Repco "New Technology" fridges
Submitted: Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 18:18
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mfewster
I put this post in another thread however ot was lost in a slanging match. I'd still like to get the opinion of others who have actually looked at this product before they start to guess about it
Repco have what they say is a new technology fridge which is different to anything else I have seen. Its threeway but also has a jacket that has to be kept filled with
water?? Comes in a couple of different sizes. The blurb reckons it will drop below ambient temp enough to be able to freeze in all but really extreme conditions.
A couple of us and the Repco dealer got one out of the box, had a good look at it and read the manual carefully. It doesn't say it has a compressor in it, but two of the interested crowd thought they could see something inside that was a compressor?? None of us had seen antyhing like it or could figure out how it worked. Everyone wanted someone else to buy one and try it.
Check your local Repco dealer out and post your opinions (but make sure it is the "new technology" model you are talking about as they have plenty of regular tech varieties as
well.
Reply By: Willb - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 18:29
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 18:29
hi mfewster,
is this fridge in there latest cattledog, or do you have a link to this fridge.
Thanks,
Will
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: mfewster - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 18:35
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 18:35
Hi Will, sorry, I haven't checked their catalogue and haven't seen a link, A couple of us just saw them amongst a lot of regular 3way and compressor varieties in the
shop and had a closer look. Pretty cheap though, think they were a bit under $400.00
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Follow Up By: angler - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:47
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:47
Just checked the catalog, As soon as it says it heats as
well it gives away the method. It uses the system called "peltier effect". Hot one side and cold the other. More of them in one unit means more heat or cold. The best they can usually manage is about 18degrees below whatever the ambient temperature, Or in 40 degree heat when you would really like a cold beer they will be close to 22 degrees. That's on a good day.
Look it up on the net, there is lots of info about Mr peltier.
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Follow Up By: barge - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 09:17
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 09:17
Hi Will, The assumptions of peilter device operation is correct.
The base plate of the unit says 96 watts that equates to 8 amps an hour continously and will flattern the battery of 80amp hours in 10hours.
The unit will only cool below the ambient temp but will never freeze.
THERE IS NO COMPRESSOR IN THIS UNIT THE PEILTER DEVICE MUST HAVE A CURRENT PASS THROUGH IT ALL THE TIME TO FUNCTION>
Compressor units cycle on and off conserving power to when it is needed just like our fridges at home.
These are similar to the Waeco units that draw 4 amps an hour that cool and heat with a 12 month warranty.
Both Engel and Waeco offer a min 3 year warranty on the compressor fridges. The old adage of BUYER BEWARE. REMEMBER you only pay for what you get.
The engel compressor fridges start at around $900.00 and Waeco around $549.00.
Good luck in your choice but i hope this is of some help.
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Reply By: Member - Chrispy (NSW) - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 18:44
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 18:44
Looks like a Waeco Tropicool thermo-electric cooler with a liquid pocket. New technology? Hmmm......
Clich here and then go to the front page of Repco Cattledog
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:42
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:42
Hmmm, sounds like it, but it says it's a freezer, warming function as
well. Wonder how many amps it sucks
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Follow Up By: Brian B (QLD) - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 21:31
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 21:31
Hi Folks,
Yes it looks just like a Waeco Tropicool which is their thermo electric cooler. I will be interested to see if anyone can offer any more feedback on these. One of the weaknesses of these type fridges at least as far as I am aware is that they can't chill things down low enough below ambient temp.
As for Two Dogs comments - What a load of rubbish. The issues raised were valid and of great interest to most peole who use
portable fridges. Go away and take your stupid ill thought through comments with you.
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 21:34
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 21:34
yes they do Jim, usually at a large current draw unless this "new technology" really has something new to offer. Might have to drop into repco and suss it out.
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Follow Up By: Nudenut - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 07:40
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 07:40
as madmut above queries...
Wonder how many amps it sucks...Heaps I say....these things are energy hungry
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Reply By: mfewster - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:01
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:01
Thanks Chrispy, that link is the one.
I was wrong in remembering it as a 3 way. Even so, the cooling figures they claim are pretty impressive (especially for the$) Much better than the usual thermo style. Able to freeze?? How good could the
water jacket design be? The inside blurb notes that the
water evaporates. Sort of a
Coolgardie safe to cool things down first before the electrics kick in to lower things further and relatively cheaply?? It just could work. Some very impressive reults have been reported by contributors to this column who have modified cases etc on other fridges.
