Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Advice on refrigeration units?
The 20-year-old Adler/Barbour unit on our Victory Tug has expired.
Can't complain about the service, but what do you cruisers out there think about replacing it? Go with Adler/Barbour again, or is there a more up-to-date technology (and product) you'd recommend as superior? TIA. Dick Behan M/V ANNIE |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Glacier Bay has a really nice unit. I have a Nautic-Kold 12V belt
driven system that kicks butt. Doug s/v Callista "Dick Behan" wrote in message ... The 20-year-old Adler/Barbour unit on our Victory Tug has expired. Can't complain about the service, but what do you cruisers out there think about replacing it? Go with Adler/Barbour again, or is there a more up-to-date technology (and product) you'd recommend as superior? TIA. Dick Behan M/V ANNIE |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
A lot depends on the size of your fridge and how you use it. If you
can go into a bit of detail, such as the size of the box(es), freezer requirements, and the nature of your cruising, you might get better advice. For example, if you cruise in cold water, a water cooled system would be more efficient. But if you power each day (or run a genset for A/C) then the power issues might not be important to you. I have larger Crosby (actually part of A/B) holding plate system for a separate fridge and freezer system that I've had a love/hate relationship with. When I pull a steak out of the freezer that's frozen down to zero degrees, I'm happy. But when I don't need the freezer, its a real annoyance to use 70 to 100 Amp-hours a day on the system. And of course, one small leak and the whole system is down. (This happened twice in 7 seasons, and both times was detected in home port, not while traveling.) If I were building my system now, I might consider having two systems based on the new Danfoss compressors. While perhaps not the most efficient in total, having two systems for the two boxes would give more flexibility in case one is lost. Danfoss is the "hermetic" sealed compressor your A/B is based on, and is used in most of the smaller systems today. Of course, the units have changed in the last 20 years, and each company has some "special technology" that makes theirs the best. You might look over www.rparts.com to get a free education about the components in use today. They carry the latest Danfoss units and this will give you a baseline to see if you're getting your money's worth from whichever system you decide on. Dick Behan wrote: The 20-year-old Adler/Barbour unit on our Victory Tug has expired. Can't complain about the service, but what do you cruisers out there think about replacing it? Go with Adler/Barbour again, or is there a more up-to-date technology (and product) you'd recommend as superior? TIA. Dick Behan M/V ANNIE |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
A water-cooled unit is always more efficient than an air-cooled unit. Unless
somehow the air temp gets cool for a long period while the water temp stays high. Not very common. This is why all the larger units are water-cooled. Doug s/v Callista "Jeff" wrote in message ... A lot depends on the size of your fridge and how you use it. If you can go into a bit of detail, such as the size of the box(es), freezer requirements, and the nature of your cruising, you might get better advice. For example, if you cruise in cold water, a water cooled system would be more efficient. But if you power each day (or run a genset for A/C) then the power issues might not be important to you. I have larger Crosby (actually part of A/B) holding plate system for a separate fridge and freezer system that I've had a love/hate relationship with. When I pull a steak out of the freezer that's frozen down to zero degrees, I'm happy. But when I don't need the freezer, its a real annoyance to use 70 to 100 Amp-hours a day on the system. And of course, one small leak and the whole system is down. (This happened twice in 7 seasons, and both times was detected in home port, not while traveling.) If I were building my system now, I might consider having two systems based on the new Danfoss compressors. While perhaps not the most efficient in total, having two systems for the two boxes would give more flexibility in case one is lost. Danfoss is the "hermetic" sealed compressor your A/B is based on, and is used in most of the smaller systems today. Of course, the units have changed in the last 20 years, and each company has some "special technology" that makes theirs the best. You might look over www.rparts.com to get a free education about the components in use today. They carry the latest Danfoss units and this will give you a baseline to see if you're getting your money's worth from whichever system you decide on. Dick Behan wrote: The 20-year-old Adler/Barbour unit on our Victory Tug has expired. Can't complain about the service, but what do you cruisers out there think about replacing it? Go with Adler/Barbour again, or is there a more up-to-date technology (and product) you'd recommend as superior? TIA. Dick Behan M/V ANNIE |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
