Freezing Water

Hi firey,

I've got a 40L Engel and it does the same. When I first got it I tried the same thing with water and meats. With the fridge fully packed with meat, water etc it eventually did freeze but took nearly 24 hrs. You're better off placing everything in a your normal freezer and then placing it in the Engel once completely frozen. Usually I only need a setting of about 3 to keep it frozen in cool weather, higher in summer. The Engels rely upon a half to full load of frozen/chilled food to operate better when running off a battery. Think of your home freezer - if you fully laden it with fresh meats, water it'll take a long time to freeze whereas normal use consists of adding a bit at a time to whatever's already frozen in there ie. weekly shopping.
Well that's how I find it works anyway, obviously someone has a magic engel out there.
Regards
Chris

What is the maximum setting on the engel?

Firey, Yep, freeze everything in your freezer at home before the trip and keep your Engel on Freeze whilst driving. Should last a while. We have a 32litre Engel and run it on the highest Cold setting. It keeps everything pretty cool. Over the years we have always turned the fridge off at night, in the days before dual battery setups. Can't get out of the habit now. With perishables....wrap each individual item in two layers of newspaper. Fruit and vegies keep for weeks this way. Cheers, Willem

Why freeze ? Meat lasts 3 weeks + in fridge if cryovaced

Caught Samon in Esperance last year and it took couple of days to freeze 1/2, 40 lt Engel full on batery & gen set.

Thankyou all for the detailed respones to my question, there is some handy hints in there that I will use on my trip to Cameron's Corner in August this year. Yes the maximum setting is 5 and I do plan to cryovac the meat before leaving. I also tested the setting that the engel will maintain the freeze at when turned down and that is 2 1/2 on the dial..If anyone can do the test with a Waceo I would like to hear the results.
Regard's, Firey

Firey,
your best move would be to replace your Engel with an Aussie made REEFER fridge/freezer, they freeze water in less than 2 hours on 12 volt. When the fridge is set to 1 degree the freezer is MINUS 14 degree's.

I have had one for 5 years, traveling all round the west Aussie coast and staying on some beaches for many months at a time without problems of dead batteries, spoilt food or warm beer.

I think the Waceo and Engel both use the small Danfoss 35 compressor, (I am sure I will be grilled if I am wrong) if that is true then the results should be similar and only the insulation should make a differance, after the water has firstly been frozen, it has to be kept frozen and in warmer conditions than you have tested your fridge in.

Enjoy your trip.

firey, try........ www.refrigerationresearch
or Google Search... type Reefer or refrigerationresearch
I don't work for them or sell them....
I just have the BENIFIT of having one to RELY on to freeze whatever I put in the freezer section....
Sure, they may not sell as many as Engel or other advertised name brands, they don't spend megga bucks on advertising, I bought mine after seeing one in a caravan park in Melbourne in 1995, the quality finish of the stainless steel interior and the digital temperature and battery condition guages won me over. Hope the info is of some good to you.......