But I've got to admit I didn't buy one.
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Follow Up By: Member - Chrispy (NSW) - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:06
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:06
Be interesting to see your opinion of it if you get one. Are you getting one? Not exactly a million dollars to find out....
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Follow Up By: angler - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:35
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 19:35
Same fridge is available at supercheap auto. Different name of course.
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Reply By: Mike DiD - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 22:11
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 22:11
If they do use
water evaporation off the hot element that would help drop the temperature inside the fridge.
I have never seen this done before on a Peltier Fridge - if this is the case then it would be "new technology"
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Reply By: Member - Dedalus (SA) - Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 22:32
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005 at 22:32
... Hi guys
.... inside the fridge I saw at the
shop was a botthe of
water .... iced!!!
The gauge said the temp. inside was -10 C. .... believe me ....
Luca
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Follow Up By: Member - Chrispy (NSW) - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 06:17
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 06:17
Interesting..........
Was it cranking away all the time or did it have idle periods that you may have noticed?
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Reply By: mfewster - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 06:54
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 06:54
Dedalus, tell us more about this, the one I looked at wasn't running. But what you report is consistent with the claims made on the blurb. If it really will do this and it is a peltier type, it sure seems to be performing way better than the usual peltier type and maybe it really is something quite different.
Any electrical wizzes like to have a look at one and comment on things like claimed current draw?
I'm not pushing these gadgets, I just thought they really do appear to be something different and worth some discussion.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Dedalus (SA) - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 07:52
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 07:52
I'm back in
Kangaroo Island for the weekend ... but mon. morning I will back in
Adelaide and at the
shop for testing ... :-)))
Talk soon!
Dedalus
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Reply By: Rigor - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 12:11
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 12:11
Casting my thoughts back about 20 years the peltier cells can be ganged in series and acheive very low temperatures hot to cold side and so on .Were used in the medical side of things , But the problem will always be that they have no real capacity to chill a large area quickly like a compressor refrig. So unless the "new technology" can remove the heat from the hot element quickly I will remain sceptical about how good these really are.
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Follow Up By: V8troopie - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 15:27
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 15:27
I think you are right on the mark there Rigor, with cascaded or 'ganged' peltier elements.
It is indeed possible to get these below freezing temperature on the cold side.
It was not commonly done because the heat on the hot side could not be shifted effectively with the usual heat fins and fans.
Now,
water cooling is IMO far more efficient than air cooling, especially for a small surface area, so that's the new technology. Interesting, I wonder how they stand up in field use and what the daily
water consumption might be. Perhaps a good alternative fridge where
water is plentiful but out in
the desert I'd prefer the old fashioned danfoss compressor fridges.
Klaus
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Reply By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Saturday, Sep 03, 2005 at 11:43
Saturday, Sep 03, 2005 at 11:43
If it is a
water cooled Peltier it will probally be very good. I have modified my peltier witth bigger heatsinks and better fans, I just did another test on it last night, it's a 45L Waeco "Cooley" with an upgraded 6 amp peltier and it went from 19c ambient to 4.5c in about 2.5 hours. Pretty good I reckon.
I was looking at
water cooling it but it all became to hard,
water cooled peltier will easily freeze. Primus also do a small
water cooled peltier fridge and have done for about 12 months, it supposed to be quite good too.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: mfewster - Saturday, Sep 03, 2005 at 16:03
Saturday, Sep 03, 2005 at 16:03
I went back to have a closer look and to copy out the specs to post for this unit. They have sold out. (
Alice Springs Repco) They will consider putting one on display working when they get fresh stock, so until then, I don't think there is anything I can add. The store owner said he had bought the last and was impressed. He also commented on it's multi fold opening lid which I hadn't noticed and he thought was a great feature for the back of a 4WD.
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Reply By: Member - Chrispy (NSW) - Tuesday, Sep 06, 2005 at 18:51
Tuesday, Sep 06, 2005 at 18:51
Had a look at the 25L version today at Repco while I was picking up a new set of disk rotors and pads.
The unit wasn't on, so I couldn't see how cold it got. The 25L version claims (on the box) to consume 95watts - which by my calculations is 7.9A. Not sure how long its cycles are though.
Thirsty...... ??
Has anyone else seen them in action? Still might be good for a secondary
home fridge or occaisional freezer.
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