It may be true that water cooled is usually more efficient, but for a
minimal system based on a BD35, the added efficiency may not be worth the power use of a water pump. This is a small issue with a large holding plate system because it only runs one or two hours a day, but the small evaporator based system may run 8 hours a day, and the water pump would then add a lot of overhead. And, it adds a through-hull, strainer and plumbing, and can get clogged with silt. This may be worthwhile Downeast, where the water is 52 degrees, but might not be in the tropics. Doug Dotson wrote: A water-cooled unit is always more efficient than an air-cooled unit. Unless somehow the air temp gets cool for a long period while the water temp stays high. Not very common. This is why all the larger units are water-cooled. Doug s/v Callista "Jeff" wrote in message ... A lot depends on the size of your fridge and how you use it. If you can go into a bit of detail, such as the size of the box(es), freezer requirements, and the nature of your cruising, you might get better advice. For example, if you cruise in cold water, a water cooled system would be more efficient. But if you power each day (or run a genset for A/C) then the power issues might not be important to you. I have larger Crosby (actually part of A/B) holding plate system for a separate fridge and freezer system that I've had a love/hate relationship with. When I pull a steak out of the freezer that's frozen down to zero degrees, I'm happy. But when I don't need the freezer, its a real annoyance to use 70 to 100 Amp-hours a day on the system. And of course, one small leak and the whole system is down. (This happened twice in 7 seasons, and both times was detected in home port, not while traveling.) If I were building my system now, I might consider having two systems based on the new Danfoss compressors. While perhaps not the most efficient in total, having two systems for the two boxes would give more flexibility in case one is lost. Danfoss is the "hermetic" sealed compressor your A/B is based on, and is used in most of the smaller systems today. Of course, the units have changed in the last 20 years, and each company has some "special technology" that makes theirs the best. You might look over www.rparts.com to get a free education about the components in use today. They carry the latest Danfoss units and this will give you a baseline to see if you're getting your money's worth from whichever system you decide on. Dick Behan wrote: The 20-year-old Adler/Barbour unit on our Victory Tug has expired. Can't complain about the service, but what do you cruisers out there think about replacing it? Go with Adler/Barbour again, or is there a more up-to-date technology (and product) you'd recommend as superior? TIA. Dick Behan M/V ANNIE |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
The water pump on my system draws less than 1/2 amp. Using a water-cooled
system saves enough energy to more than offset the overhead of the pump. Doug "Jeff" wrote in message ... It may be true that water cooled is usually more efficient, but for a minimal system based on a BD35, the added efficiency may not be worth the power use of a water pump. This is a small issue with a large holding plate system because it only runs one or two hours a day, but the small evaporator based system may run 8 hours a day, and the water pump would then add a lot of overhead. And, it adds a through-hull, strainer and plumbing, and can get clogged with silt. This may be worthwhile Downeast, where the water is 52 degrees, but might not be in the tropics. Doug Dotson wrote: A water-cooled unit is always more efficient than an air-cooled unit. Unless somehow the air temp gets cool for a long period while the water temp stays high. Not very common. This is why all the larger units are water-cooled. Doug s/v Callista "Jeff" wrote in message ... A lot depends on the size of your fridge and how you use it. If you can go into a bit of detail, such as the size of the box(es), freezer requirements, and the nature of your cruising, you might get better advice. For example, if you cruise in cold water, a water cooled system would be more efficient. But if you power each day (or run a genset for A/C) then the power issues might not be important to you. I have larger Crosby (actually part of A/B) holding plate system for a separate fridge and freezer system that I've had a love/hate relationship with. When I pull a steak out of the freezer that's frozen down to zero degrees, I'm happy. But when I don't need the freezer, its a real annoyance to use 70 to 100 Amp-hours a day on the system. And of course, one small leak and the whole system is down. (This happened twice in 7 seasons, and both times was detected in home port, not while traveling.) If I were building my system now, I might consider having two systems based on the new Danfoss compressors. While perhaps not the most efficient in total, having two systems for the two boxes would give more flexibility in case one is lost. Danfoss is the "hermetic" sealed compressor your A/B is based on, and is used in most of the smaller systems today. Of course, the units have changed in the last 20 years, and each company has some "special technology" that makes theirs the best. You might look over www.rparts.com to get a free education about the components in use today. They carry the latest Danfoss units and this will give you a baseline to see if you're getting your money's worth from whichever system you decide on. Dick Behan wrote: The 20-year-old Adler/Barbour unit on our Victory Tug has expired. Can't complain about the service, but what do you cruisers out there think about replacing it? Go with Adler/Barbour again, or is there a more up-to-date technology (and product) you'd recommend as superior? TIA. Dick Behan M/V ANNIE |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Again, this may be true, but it might not be appropriate for all
