Refrigerator Blog Update

[knotmeter]

My internet provider has changed. Here is the new address for my refrigerator blog.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~teriwhine/frig.html

These changes are still working great. I have just defrosted my freezer this weekend. This is the first time since last July. I used to have to defrost every month. But since I sealed the air and moisture leaks the unit has been working great.

Michael Bourassa
Inamorata
Hull 148
Grapevine, Texas

[Windseeker]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the tips on your improvements. It helped me a great deal. Later on, I bought Richard Kollman's refrigeration books, and I must say you were SPOT ON in your assessment. Air leaks in the box and recirculating the same air across the condenser coils are no-no's pointed out in Richard's book. Apparently, air leaks around the countertop is a common problem with the way the box gets built in modern boat construction.

There are some good things he also mentions in his book that are worth trying, like an automatic speed-up circuit that runs the unit full speed (max amps) when it detects the electrical system charging.

Later,

Mark

[sailorbob]

Mike, in your posted blog, you note that you reversed the fan so that it would blow air over the compressor coils, and that you used the Adler Barbour vent kit to direct that air out of the boat. Where did you get the vent kit? It's not in the West Marine catalog, nor can I find it on the Waeco/Adler Barbour/Dometic websites. I finally found vent kits in the Defender catalog (p. 141), but the duct kit (Defender 401823, Adler Barbour C8079) is $129, which seems like a lot of money for a plastic shroud and some ducting. Particularly since the "booster power duct kit" (Defender 400576, Adler Barbour C8075) is the same price but has more ducting material and an electric booster fan! Which kit did you use, the one with the booster fan or the simpler kit without it? Also, how did you join the ducting from the compressor to the boat's ducting, heading out through the transom?

I will probably have to call Defender to see what's up with the pricing of these two kits.

Thanks,
Bob Fine
Second Wind hull #301