freezer insulation modification

[sam]

wow, I recently added insulation around the box void on the freezer. It took over twenty cans of expandable foam, but it made a significant difference. I now run around 0 to 10 degrees F. Very worthwhile mod.
Sam LONGHAWK, B43, hull #9

[David]

Mike My fridge unit cycled every 45 seconds when new. Technicians said it was due to voltage drop when fridge operating, causing low voltage shut down. This does happen when batteries are low, but in my case, voltage under load at the compressor was OK (Full batteries, battery charge on, it still cycled). It was the thermostat. I replaced it and no problems since then.

[Mike Brown]

David, thanks for the info. I've suspected the thermostat for some time but wanted to eliminate the voltage, controller, door air leak, etc. As I mentioned I sprayed the unit with WD40 and will check on it this weekend. If it's still short cycling I'll replace the thermostat.

[Mark and Karen]

We have the two cabin version and could not see how to get access, I could get my hand under the panel next to the compressors so I stuffed loads of small bubble pack in the void, seems to have helped. Installing a keel cooler this week which means that we can disconnect the air cooling which will drop the consumption at sea quite a bit and I am hoping that as the keel cooler should be more efficient the compressor will cycle less and save more power.

[Gavin White]

Greetings

I ended up using closed cell foam on the front and sides of the box that I could get to and then drilled 2 holes, one under the chart table and one behind the oven in order to pump foam into the void.  This seems to have made things slightly better.  I have also changed out the thermostat  and on advice drilled some holes into the pot cupboard for ventilation of the the compressor.  The overall result is not fantastic but is all in pursuit of lowering the amperage draw.  It has been suggested that a bigger more powerful compressor is needed. Seems like chasing the tail.  Any thoughts anyone?

Gavin

[Mike Brown]

FWIW things seem to be better which I attribute to a number of things. The main DC feed wire from the house batteries to the DC panel was upgraded to a #2 from a 6 resulting in much less less voltage drop to the compressors. We were seeing as much as a 10% drop on a hot day, something the units didn't care for. I had also swapped the control units between the fridge and freezer compressors. Both run fine now and I suspect that I may have a had a poor connection that was fixed when I reseated the leads to the controller boards. To ensure we have good airflow over the compressor coils I installed 3" stainless vents in the lid aligned above each of the compressors.I also carefully pryed the grills off the front of the cabinet they're housed in. This allows me to clean the dust off the coils which makes a big difference in performance. It's amazing how quickly it builds up, especially if you have a dog like we do. We placed a white plastic coated wire rack in the bottom of the freezer to allow for better airflow thoughout the box. Now we can keep ice cream in it without it going soft. One final addition are sheets of synthetic ice packs. We keep some in the freezer as well as the freezer compartment in the fridge and they do a nice job of keeping temps stable. I still question the thermostats since both units are slow to respond to changes but for now I'll leave them alone. A lot of little things but they all seem to have added up to reasonable performance.

Mike

[William Dill]

Sam wondering what brand and type of spray foam insulation you used.