systems. Adding a thru-hull and more components probably isn't worth a few Amp-hours savings. From Richard Kollman's site: 28. Question: Why would I want air cooling when water is more efficient? Answer: Boat refrigeration systems smaller than ¼ HP are generally air cooled for best performance and long term reliability. There are few conditions where the seawater cooling can out perform air cooling on these small units. To dispose of the heat in a boat from a small Danfoss refrigeration system is about the same as disposing of the heat generated from one person onboard, three hundred BTUs per hour. It is true that heat from larger refrigeration systems must use seawater because the heat can not be disposed adequately of onboard a boat. http://www.kollmann-marine.com/answers.html#28 And, what kind of pump is only a half Amp? Most of the circulating pumps for DC belt driven systems seem to take an Amp or more. The traditional March 809, for example, is rated at 1.5 Amps. Of course, the pump for a Danfoss system could be much smaller. Doug Dotson wrote: The water pump on my system draws less than 1/2 amp. Using a water-cooled system saves enough energy to more than offset the overhead of the pump. Doug "Jeff" wrote in message ... It may be true that water cooled is usually more efficient, but for a minimal system based on a BD35, the added efficiency may not be worth the power use of a water pump. This is a small issue with a large holding plate system because it only runs one or two hours a day, but the small evaporator based system may run 8 hours a day, and the water pump would then add a lot of overhead. And, it adds a through-hull, strainer and plumbing, and can get clogged with silt. This may be worthwhile Downeast, where the water is 52 degrees, but might not be in the tropics. Doug Dotson wrote: A water-cooled unit is always more efficient than an air-cooled unit. Unless somehow the air temp gets cool for a long period while the water temp stays high. Not very common. This is why all the larger units are water-cooled. Doug s/v Callista "Jeff" wrote in message ... A lot depends on the size of your fridge and how you use it. If you can go into a bit of detail, such as the size of the box(es), freezer requirements, and the nature of your cruising, you might get better advice. For example, if you cruise in cold water, a water cooled system would be more efficient. But if you power each day (or run a genset for A/C) then the power issues might not be important to you. I have larger Crosby (actually part of A/B) holding plate system for a separate fridge and freezer system that I've had a love/hate relationship with. When I pull a steak out of the freezer that's frozen down to zero degrees, I'm happy. But when I don't need the freezer, its a real annoyance to use 70 to 100 Amp-hours a day on the system. And of course, one small leak and the whole system is down. (This happened twice in 7 seasons, and both times was detected in home port, not while traveling.) If I were building my system now, I might consider having two systems based on the new Danfoss compressors. While perhaps not the most efficient in total, having two systems for the two boxes would give more flexibility in case one is lost. Danfoss is the "hermetic" sealed compressor your A/B is based on, and is used in most of the smaller systems today. Of course, the units have changed in the last 20 years, and each company has some "special technology" that makes theirs the best. You might look over www.rparts.com to get a free education about the components in use today. They carry the latest Danfoss units and this will give you a baseline to see if you're getting your money's worth from whichever system you decide on. Dick Behan wrote: The 20-year-old Adler/Barbour unit on our Victory Tug has expired. Can't complain about the service, but what do you cruisers out there think about replacing it? Go with Adler/Barbour again, or is there a more up-to-date technology (and product) you'd recommend as superior? TIA. Dick Behan M/V ANNIE |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 20:01:57 -0400, Jeff wrote:
