FF
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 22,552
For folks with lots of room the Sun Frost units are the top of the line AC, DC whatever your needs.Loads of thick insulation , but BIG!
http://www.sunfrost.com
http://www.sunfrost.com
Multiple Refers vs Full Size Refer
- Thread starter 6-Pack
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Scottwb96
Senior Member
I replaced my Norcold (90's) fridge this last off-season with a Vitrifrigo fridge 12v/110v. For the same footprint of my old one, I gained almost 2 cubic feet of space. Very efficient and looks very nice!!!
I was going to get the stainless, but for some odd reason, the stainless version only allows for a right-side hinged opening. I needed opposite due to location.
Rick Waters over at Sure Marine in Seattle gave me a great price, couldn't be happier (what I really mean is, Fiance loves the fridge, so SHE couldn't be happier, which makes my life better)...
https://www.suremarineservice.com/Galley/Refrigerators-with-Internal-Compressors/DP2600IBD4-F-2.html
I also picked up a BARELY used Dometic CF-110 for $300 on OfferUp. The guy had just bought it 3 months prior then sold the boat and forgot to include it with the boat.... I DEFINITELY scored on that one!!!
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/food-and-beverage/coolers/electric-coolers/dometic-cf-110--139579
I was going to get the stainless, but for some odd reason, the stainless version only allows for a right-side hinged opening. I needed opposite due to location.
Rick Waters over at Sure Marine in Seattle gave me a great price, couldn't be happier (what I really mean is, Fiance loves the fridge, so SHE couldn't be happier, which makes my life better)...
https://www.suremarineservice.com/Galley/Refrigerators-with-Internal-Compressors/DP2600IBD4-F-2.html
I also picked up a BARELY used Dometic CF-110 for $300 on OfferUp. The guy had just bought it 3 months prior then sold the boat and forgot to include it with the boat.... I DEFINITELY scored on that one!!!
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/food-and-beverage/coolers/electric-coolers/dometic-cf-110--139579
BrianSmith
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2014
- Messages
- 487
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Smartini
- Vessel Make
- 2002 Kristen 52' Flybridge Trawler
Based almost 100% on a series of posts here by OCD (I think!), we replaced our aging Norcold (Nevercold) AC/DC with a Summit 10.7 (approx.) cu. ft. apartment-size fridge freezer. We couldn't be happier! It's so much better insulated. It has so much more space. It makes big, solid ice cubes in just a few hours. It never needs defrosting. NEVER!!! And although it's AC only, and has to have it's electricity inverted, I'm sure it uses less power. It easily runs on 4 x 260w solar panels during the day (along with the 8 golf cart batteries being fully charged by the end of the day.
At the beginning of a long time away from Costco, we use a 12V Dometic "cooler" that can be set to fridge or freezer temps. Once we have room in the Summit for all the food, we just unplug that one.
At the beginning of a long time away from Costco, we use a 12V Dometic "cooler" that can be set to fridge or freezer temps. Once we have room in the Summit for all the food, we just unplug that one.
Simi 60
Guru
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2016
- Messages
- 5,482
- Location
- Australia
- Vessel Make
- Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Both and all off the shelf 240v models.
560 litre Samsung 2 door
120 litre Samsung bar fridge X 2
100 litre Kmart 4 draw freezer
All running off of solar/ inverter/ batteries.
The cost of DC refrigeration and repair is not good value imho
Cost of a brand new replacement AC fridge is often what it costs to get a DC fridge looked at.
560 litre Samsung 2 door
120 litre Samsung bar fridge X 2
100 litre Kmart 4 draw freezer
All running off of solar/ inverter/ batteries.
The cost of DC refrigeration and repair is not good value imho
Cost of a brand new replacement AC fridge is often what it costs to get a DC fridge looked at.
timb7734
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2012
- Messages
- 197
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Terrapin
- Vessel Make
- Florida Bay Coaster 42'
You can replace the larger house model fridge, may be special order though. We have a/c house style fridges in both our boats and can’t imagine anything smaller. These are supplemented with a 50qt ac/dc Engel with their insulated cover that we use as additional freezer capacity, and as refrigerated space on road trips.
Sure you can hair shirt “rough it” with an ice box, but why? This is supposed to be fun.
