Checold 40L 3 Way

Submitted: Sunday, Jan 03, 2010 at 16:31

ThreadID: 74849 Views:2155 Replies:1 FollowUps:1

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Portable Fridges

The debate over which fridge is the best on the market is one of the most contested discussions in the camping recreation. In this article we look at the range of features and the major issues to

AlKay

Hi Everyone,

I have the old brown beast that has served me well. On teh last trip I noticed that I was not getting to keep stuff really cold.

The cooling plate was only getting to about 10 degrees.

When I got back, I lined the inner temporarily with polystyrene sheet and tested it on 240V. I have the cooler sitting at 0 or below. My assumption is cool/heat is not being insulated properly.

What is the best way to go about re-insulating this unit? I was going to make a top / side / front with teh reflective padded insulation used in construction in walls. Is there anything else I can do, Is there a way to remove the plastic liner and refill the insulation?

Many thanks
Al

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Reply By: trainslux - Sunday, Jan 03, 2010 at 17:52

Sunday, Jan 03, 2010 at 17:52

With a borrowed 3way the same as yours, I think it was 32ltr job.
I did several things to it which improved it substantially.

Firstly I wrapped the outside of the unit with 1" or 25 in the new money packing foam, I used hot glue to attach it, and then wrapped that in clear packing tape so that it wouldnt abrade away as that foam is prone to doing.
I added some adhesive backed 1/4" door seal foam across the top of the wrapped unit, so I could then place a piece over the top, held on by adhesive velcro on each corner.
This improved its efficiency, and kept contents cool on very hot days inside the back of the vehicle.

I also turned th unit upside down, and went for a drive, then put it right way up and let it sit for an hr, and turned it back on.
Helps mix up the ammonia solution, and it worked well after that.

I also fitted 2 12v computer fans on the rear cooling tubed below the fins, and had them blow air up thru the fins, this was connected by a separate fitting.

I also fitted some 12gauge wire and a 2pole fitting that could handle 10amps constant so there was little voltage drop, these things combined made the unit freeze on 12v at temps up to 35 deg ambient.

Pretty good for an oldie I thought.
We used this for a month when travelling up nth, on bottle each night, and 12v when driving.

Also ensured that the gas was working well, clean jet in citric acid mix, and put some extra glass insulation mat behind the chimney to reduce heat transfer to rear of unit.

Let us know what you end up doing.

I did this, it worked, each item made a difference, and in total it worked well for us travelling each day and resupplying etc.

Trains

AnswerID: 397462

Follow Up By: trainslux - Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 09:30

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 09:30

For clarification.
I Placed a 25mm packing foam on the base of the unit, and had that piece stick out 25mm on each side and front, but not the rear of the unit where the air vents are.
When the 3 sides were glued on, this completed the enclosure of the unit, the foam was level with the top of the unit.
Foam is easily held in place with tooth picks until glue dries.
Clear packing tape was then applied 30 mm wide stuff to the base and a bit up the sides, then the sides were wrapped starting from the back of one of the sides, and all the way around to the other so all the foam was enclosed with tape so it wouldnt abrade away.

Self adhesive door seal foam was then applied to the top of the tape covered foam on front, sides, and back.
Top panel had recess cut out for door handle, and 2 pieces of velcro each side, ie 2 on one side, 2 on other, and 2 on front, so it would seal, and could be easily lifted off, or hinged over if needed.

Before heading off I also fitted 3x 1ltr long life milk under the cooling fins inside the unit, which were pre froze, this helped in keeping a cold bank in the unit.
Had meat on top of this that stayed frozen the entire trip, and we used it on the way back and when home.
Using on gas at night and set up level, we used 2kgs over 3 weeks, but topped it up as we were heading out again, and couldnt weigh the bottle, will weigh unit next time, so we can determine exact gas usage.

Fans were only wired in roughly with some computer power supply cable, as I had some scrap, and was too lazy to use zip ties, this worked very well.

Trains

FollowupID: 666409