It may be true that water cooled is usually more efficient, but for a minimal system based on a BD35, the added efficiency may not be worth the power use of a water pump. This is a small issue with a large holding plate system because it only runs one or two hours a day, but the small evaporator based system may run 8 hours a day, and the water pump would then add a lot of overhead. And, it adds a through-hull, strainer and plumbing, and can get clogged with silt. This may be worthwhile Downeast, where the water is 52 degrees, but might not be in the tropics. The solution is: "Isotherm SP" for self pumping cooling with no moving parts. I have one for 2 years now and it never missed a bit. http://www.e-marine-inc.com/products...ation/faq.html Jeannette Bristol 32, San Carlos, Mexico http://www.eblw.com/contepartiro/contepartiro.html |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Jeff wrote:
Again, this may be true, but it might not be appropriate for all systems. Adding a thru-hull and more components probably isn't worth a few Amp-hours savings. From Richard Kollman's site: 28. Question: Why would I want air cooling when water is more efficient? Answer: Boat refrigeration systems smaller than ¼ HP are generally air cooled for best performance and long term reliability. There are few conditions where the seawater cooling can out perform air cooling on these small units. To dispose of the heat in a boat from a small Danfoss refrigeration system is about the same as disposing of the heat generated from one person onboard, three hundred BTUs per hour. It is true that heat from larger refrigeration systems must use seawater because the heat can not be disposed adequately of onboard a boat. http://www.kollmann-marine.com/answers.html#28 And, what kind of pump is only a half Amp? Most of the circulating pumps for DC belt driven systems seem to take an Amp or more. The traditional March 809, for example, is rated at 1.5 Amps. Of course, the pump for a Danfoss system could be much smaller. Doug Dotson wrote: The water pump on my system draws less than 1/2 amp. Using a water-cooled system saves enough energy to more than offset the overhead of the pump. Doug "Jeff" wrote in message ... It may be true that water cooled is usually more efficient, but for a minimal system based on a BD35, the added efficiency may not be worth the power use of a water pump. This is a small issue with a large holding plate system because it only runs one or two hours a day, but the small evaporator based system may run 8 hours a day, and the water pump would then add a lot of overhead. And, it adds a through-hull, strainer and plumbing, and can get clogged with silt. This may be worthwhile Downeast, where the water is 52 degrees, but might not be in the tropics. Doug Dotson wrote: A water-cooled unit is always more efficient than an air-cooled unit. Unless somehow the air temp gets cool for a long period while the water temp stays high. Not very common. This is why all the larger units are water-cooled. Doug s/v Callista "Jeff" wrote in message ... A lot depends on the size of your fridge and how you use it. If you can go into a bit of detail, such as the size of the box(es), freezer requirements, and the nature of your cruising, you might get better advice. For example, if you cruise in cold water, a water cooled system would be more efficient. But if you power each day (or run a genset for A/C) then the power issues might not be important to you. I have larger Crosby (actually part of A/B) holding plate system for a separate fridge and freezer system that I've had a love/hate relationship with. When I pull a steak out of the freezer that's frozen down to zero degrees, I'm happy. But when I don't need the freezer, its a real annoyance to use 70 to 100 Amp-hours a day on the system. And of course, one small leak and the whole system is down. (This happened twice in 7 seasons, and both times was detected in home port, not while traveling.) If I were building my system now, I might consider having two systems based on the new Danfoss compressors. While perhaps not the most efficient in total, having two systems for the two boxes would give more flexibility in case one is lost. Danfoss is the "hermetic" sealed compressor your A/B is based on, and is used in most of the smaller systems today. Of course, the units have changed in the last 20 years, and each company has some "special technology" that makes theirs the best. You might look over www.rparts.com to get a free education about the components in use today. They carry the latest Danfoss units and this will give you a baseline to see if you're getting your money's worth from whichever system you decide on. Dick Behan wrote: The 20-year-old Adler/Barbour unit on our Victory Tug has expired. Can't complain about the service, but what do you cruisers out there think about replacing it? Go with Adler/Barbour again, or is there a more up-to-date technology (and product) you'd recommend as superior? TIA. Dick Behan M/V ANNIE My little electric frige has a warm plate at the rear, more or less surrounded by cabinetry. My engine room vent inlet passes nearby. I wonder if venting the warm plate to the vent pipe using a dryer air box switch might provide some benefits during warm or even cold weather, depending on the airbox switch? First, would such a vent improve the efficiency of my frige? I am presuming that the engine would suck in the frige heat without any complications, and that there is enough rise in the intake side for when the engine is asleep. Hmmm. Would I benefit from blowing a fan into the open frige on a hot night? Maybe cooling down just for long enough to doze off in the saloon table hammock? Terry K |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