Sure you can hair shirt “rough it” with an ice box, but why? This is supposed to be fun.
jbinbi
Senior Member
Huge thread about this on cruisersforum. Seems like the consensus was that new home style refrigs are much more energy efficient even via an inverter. They are not designed for seas, so the bigger issue is keeping the door completely closed when under way.
Cruisersforum is primarily sailboaters, so not the same amount of room for full sized fridge until you get to the really large boats, nor boats having gensets so most on that forum are not candidates for a full sized AC fridge, but the thoughts were that modern refrigs are extremely energy efficient both from an insulation point of view and electrical point of view. New inverters only show about 2% efficiency loss. Smaller dorm room refrigs are not as efficient as kitchen sized models.
Cruisersforum is primarily sailboaters, so not the same amount of room for full sized fridge until you get to the really large boats, nor boats having gensets so most on that forum are not candidates for a full sized AC fridge, but the thoughts were that modern refrigs are extremely energy efficient both from an insulation point of view and electrical point of view. New inverters only show about 2% efficiency loss. Smaller dorm room refrigs are not as efficient as kitchen sized models.
Valhellian
Member
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2012
- Messages
- 13
- Location
- Canada
- Vessel Name
- VALHALLA
- Vessel Make
- Sunnfjord raised pilot house
Refers
Recently installed a NovaCool RFU 9000. Have been using it for about two months. So far it has proved to be a great refrigerator. Quiet, freezer actually freezes stuff. Have notice a decrease in amp hour usage as well while at anchor. Made in Canada.
Lots of support videos. I replaced a 35 year old Norcold (Nocold) and am glad I did.
Recently installed a NovaCool RFU 9000. Have been using it for about two months. So far it has proved to be a great refrigerator. Quiet, freezer actually freezes stuff. Have notice a decrease in amp hour usage as well while at anchor. Made in Canada.
Lots of support videos. I replaced a 35 year old Norcold (Nocold) and am glad I did.
Hippocampus
Guru
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2020
- Messages
- 4,182
- Location
- Plymouth
- Vessel Name
- Hippocampus
- Vessel Make
- Nordic Tug 42
Think ideal set up for cruisers is as efficient a frig/freezer you can find and a totally separate efficient freezer with its own compressor. Would always have frozen stuff in both and not transfer in order to turn one off. Will even freeze water to get rid of air as believe a full freezer is ultimately more efficient. Think this is more important if you’re off the boat for days at a time and leave food on the boat. Then you wouldn’t have the opportunity to transfer to the working one if things go south.
That belt and suspenders set up allows you to stock up when you find good deals or decent food (finding decent beef in the Caribbean is difficult as an example). Also if either one breaks and the food goes bad you won’t be dependent on dry stores if on passage or remote places. Even not considering the redundancy argument we’ve done the same thing in the dirt dwelling. Suspect many of the readers here have as well. Icemakers, bar frigs and portables are fine for those who have the space but even on most 40’+ boats you can find the room and make the juice for those two devices.
Be interested in folks opinions about freezer drawers v top loaded.
Have had good luck with keel cooled devices but for trawlers don’t think that’s necessary and home devices make excellent sense. Think the longer the distance between compressor and coils the more likely you’ll have troubles. Have had troubles getting the right coolant to refill after a purge or leak but hope that’s a thing of the past. Very impressed by danfoss compressors but think that’s a sailboat thing.
That belt and suspenders set up allows you to stock up when you find good deals or decent food (finding decent beef in the Caribbean is difficult as an example). Also if either one breaks and the food goes bad you won’t be dependent on dry stores if on passage or remote places. Even not considering the redundancy argument we’ve done the same thing in the dirt dwelling. Suspect many of the readers here have as well. Icemakers, bar frigs and portables are fine for those who have the space but even on most 40’+ boats you can find the room and make the juice for those two devices.
Be interested in folks opinions about freezer drawers v top loaded.
Have had good luck with keel cooled devices but for trawlers don’t think that’s necessary and home devices make excellent sense. Think the longer the distance between compressor and coils the more likely you’ll have troubles. Have had troubles getting the right coolant to refill after a purge or leak but hope that’s a thing of the past. Very impressed by danfoss compressors but think that’s a sailboat thing.
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