monitor the contents temperature if you plan to do that for any length of time.

Or stick good quality 4'' insulation all over the cabinet and door. Never mind the width or the looks feel the quality.

Stuck an inch over mine and it made a difference

[paul68]

Is a gas fridge not suitable for a narrowboat? Newbie here awaiting ridicule.

[Phil Ambrose]

And only £300 odd more than a VERY similar refrigerator working off 230v.

If you google Chinese fridge compressor makers, they will sell you 12v fridge compressors for $69 (yes - dollars!), so how does it cost an extra £300+ to have them fitted on the production line in stead of 230v.

 

Many years ago, Danfoss 12v compressors were (prob still are) many times more expensive than their mains equivalents, but with the Chinese now on the scene, I can't see how that still applies.

 

I do hope I'm just being naive, and that people are not being ripped-off bigtime.

 

ps I forgot, the 12v fridges have the addition of a very expensive red "low voltage" warning LED, but then they don't come with a mains lean and plug.

A personal choice for us is a 110ltr 12v fridge and a 80ltr 12v freezer, we can get our entire weeks shopping tucked away in the fridge and freezer plus the freezer gives us loads of back up food. We dont want to go shopping every other day nor do we want to stress on if we are going to be able to get to the shops, apart from a small (expensive) Co-Op we have no shops anywhere near us so Mr Tesco brings it once a week.

 

As for the cost of 12v stuff I shall reiterate a previous post. No point taking perfectly good 12v electricity, passing it through an inverter to run a fridge/freezer. The 12v fridges and freezers start of life as 240v, then the 240 guts are ripped out and then 12v innards replaced, this entails labour costs as well as costs for the 12v compressor etc.

Mains units sell in the thousands a week, 12v sell in hundreds a year so it is patently obvious that a very low (pro rats) sales volume has to reflect on the price.

I for one have never believed that cheapest is best.

 

Phil

[bizzard]

Is a gas fridge not suitable for a narrowboat? Newbie here awaiting ridicule.

The only sensible fridge in my opinion if your not on a permanent landline.

[Boat&Bikes]

Our 12V shoreline fridge has a 4* freezer box which is enough for a couple of chicken fillets, some peas, as couple of other things and the all-important ice for the G&Ts. That's always been enough for our needs as we eat mostly fresh food.

 

As I mentioned in a fridge thread, the biggest issue for me with a 230V freezer is, like a 230V fridge, you have to keep the inverter running all the time - even when not on the boat. As an inverter is apparently the most likely bit of electrical kit to burst into flames I always switch it off at the supply when no one is on the boat, even if only for a couple of hours.

Is it true about inverters going up in flames?

 

Ian.

[Justme]

 

While I can see that works electrically, how does it keep the food frozen? It was 30C inside my boat yesterday with all windows and doors open and a desk fan going. I can't see the insulation in a freezer preventing frozen food from thawing fairly quickly in these temperatures.

 

I work for a food research institute and in terms of food safety, I'm sure the idea of switching a freezer on and off to save energy would cause some of my colleagues concerns.

 

 

 

 

How do you think frozen food is delivered via couriers?

 

Yep thats right in an insulated box (just like a freezer).

 

We used to sell frozen meat & used polystyrene boxes with about a 1" thick wall (Our current freezer has 2" thick walls).

 

We did tests & found that if the box was packed with meat at -24c it would stay below -18c for 48 hours.

 

 

Oh & lots of new freezers have a power outage spec. I think ours is 80-100 hours with no power.

 

Oh Oh, switching the freezer off overnight does not save energy. It shifts when it is being used to when it is being made. Saving on the storage of that energy via the battery. One other thing we did with full EHO approval was to run our freezers at -30c during E7 & turn them off during the day without them warming up above -24c. They were commercial units so had the power to pull the temp back down to -30c in 7 hours. If it was a production day or two they would be left on constant to fast freeze the meat.

[by'eck]

And only £300 odd more than a VERY similar refrigerator working off 230v.

If you google Chinese fridge compressor makers, they will sell you 12v fridge compressors for $69 (yes - dollars!), so how does it cost an extra £300+ to have them fitted on the production line in stead of 230v.

 

Many years ago, Danfoss 12v compressors were (prob still are) many times more expensive than their mains equivalents, but with the Chinese now on the scene, I can't see how that still applies.

 

I do hope I'm just being naive, and that people are not being ripped-off bigtime.

 

ps I forgot, the 12v fridges have the addition of a very expensive red "low voltage" warning LED, but then they don't come with a mains lean and plug.

 

Maybe when these Chinese DC fridge compressors prove themselves and are adopted by the fridge/freezer manufacturers, the prices will plummit. In the meantime the Danfoss BD35/50 series compressors rule in terms of reliability.

 

My last boat had one running almost constantly for sixteen years without issue.

 

Price aside it just doesn't make sense to use an AC one on a boat without constant shore power. Such will cost you more in the long run.

[Kwacker]

A personal choice for us is a 110ltr 12v fridge and a 80ltr 12v freezer, we can get our entire weeks shopping tucked away in the fridge and freezer plus the freezer gives us loads of back up food. We dont want to go shopping every other day nor do we want to stress on if we are going to be able to get to the shops, apart from a small (expensive) Co-Op we have no shops anywhere near us so Mr Tesco brings it once a week.

