My new Apartment Refrigerator

[O C Diver]

I too am a member of the the "I am sick of warm beer club" and have had it with my Dometic Tundra fridge which has constantly let me down over the last 10 years. Previously I had a Norcold installed and thought the Dometic was going to be the cats meow. Anyway enough of that and onward to greener pastures. I might have a little problem in the fact that my fridge is an under counter type and is limited in size as opposed to the big boy fridges that you all are talking about. My current Hot Box (measured at 50 degrees this weekend) is a Dometic Tundra T32 has approx 3.2cf of storage. In my research I found that a Magic Chef HMR440SE 4.4cf will fit in the same space. But I would need to add an inverter. The MC draws 1.5 amps 180watts according to the label on the back. What size inverter would I need to power this puppy efficiently while on the hook? I understand the concept of startup power of motors and know I need to oversize to accommodate this. I am not planning on putting other AC needs online while on the hook, just the fridge. I have 2x8D batteries and a 24M thats dedicated to the windlass. I currently have a fan that blows air out of the box where the fridge sits but would I need one closer to the condenser?


Any advise would be very appreciated

Hi John,

Before you install the refrigerator, consider buying one of the "kill a watt" meters in post 106. Run the refrigerator at home for a few days. It will give you a more accurate representation of what the refrigerator consumes for power, and may show you peak amperage draw which could help with sizing the inverter.

Personally, I wouldn't go below 1kw (1,000 watts).

Ted

 

[sunchaser]

Great addition for your needs Ted. Compliments on adding to TF knowledge base.

We have yet to arrive at a compelling reason to trash our ten year old 12/120 volt Nova Kool. Our initial Tundra unit lacked sufficient ventilation, likely why it failed. The Nova Kool unit vents well.

A move to a physically larger apartment fridge would prove challenging to get into our boat as well as require joinery effort. A larger fridge would store more stuff, but to what end? For storing fish a small chest freezer is the ticket and surprisingly efficient when needed.

To handle the high amp auto defrost cycle more on engine charging capacity, solar and electrical revamping could be needed. The effort seemingly cascades into more than buying the fridge.

Above said, we boat on the cool PNW. If we were headed to Mexico or berthed in FL the decision would assuredly change. Current Nova Kool and cruising grounds seem a good match. If it goes, we’d replace it with same, but never say never.

 

[sdowney717]

Several years ago, I also put in an apartment sized 11 cu foot fridge with freezer door, and it is auto defrosting. Its been great on the boat.
It was $400 from H Depot, and I added an ice maker.

I also had to modify the opening, but it was worth doing and I had the space and it fits well in 24" width space.

the Whirlpool model has the wiring for the ice-maker install.
I made the white tray on the right from another fridge's shelf. Bent and brazed to the right shape.

I had to switch door to other side, and used these special nuts to hold the hinges in the top sheet metal.

Was the first time I could reliably keep icecream on the boat.

 

[OldDan1943]

Several years ago, I also put in an apartment sized 11 cu foot fridge with freezer door, and it is auto defrosting. Its been great on the boat.
It was $400 from H Depot, and I added an ice maker.

I also had to modify the opening, but it was worth doing and I had the space and it fits well in 24" width space.

the Whirlpool model has the wiring for the ice-maker install.
I made the white try on the right from another fridge's shelf. Bent and brazed to the right shape.

I had to switch door to other side, and used these special nuts to hold the hinges in the top sheet metal.

Looks good.
I see you have the same problem I do, where to hide the vacuum. LOL

 

[sdowney717]

Looks good.
I see you have the same problem I do, where to hide the vacuum. LOL

I know, I finally decided to sit it in the head (bathroom) floor.
Then its mostly out of the way, it sits under the shower space. My shower has a lift up hinged floor.

 

[foggysail]

Several years ago, I also put in an apartment sized 11 cu foot fridge with freezer door, and it is auto defrosting. Its been great on the boat.
It was $400 from H Depot, and I added an ice maker.

I also had to modify the opening, but it was worth doing and I had the space and it fits well in 24" width space.

the Whirlpool model has the wiring for the ice-maker install.
I made the white tray on the right from another fridge's shelf. Bent and brazed to the right shape.

I had to switch door to other side, and used these special nuts to hold the hinges in the top sheet metal.

Was the first time I could reliably keep icecream on the boat.

EXCELLENT JOB!!! I also enjoy rock hard ice cream frozen in my Summit which is now over ten years old with self defrost of course. But there are others who enjoy their very expensive marine rated fridges. To each his own.

 

[sdowney717]

EXCELLENT JOB!!! I also enjoy rock hard ice cream frozen in my Summit which is now over ten years old with self defrost of course. But there are others who enjoy their very expensive marine rated fridges. To each his own.

It really made good sense for me to do it.
And Its been perfect.
Survives fine with boat moving around.

