New Water Cooled Fridges.

Submitted: Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 14:49

ThreadID: 18749 Views:3424 Replies:4 FollowUps:8

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Member - Jeff M (WA)

I've just been talking to a friend who is involved with a large camping store chain and has been testing a new 12v Fridge that uses distilled water instead of compressed gas.
Anyone else heard of these, apparntally they are getting some in in the new year at very reasonable prices and they had one running in their office off 240v sitting at a constant 1 degree C. He reckons they don't go through water, but if it does leak you can just top up the system like you would a car radiator.
Apparantly they draw about 6amps but it was cycling at 1 degree so would still be more efficiant than a cooler or 3 way.

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Reply By: Member - 'Lucy' - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:07

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:07

Invented 150 yrs ago - called a 'coolgardie safe'

AnswerID: 89751

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:29

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:29

LOL, yeah but I've never seen a coolgardie safe freeze somthing!

FollowupID: 348549

Reply By: beatit - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:18

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:18

G'day Jeff,

Haven't heard of them but I would have thought that 6 amps would be a bit high for general camping!? I mean people on this and other forums talk about using LED lights because they're more power efficient compared to fluoros. Wouldn't imagine that these same people would want a fridge that uses 6 amps compared to say 1 or 3 amps from a more efficient unit. Just my opinion.

Kind regards

AnswerID: 89752

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:30

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:30

My cooler uses 4 amps, but that's continous so this fridge would use less, also my cooler can only do 20c below ambiant and can't freeze anything. 3 Way's use anywhere up to 8amps, 6 amps cycling is not out of the question for weekend trips etc.

FollowupID: 348550

Follow Up By: beatit - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:41

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 15:41

Point taken, but I have 2 fridges (use one as a freezer) and once they are cooled only use about 1 amp each (verified by way of a regular ammeter check). Last trip away we only had a second battery to run the fridges (have a third one now) and even at 2 amps combined I didn't have power to waste. Not a big fan of 3 way fridges because they are not suited to 12 volt usage.

Kind regards

FollowupID: 348551

Follow Up By: Magnus - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 18:54

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 18:54

Beatit,

Agreed, they are not suited to 12 volt when in one spot because of current draw. But they can be made to perform very well on the move with 12 volt through the addition of a couple of $8 computer fans to blow across the coils in the back.

They are of course fine on gas and will freeze stuff you don't want frozen. But are not a freezer and don't claim to be.

Took me ages to get mine to work properly on 12 volts. The fan idea came either from this forum or another. Can't remember which.

Cheers

Magnus

FollowupID: 348583

Reply By: Nudenut - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 18:45

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 18:45

Jeff M

dont want to disappoint you but the refrigerant in an absorption fridge is actually pure h2O....
they only add the other chemicals (and heat) to assist in creating the slight pressure changes needed to get the absorption process to work

Is this what it is.... i wonder?

If it aint its all to new to me (and as a fridgie i dont think i am living the life of a mushroom)

AnswerID: 89785

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 19:09

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 19:09

Nudenut I don't understand you reply?

Didn't I say it was distilled water which is H2O isn't it????
Why am I dissapointed becasue of this?
What other chemicals are we talking about?

Let's go through it again.
1. Distilled water and 6 amps @ 12vDC cycling. (don't ask me the technicalities I havn't seen one).
2. You can set it as low as -2c. It is efficiant enough to still cycle at +2c.
3. Pricing about $200-300 for 35L model.

Sounds ok to me...

FollowupID: 348585

Follow Up By: Nudenut - Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 21:56

Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004 at 21:56

I reckon its an absorption fridge if it uses water as the refrigerant.
ie a 3 way fridge (gas.12v & 240v)

but the pricing suggests it may be something different....i would have thought an absorption fridge of 35l would be dearer than the prices your mentioning.

having said all that and if the price is as you say and its 35l capacity then i reckon its not what your thinking it is.......i await to be corrected.

FollowupID: 348611

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004 at 12:12

Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004 at 12:12

Unless it's just some kind of cheap chinese kind of absorbtion fridge.
I guess if they can do 3 way's now for around $400 it's feasable that without the gas regulators etc etc that they could do the same thing for a couple hundred less.
So perhaps it's just a 3 way -1 ! :-)
eh? So that'd make it a 2 way 3 way fridge! ARRGH! LOL
Still might be a good option for those not able to spend the $1000 on a waeco.

FollowupID: 348671

Reply By: Matt (W.A.) - Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004 at 00:12

Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004 at 00:12

Jeff,
I don’t want to sound negative but I wonder how these fridges would go being inverted >30°? With the Water/Fluid in them it may get a bit damp in the back of the Paj…..

AnswerID: 89843