Hi Joe,
Thank you for the pictures. A very tidy installation! I’m going to look again at mounting the compressor behind the stove before ordering my Nova Kool.
Greg
Hi, I missed your message, just saw it now. The refrigeration unit was already installed when I bought the boat. I don’t recall it being noisy, but haven’t had it on since last summer. The fan is just a computer fan, so the gives you an idea how loud it is. I think the unit I have comes as a kit, LT201, so not sure what you mean by LT4 or LT6?
If the evaporator is the white box, it is about 6"x10" at the open top end, it is mounted vertically, open at the top. I cut two squares off two standard ice cube trays, and they will then fit in bottom of white box. Ice cubes for cocktails, or whatever ails you!
Hope that helps.
Don
Hi Don,
Thank you for the reply. I’ve purchased a kit with the RT4 evaporator. To reach the shelf in the port lazarette on the 30U I need about 3’ more than the 12’ tube set that comes standard. Fortunately a have a very good friend who designs air conditioning systems for the military so he has all the knowledge and tools to add the extra length. My plan is to mount the RT4 evaporator horizontally on the ceiling of the icebox just inside of the outer edge of the opening. The only drawback is keeping my ice from thawing due to the RT4 having no door to trap the cold. My son is quite good with 3D printing and over the weekend we designed and started printing a custom door arrangement similar to what is offered on the RT6. I’ll post some pictures and provide an update once I begin the installation.
Greg Doyal
NS30U #516 Challenge
Grosse Pointe, MI
Hi,
Went to my boat, took a photo of the cooler for you, see attached. My evaporator box is mounted vertically in forward inboard corner of the cooler. About 1" aft of forward cooler wall, and 6" below counter top. The other components are mounted on a shelf behind galley stove.
I could make ice in two shortened ice trays, plus kept frozen several pieces of meat brought from home freezer, and placed into evaporator box. Never tried to freeze fresh meat/fish, but sure it’d work fine. Kept fresh veggies in white tub on shelf you see in photo, when down lower, they froze too.
Mine was already installed when I bought the boat. I would think that installing components in cockpit locker, and trying to run copper tube 12’ forward to the cooler will add great deal of difficulty. Plus, will the copper tube, being cold, create condensation along the way in humid summer air, and drip water where you don’t want it?
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Don
'87 NS30U
Vancouver, BC
Hi Don,
Thank you so much for the picture and information. I’m hoping to get started with the installation this weekend weather permitting. I’ll post my progress as I go along.
Greg
Clever and attractive!
I’m curious, how 're you’re handling access to the rest of the quarterberth area for storage now that these features are in place?
– Bob
Solar Wind
Nonsuch 26C #143 (in transition to next Nonsuch)
That looks pretty good to me, what brand are those? I guess that they are 120 volt AC coolers, right?
Tim in STL
White O’morn NS26U #216
Harbor Point Yacht Club
West Alton, MO
When I lived aboard my Carter 30 1/2 tonner (a lifetime ago …), I stuck a small bar fridge right into the “hole” for the pilot berth on the starboard side. It ran on 110 volts and, since COVID began, it is now my “extra” fridge in our basement. It was a good cheap solution. Of course, under sail, it didn’t run. Then, when the boat was plugged in, boy, did it ever run !! I had a couple of bungees to keep the door well and truly shut and the orientation of the fridge was such that the door opened to the front of the boat, not to the port or starboard side. Also, there was plenty of dead space for air to circulate behind the fridge if the thing heated up. (Do they actually heat up ??). Is there any ventilation at the back of these fridges ?? Should there be ?
This looks like a neat and nifty installation. I imagine that it is robustly built and there is no way that either of these fridges would (heaven forbid) shake loose. But, is there some way that both of these glass (slightly scary, that) doors stay securely locked underway and, especially, heeling over to starboard ??
On top of everything, this all looks nice, too.
Ernie A. in Toronto
I have 200 watts of solar panels, In theory it should generate about 8 amps with full sun I am lucky to get 5 amps max.
I have two group 31 AGM batteries for the house bank.
I am on the mooring all season.
I can run the isotherm frig for about 24 hours on the batteries without a problem. Mine is water cooled goes between 3 and 4 amps.
It uses by far the most electricity of anything on the boat.
What I did was add a low voltage cutoff to the frig circuit so I don’t have to keep monitoring the batteries.
When my house bank gets to 12.2 volts it disconnects the frig. When the solar charges the batteries back up or motor starts it reconnects it.
m-LVD Low Voltage Disconnect - Blue Sea Systems
I would recommend this as part of the new system.
Peter Farley
Knot in a Hurry 30U #328
Keyport NJ
Pete Farley,
Thanks for the heads up on the disconnect ($84.) at Defender. I just
installed an Isotherm, insulated the icebox, and had it down to 36 degrees
the other night. Also included the 120V option, but the disconnect is a
great idea for when out sailing, where did you connect it in your system?
Joe
NS26C #156
SEA HORSE
If your fridge uses an isotherm controller (most of the Danfoss compressors do), you don’t need to invest in a low voltage disconnect. Just wire a 50 cent resistor into the circuit as indicated on this manual. Choose the voltage cut-out from the chart and select a resistor.
John
NS30U#400
Wireless
Tauranga, NZ
(attachments)
101n0212_101n0340_101n0650_12-24vdc_bd35f_bd50f_bd35k_electronic_unit_.pdf (295 KB)
Problem with that is it will not allow the cutoff to go above 11.3 volts as in the chart you attached.
That was too low for me, I wanted mine to drop off sooner.
This way I can still use everything else and just loose the frig for awhile.
Gives my solar panels a chance to catch up while still using the other house stuff.
I just placed it between the circuit breaker and the hot lead for the compressor.
I also liked the fact it had an override and alarm on it.
Peter Farley
Knot in a Hurry 30U #328
Keyport NJ