 

As for the cost of 12v stuff I shall reiterate a previous post. No point taking perfectly good 12v electricity, passing it through an inverter to run a fridge/freezer. The 12v fridges and freezers start of life as 240v, then the 240 guts are ripped out and then 12v innards replaced, this entails labour costs as well as costs for the 12v compressor etc.

Mains units sell in the thousands a week, 12v sell in hundreds a year so it is patently obvious that a very low (pro rats) sales volume has to reflect on the price.

I for one have never believed that cheapest is best.

 

Phil

If a company in Britain is buying 240v fridges from China, degassing them, cutting off the compressors, then brazing on new 12v compressors and recharging the systems, then they need their heads read!!!

My point is not so much the cost of the 12v stuff, but the very basic quality that you get for your money. If it was up there with Bosch or Liebherr, it would be worth the premium.

[ditchcrawler]

The 12v fridges and freezers start of life as 240v, then the 240 guts are ripped out and then 12v innards replaced, this entails labour costs as well as costs for the 12v compressor etc.

Mains units sell in the thousands a week, 12v sell in hundreds a year so it is patently obvious that a very low (pro rats) sales volume has to reflect on the price.

I for one have never believed that cheapest is best.

 

Phil

Not all of them. LEC make a 12/24 volt fridge and use to sell direct to the public, now it only sells to one outlet from what I understand. When they sold to the public it was reasonably priced.

[NorthwichTrader]

Can you get 12/24v fridges/freezers with a 240v option, so you can bypass the batteries when online?

I know caravan's have them, are they commonplace on boats?

[Kwacker]

 

Maybe when these Chinese DC fridge compressors prove themselves and are adopted by the fridge/freezer manufacturers, the prices will plummit. In the meantime the Danfoss BD35/50 series compressors rule in terms of reliability.

 

My last boat had one running almost constantly for sixteen years without issue.

 

Price aside it just doesn't make sense to use an AC one on a boat without constant shore power. Such will cost you more in the long run.

I am genuinely interested to know if your fridge has a European-made Danfoss compressor, I could have sworn the ones I saw at Crick didn't ... but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

[by'eck]

I am genuinely interested to know if your fridge has a European-made Danfoss compressor, I could have sworn the ones I saw at Crick didn't ... but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

 

My current Shoreline and previous Isotherm and Frigoboat fridges all used Danfoss DC compressors.

 

Note sure where they are made though since the global company has 56 factories in 18 different countries.

[BarnOwl]

On the subject of fridges... I wondered how much power do you guys find a 12v fridge take out of your batteries?

 

I've got a waist height shoreline fridge with freezer box and came back after leaving it a day to find that over the day fridge had sucked about 35% out of the pretty much new batteries at about 110 a/h (apologies if this is not the correct terminology!) ... and this was with it on the lowest setting?! Having it any higher would have drained the battery bank in hours. I know its been very hot the past few days and has been getting very warm on the boat - but still seems like a lot to me...

 

The fridge is about 5 years old... just wondered if over time they lose their efficiency or gas in them needs replacing?

 

Thanks muchly in advance!!

[Justme]

I think 50ah per 24 hours is the accepted rule of thumb.

[Timleech]

Can you get 12/24v fridges/freezers with a 240v option, so you can bypass the batteries when online?

I know caravan's have them, are they commonplace on boats?

 

I think Waeco do some

 

Tim

[Pykebird]

Can you get 12/24v fridges/freezers with a 240v option, so you can bypass the batteries when online?

I know caravan's have them, are they commonplace on boats?

Not sure but you could always use a battery charger if you have shoreline

[Theo]

In my view if it was safe to do that every one with Offpeak electricity tariffs would only run their freezers at night. You really need to monitor the contents temperature if you plan to do that for any length of time.

Stuck an inch over mine and it made a difference

 

I tried that for a bit and monitored the (very old) freezer temp with a data logger that I borrowed from school. The best way is to time it to come on a the start of cheap rate and then keep it running until it has gone on long enough to keep it at a safe temperature for the time that it is switched off.

 

Another way to do it automatically would be to have two thermostats. One set for a low temperature the supply to this is from a timer synced to economy 7. The other is set to the maximum safe temp and is connected all the time.

 

N

[tree]

Chance would be a fine thing!!!! Mine is full of food for the dogs who eat better than me!

ohh ..fiddlydash ..erm.. where is moi gonner store her yummy 'prune yoogabogs' now ???

 

and does that mean we will have to live off pub grub for the next week and not hehehe .. pizza

 

moi was very lucky in obtaining a brand new 12v shoreline fridge with lickle freezer ( like what Kwacker posted piccie off) not had chance to use it yet ...but will know it will be essential for my home made stews and soups and owt else that i can forage on my travels.. but at end of day .. each to their own as we all have different needs and preferences

[blackrose]

Folk with freezers are generally greedy pigs...

 

[tree]

Can you get 12/24v fridges/freezers with a 240v option, so you can bypass the batteries when online?

I know caravan's have them, are they commonplace on boats?

The caravan that I bought and live in ,isnt a new one and the fridge in it is a ' Electrolux' and it can be run by either : Gas, Battery or mains. It is an adequate fridge size but very tiny freezer ( can store about 4 ice lollies) and I run it off the mains leccy. Not sure to be honest if many people install them on boats, but sure will soon get some input from other forum members