I have a 3000 watt inverter which easily runs it and lots of other AC things.
And a 6500 watt generator.
And boat sits at a slip with shore power most of the time.

I have an digital ammeter and with compressor running it draws 1 amp of Ac power, which I think is really low. The yellow energy sticker said $40 on it, so about $40 a year in electricity for average us rates. Our kwh rate is less than average so for us costs less than that. (actually zero cost, marina gives us slip holders free 30 amp power) they dont want us running our AC when not at the boat, which I am happy to oblige, great place.

 

[O C Diver]

One of the projects on my list is a central vacuum system tied to a shop vac in the lazarette. I'm figuring an outlets in the saloon, stateroom, and pilothouse should be sufficient.

Ted

 

[foggysail]

Yes....... the self defrost feature is a work saver for sure. I added about 1200 watts of solar and bulked up my battery bank to 860 AH. Now when on anchor or mooring my genny enjoys resting. And a 3KW inverter is more than adequate. Mine is a pure sine wave, I do have an older 2KW pseudo sine wave inverter that had no trouble powering the fridge which I keep for a spare.

 

[sdowney717]

One of the projects on my list is a central vacuum system tied to a shop vac in the lazarette. I'm figuring an outlets in the saloon, stateroom, and pilothouse should be sufficient.

Ted

I did install a central vac on the boat. It has 2 inlets. Plug in hose to inlet and it comes on. What I really need to do is put it on a wall switch. I find I want to leave it plugged in while cleaning up, but dont want the vac running all the time.

My hose I used was for a pool cleaning vacuum hose. The vacuum is called a WalVac, but it was given to me by a lady at the marina who did not want it. I installed it hidden behind the wall under the side deck behind a wood panel door. To change bag, I pull sofa out, open door, then the vac is right there. The vac is about 6 or 7 inches depth and maybe 14 inches tall and a foot wide, so like a rectangular shape. Not being round it fits well in the space. It is entirely steel frame.

It looks like this, but may not be exactly same model. It has real good suction. I dont have a beater brush head.
http://www.walvac.com/products/stow...th-accessory-kit-direct-wire-automatic-on-545
Unit inside has the typical 24v step down transformer for remote inlet wiring, just have to rewire for that, their is a 24v relay that turns on the motor.

I used PVC tubing 1.5 inch with slow radius bends to plumb it. I smoothed all cut ends so not to snag the dust. I suppose you could use a flexible suction hose instead hidden inside. I just thought the smooth PVC was less restrictive to air flow.

I found a Eureka bag fits inside of it. I removed the vacuum connector they used for their hose which fell to pieces and switched to the pool hose which has been fine.

The whole thing is invisible hidden except for the 2 inlets. I got brown inlets to match the brown wood color. One inlet is in main salon next to the sofa.
Other inlet is in the settee base of the lower cabin.

I feel my hose is too long, so I may cut in half. With 2 inlets I can cover the whole boat interior and the outside rear deck.

One nice thing, since it is vented inside under the deck, no hot motor air come back into the cabin when it runs.

Other thing is I find I dont use it as much as my regular hoover upright. Mainly because of the hose, and no beater brush for carpet. So I did it because my cost was low and it was a project idea and I thought why not cause I like doing projects.

I did put a nice soft vacuum brush on the hose end and find it easy to dust and suck up stuff all over the boat with it.

 

[caltexflanc]

Courtesy of a PO, our old Hatteras came with two central vac systems an all kinds of hose and accessories, which we put into storage after a couple of months. Between a small upright a hand holdable shop vac, it was much easier more effective and convenient. We had that shop vac for other purposes any way and the upright took up less room than the central's various appurtenances (and cleaned the carpets better).

 

[OldDan1943]

I know, I finally decided to sit it in the head (bathroom) floor.
Then its mostly out of the way, it sits under the shower space. My shower has a lift up hinged floor.

Mine Shark upright 'lives' near the aft door until I have a need or desire to move it.

 

[Irish Rambler]

Well done Ted, a nice neat, well thought out job.
When we refitted our ex hire boat out the fridge was virtually useless and when I bought a replacement fridge I made the mistake in not getting a 'Frost Free'.
I wasn't on TF at that time so couldn't access the vast knowledge of everyones brains.
Our boat is UK built so all the electrics are 220v.
The replacement fridge I bought has a Danfoss compressor. We fitted one of Danfoss 220/12volt automatic changeover units and it works perfectly. I did the same for our (separate) freezer unit.
At the rear of each unit I made convection vents from the bilge to help cooling.
We do have a 3Kw inverter, when cruising we turn the 220v off the fridge and freezer and they automatically go to 12v and the alternators 'float the load' and the inverter is used at the admirals discretion for the washing machine or dishwasher.
We have an Adverc fully automatic charging system which controls the 2x 90amp alternator outputs.