Can you cut off power to freezer alone?

[GaryG]

My boat lives on  a mooring, so the engine is the sole source of battery charging.  I like to use it as little as possible, so I try to conserve electric usage. One thing that irks me is that both the freezer and the fridge (which has a small freezer) work off the same switch on the electrical panel, which means 2 compressors are powered up.  For a weekend trip this is unnecessar. Has anyone installed a separate switch to cut off the freezer, while allowing the refrigerator to operate, or vice-versa?

[Peter Obetz]

you can just turn the thermostat off on the freezer and have the intended effect.

[Jeff Shukis]

Hi Gary,

 

On my 40 I do not use the freezer. I turned it off by rotating the temperature control knob, which is inside the freezer, to off. I can't remember which direction I turned it, but I believe that it is in the documentation. I do remember that the knob was rather stiff and - I believe - "clicked" into the off position.

[clayton curtis]

gary,

i leave my b40 on a mooring ball for weeks with the fridge on running constantly but the freezer off.  the solar panels have no problem keeping up with the fridge, but with both on, they sometimes have a hard time. to turn the freezer off, turn knob counter clockwise until it clicks into place.  it is a stiff knob, so turn hard and listen for the condenser to turn off.  the graphic on the knob is strange. setting it toward the ramping up, or increasing, part of the graphic turns the freezer down (ccw = warmer). so i guess the ramp represents the temperature. i "think" it is the opposite for the frige.

/clay

[Greg Donnelly]

Gary

I have installed a cut off switch. I separated the wiring close to the compressors and wired the +ve leg of both via 5 amp breakers. I can now control the fridge and freezer indepenantly. I have also added a 110v AC to 12v DC power supply via Double Pole Double Throw switch so that I can run the fridge on shore power and not from the house battery. I really don't like the set up where it draws from the battery constantly requiring the charger to continually come off float status.

On the slip my boat now powers the fridge / freezer via the shore power lead.