DIY Fridge?

[rupertbear]

I was intrigued to come across this:

 

http://tinyurl.com/zswlcem

 

Has anyone built their own fridge?

[Phil Ambrose]

Plastimo also supply all that's needed and it's possible to make a fridge (or freezer) to fit any odd shaped space even having a remote compressor. Very handy in a yacht due to space restrictions. Only know one person who has done so

Phil

[Richard10002]

I was intrigued to come across this:

 

http://tinyurl.com/zswlcem

 

Has anyone built their own fridge?

 

On top of the £375 you have to buy and build the insulated box, so OK if you need a bespoke box, but not cost/time effective if you have a space that would fit a regular fridge... for "ONLY" about £500 or so!!

[patbarleycorn]

I use my stove as a fridge in the summer,I know,I never believed it would work either.

[MtB]

I use my stove as a fridge in the summer,I know,I never believed it would work either.

 

 

I'm not sure you entirely have the hang of what a fridge is for Pat!

[Guest]

I use my stove as a fridge in the summer,I know,I never believed it would work either.

Interesting, can you expand on this please?

I was intrigued to come across this:

 

http://tinyurl.com/zswlcem

 

Has anyone built their own fridge?

Might be a cost effective way of making a decent 12V fridge or freezer from a knackered 240V one (available freely?)

[Fallowfield123]

There's no space for fridge on Mabel, so we have a lift-up plate in the floor and store food and beer on the baseplate. Seemed to work until the water pump failed, then the OH complained. My beer was fine through and I saw no need to buy one. Plenty of emergency meals come in a tin!

[Guest]

There's no space for fridge on Mabel, so we have a lift-up plate in the floor and store food and beer on the baseplate. Seemed to work until the water pump failed, then the OH complained. My beer was fine through and I saw no need to buy one. Plenty of emergency meals come in a tin!

We have a base plate cooler too. Good for beer as you say.

[rupertbear]

 

On top of the £375 you have to buy and build the insulated box, so OK if you need a bespoke box, but not cost/time effective if you have a space that would fit a regular fridge... for "ONLY" about £500 or so!!

 

I don't think it's a good idea to start costing the time we spend fettling boats! Anyway, £500 is competitive with commercial 12V fridges.

 

The bespoke box would allow a top-opening fridge which is much more efficient than an opening door, plus you can have as much insulation as you have got room for.

 

I only posted the link from curiosity but seem to be persuading myself!

[Phil Ambrose]

I don't think it's a good idea to start costing the time we spend fettling boats! Anyway, £500 is competitive with commercial 12V fridges.

 

The bespoke box would allow a top-opening fridge which is much more efficient than an opening door, plus you can have as much insulation as you have got room for.

 

I only posted the link from curiosity but seem to be persuading myself!

Bespoke is the operative word, it's all very well playing at storing food safely by sticking stuff under the floor etc but if you are serious about storing food at a nominal 3c then this kit will enable you to make a fridge to fit any weird shape or corner in any shape or type of hull.

Remember, living on a boat does not mean camping

Phil

[Murflynn]

I use my stove as a fridge in the summer,I know,I never believed it would work either.

I tried using my fridge as a stove - not very successfully, I may say

[Guest]

 

I don't think it's a good idea to start costing the time we spend fettling boats! Anyway, £500 is competitive with commercial 12V fridges.

 

The bespoke box would allow a top-opening fridge which is much more efficient than an opening door, plus you can have as much insulation as you have got room for.

 

I only posted the link from curiosity but seem to be persuading myself!

I think it is an excellent plan, and reminds me of the freezer my mate had on his sailing boat. That was driven by an engine mounted compressor, but I can see this 12V kit being suitable on a canal boat, especially with solar prices dropping.

[Rendelf]

I have a home made fridge....

 

If you don't need to store things as cold as 3 degrees c, then semi-conductors are a cheap alternative....ours sits comfortably around 6 - just fine for us.

 

Take a cooler or similar box of your choice with, as noted above, a top opening door. Add as much insulation as possible.

