Now that my 1988 refrigeration system is officially kaput on my 36' Catalina and I'm tired of buying ice each day during my cruises, I have a question. Why wouldn't these new, thermoelectric coolers work as a valid substitute for the traditional gas-refrigerant systems on our boats? These coolers just seem less complex to operate and maintain, and I'm guessing that they draw less current by not having to mechanically compress refrigerant gas. I must be missing something - any insights, please?
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John & Tina Lastovica
"Airborne"
1988 Catalina 36 Hull No. 865
Lake Huron
The general problem with thermoelectric cooling is that they cheap ones are highly inefficient and efficient ones are highly expensive. If engineers could crack this nut we'd all have thermo refrigerators.
David
s/v Portmanteau
Hull #2133 -- 2003 MKII
Seattle, WA
Looked into one of these for my old boat, Peltier cycle is cool but not very efficent for the task. If everything is cold that you put in them the work pretty well at keeping them cold. If you put a warm beer in there in July, it may take until October to get it cold.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_cooling[/url]
Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas
We have a 3 way fridge of this type in our camper, it is brand new and pricey. On 12 volt it draws over 10 amps!!!!!!! On 110 it is fine and on propane is only uses about 3 - 4 lbs a week of gas. It will not keep anything frozen. We do not find it very powerful and certainly it is nowhere near as efficient as the 16 year old AB on the boat. It is lighter and somewhat simpler but that is the only good thing I can say about it.
Call up Sea Frost and talk to Cleave. Me and one other C36 owner have just installed a two plate system that he helped us designe. Mine's just being connected now but the other guy is very pleased with the performance and the energy consumption.
Sam
Capt. Sam Murphy
1994 Catalina 36, Hull 1327
Shoal draft, two cabin model.
Panama City, Florida
[url]http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=143975[/url]
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)
Thanks so much for the education. It was the failure to cool warm beer that convinced me to pass on the new thermoelectric units. I guess I'll just replace the old unit with a new one and maybe upgrade the old air-cooled condenser with one of those condensers that actually attaches outside the boat, under the water line. Does anyone have any good news about those systems?
John & Tina Lastovica
"Airborne"
1988 Catalina 36 Hull No. 865
Lake Huron
[QUOTE=Capt. Sam;14060][B]Call up Sea Frost and talk to Cleave. [/B]Me and one other C36 owner have just installed a two plate system that he helped us designe. Mine's just being connected now but the other guy is very pleased with the performance and the energy consumption.
Sam[/QUOTE]
Bingo, Bingo, BINGO!!!!!! We have a winner... There is only ONE marine refrigeration company to deal with and that is Sea Frost. The best little company in the marine industry... No BS just reliable products and the best support I have ever seen by any company, and I'm a picky bastard....
I forgot to mention in the thread on SBO Stu linked to that at year 11 our cold plate got a leak in it, which was entirely my fault. I removed it from the boat and drove it down to Sea Frost. Cleave fixed my cold plate, even after I explained what had happened, pressure tested my engine driven compressor and gave it a full once over. He did all this in less than 24 hours and all at NO CHARGE !!!!!!! 11 years old, 24 hour turn around and he did not charge me one cent even though he knew it was my mistake and I owned up to it.....
I see these systems out there day in day out, from the marginally useful AB systems to Frigoboats with all their proprietary gimmickry, and the best built longest lasting, least proprietary systems have all been built by Sea Frost/Cleave. For a long while he stayed out of the 12V business but he now has one of the sweetest 12V systems out there and its DIY installable..
-Maine Sail
https://www.marinehowto.com/