I agree. There are situations where air-cooled units are more practical. But
trying to say the the current draw of a water pump is somehow a factor vs the current draw of the fan in an air-cooled unit doesn't really hold. As to whether a thru-hull and a few more feet of hose represents a negative aspect is up to the individual. Water cooling isn't restricted to holding plate systems. Even AB offers water-cooling options for their evaporator systems. Doug s/v Callista "Jeff" wrote in message ... Again, this may be true, but it might not be appropriate for all systems. Adding a thru-hull and more components probably isn't worth a few Amp-hours savings. From Richard Kollman's site: 28. Question: Why would I want air cooling when water is more efficient? Answer: Boat refrigeration systems smaller than ¼ HP are generally air cooled for best performance and long term reliability. There are few conditions where the seawater cooling can out perform air cooling on these small units. To dispose of the heat in a boat from a small Danfoss refrigeration system is about the same as disposing of the heat generated from one person onboard, three hundred BTUs per hour. It is true that heat from larger refrigeration systems must use seawater because the heat can not be disposed adequately of onboard a boat. http://www.kollmann-marine.com/answers.html#28 And, what kind of pump is only a half Amp? Most of the circulating pumps for DC belt driven systems seem to take an Amp or more. The traditional March 809, for example, is rated at 1.5 Amps. Of course, the pump for a Danfoss system could be much smaller. Doug Dotson wrote: The water pump on my system draws less than 1/2 amp. Using a water-cooled system saves enough energy to more than offset the overhead of the pump. Doug "Jeff" wrote in message ... It may be true that water cooled is usually more efficient, but for a minimal system based on a BD35, the added efficiency may not be worth the power use of a water pump. This is a small issue with a large holding plate system because it only runs one or two hours a day, but the small evaporator based system may run 8 hours a day, and the water pump would then add a lot of overhead. And, it adds a through-hull, strainer and plumbing, and can get clogged with silt. This may be worthwhile Downeast, where the water is 52 degrees, but might not be in the tropics. Doug Dotson wrote: A water-cooled unit is always more efficient than an air-cooled unit. Unless somehow the air temp gets cool for a long period while the water temp stays high. Not very common. This is why all the larger units are water-cooled. Doug s/v Callista "Jeff" wrote in message ... A lot depends on the size of your fridge and how you use it. If you can go into a bit of detail, such as the size of the box(es), freezer requirements, and the nature of your cruising, you might get better advice. For example, if you cruise in cold water, a water cooled system would be more efficient. But if you power each day (or run a genset for A/C) then the power issues might not be important to you. I have larger Crosby (actually part of A/B) holding plate system for a separate fridge and freezer system that I've had a love/hate relationship with. When I pull a steak out of the freezer that's frozen down to zero degrees, I'm happy. But when I don't need the freezer, its a real annoyance to use 70 to 100 Amp-hours a day on the system. And of course, one small leak and the whole system is down. (This happened twice in 7 seasons, and both times was detected in home port, not while traveling.) If I were building my system now, I might consider having two systems based on the new Danfoss compressors. While perhaps not the most efficient in total, having two systems for the two boxes would give more flexibility in case one is lost. Danfoss is the "hermetic" sealed compressor your A/B is based on, and is used in most of the smaller systems today. Of course, the units have changed in the last 20 years, and each company has some "special technology" that makes theirs the best. You might look over www.rparts.com to get a free education about the components in use today. They carry the latest Danfoss units and this will give you a baseline to see if you're getting your money's worth from whichever system you decide on. Dick Behan wrote: The 20-year-old Adler/Barbour unit on our Victory Tug has expired. Can't complain about the service, but what do you cruisers out there think about replacing it? Go with Adler/Barbour again, or is there a more up-to-date technology (and product) you'd recommend as superior? TIA. Dick Behan M/V ANNIE |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Norwegian "sjekte" wooden boat advice requested | Boat Building | |||
GPS Advice | General | |||
Alternative Energy for Refrigeration | Cruising | |||
Save from $50 to $2000 on refrigeration icstallation and repairs | Boat Building | |||
Sage restoration advice wanted (osmosis) | General |