 

Buy a peltier plate, heat sync, and two sets of aluminium fins (one as big as possible). You also need a lump of something for heat transfer...aluminium is often used and can be purchased from the heatsync people - I'm sure these have a name, but I don't know it Also buy two high spec (low power) PC fans. Last, buy a capillary-type thermostatic switch (Bimble Solar sell them)

 

Heatsync assembly is (from inside to out): Fan; fins; heat-transfer-lump; peltier plate; fins; fan. Don't forget to use thermal cement to stick it together.

 

Cut a hole in one side of your box at the top, big enough for your heatsync assembly's temperature-transfer-lump. Put the big fins on the outside, and the smaller fins on the inside. Attach fans to fins (cableties work well). Wire the whole thing up to the temperature switch.

 

 

You have a small fridge for very cheap!

 

My next iteration of this project involves creating a plastic wall below the fins inside the fridge, to catch the water that condenses on them form the air.

 

 

Alternatively, Bimble suggest using their thermostatic switch to control a chest freezer, which runs from an inverter. I haven't tried this.

[WotEver]

Bear in mind that Peltier devices are hugely inefficient when compared to a compressor system. The power demands are very large in comparison.

 

Tony

[Rendelf]

It's very true, but on the other hand, it's also very cheap. Pulls about 2-3A, but with the switch, it does that about of third of the time.

 

We only use it when it's hot, and when there's plenty of solar energy around.....which, let's face it, is not often.

 

 

I am on the look out for a small chest freezer, as suggested by Bimble..... they seem to think that compressor-driven freezers (A++) are very efficient at cooling to around 5 degrees. However, all of the mini-freezers I can find open at the front.

 

Would there be any mileage in removing the gubbins from such a freezer and installing them in a customised box (as a cheaper alternative to the OP's original link?

[Phil Ambrose]

For heavens sake, buy a 12v fridge instead of faffing around making a Heath Robinson affair that you hope will store your food at the correct, safe temperature. As a chef in a, former life I would be very uncomfortable with food stored at 6c, that to me is the,start of the danger area in terms of temperature.

You only have to buy a decent 12v fridge once and when fitted with a Danfos compressor will give long and good service.

Phil

[Neil Smith]

I built my own by fitting a 12v compressor in a mains fridge/freezer, works great.

 

Neil

[matty40s]

a far cheaper idea is having a well insulated box and an unglazed pottery top, kept damp - this will evaporate keepng the box suprisingly cool.

[Rendelf]

For heavens sake, buy a 12v fridge instead of faffing around making a Heath Robinson affair that you hope will store your food at the correct, safe temperature. As a chef in a, former life I would be very uncomfortable with food stored at 6c, that to me is the,start of the danger area in terms of temperature.

You only have to buy a decent 12v fridge once and when fitted with a Danfos compressor will give long and good service.

Phil

But making things is fun!

[Phil Ambrose]

But making things is fun!

Only if they work and a fridge that only holds at about 6c is not working.

Phil

[ditchcrawler]

Only if they work and a fridge that only holds at about 6c is not working.

Phil

Phil how old are you, I don't think we owned a fridge until I was a teenager and some how I have managed 68 years now so it can be done.

[Phil Ambrose]

Phil how old are you, I don't think we owned a fridge until I was a teenager and some how I have managed 68 years now so it can be done.

Hi Brian, I am now 70 and yes like you have survived, however if you don't need to, why take avoidable risks

Phil

[Rendelf]

I have a very strong immune response, possibly bolstered by rolling around on the towpath and eating tepid ham and cheese sandwiches.

 

That said, six degrees is quite cold when outside it's 30. The only reason to make drinks colder than that is not to taste them.

 

But, if I were to be more sensible, do you think there's any substance to Bimble's claim that a compressor-driven freezer controlled with a thermostat is any more efficient than a compressor driven fridge? Or is it more the top-opening that they are interested in?

Edited July 19, 2016 by Rendelf

[WotEver]

... do you think there's any substance to Bimble's claim that a compressor-driven freezer controlled with a thermostat is any more efficient than a compressor driven fridge? Or is it more the top-opening that they are interested in?

It's partly the top opening and partly better insulation in a freezer.

 

Tony

[Phil Ambrose]

It's partly the top opening and partly better insulation in a freezer.

 

Tony

Just to give you an idea, my fridge and my freezer have the same size cabinet but the capacity of the fridge is 110ltr and the freezer is 80ltr so yes the freezer has more insulation.

Phil