Fridge advice - not electrical...
Submitted: Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 at 18:22
ThreadID:
76026
Views:
4412
Replies:
4
FollowUps:
3
This Thread has been Archived
Jedo_03
Hi
Same time as we bought a Waeco 50L (18m ago) we also bought one of those Two-Zone add-ons. We have the Waeco insulation bag but not a Two-Zone insulator as they don't make them for Waeco's. So we've just been getting by with a coupla towels draped over the Two-zone and a foil window sunscreen folded over that - and a length of knicker-elastic to hold it all on...
Anyway - big trip coming up so I thought I would make the the Two-zone insulator look a bit more respectable - and bought some half inch foam with the idea of making a foil-foam-foil sandwich all neatly machine stitched and looking like the bee's knees...
Anyways, I started experimenting (as I do) by checking the temp in the Two-zone compartment. I have one of those electroconic fridge thermometers with the wire and sensor, records the fridge temp and also the ambient temp. First with no insulation/lining:
Ambient temp - 28.9 deg
Waeco panel temp - 0 deg
Two-zone temp - 24.3 deg
WTH...???
So then tried it with my idea of the foil-foam-foil sandwich - PLUS a large folded towel draped over the top: (same Waeco and Ambient temps)
Best I could get the Two-zone temp was 19.2 deg . . ???
I checked the Waeco compartment with the fridge thermometer - it agrees with the Waeco, viz 0 deg...
Can anyone help please.? What is the solution to getting the Two-zone compartment down to 4/5/6 degrees..?
Jedo
Reply By: Member - Vince B (NSW) - Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 at 18:55
Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 at 18:55
Jedo.
I have a older Waeco which doesn't have degress on the panel,only lights.
When I use the two zone add on I use setting 3.Bottom temp is usually o deg & upper compartment 6 deg.
With a higher ambient temp the second battery really gets a work out keeping the additional compartment below 6 deg.
Vince
AnswerID:
404204
Reply By: Member - Captain (WA) - Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 at 21:09
Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 at 21:09
Hi Jedo,
I had exactly the same problem two years ago. Here is a link to thread on
my TwoZone fix . The thread has all the temperatures I measured but to cut a long story short I fitted a fan to suck cold air into the TwoZone.
Cheers
Captain
AnswerID:
404229
Follow Up By: Wilko - Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 at 21:14
Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 at 21:14
Hi Jedo,
I 2nd this (Captain i think I stole the idea from you lol) But it works on
mine.
Cheers Wilko
FollowupID:
673918
Reply By: Member - Flynnie (NSW) - Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 at 21:52
Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 at 21:52
Jedo
Without a fan the top section will always be too warm.. The top of the standard Waeco (CF25) I have is too warm to be considered a fridge. This is without a Two Zone. Yeah it is cooler than outside but not fridge temperature in any way. Hot air rises and cold air sinks and imho the Two Zone concept is unsound. Two or three thermostats in different positions reveals a lot about how effective the upper levels of fridges are at cooling.
Better fridges such as Explorer and others have effective cooling of all the capacity. This is a point often dodged in "tests" and "reviews".
As you are already committed in your purchases installing a fan looks the only effective way of improving your setup.
Flynnie
AnswerID:
404238
Reply By: Nik & Dee - Tuesday, Feb 16, 2010 at 11:55
Tuesday, Feb 16, 2010 at 11:55
Hi Jedo,
I own and Engel and looked at getting one of the 2 zone add ons for it. I was told by the people at Engeland that these add on sections were no good as fridges and should onlly be used as a vege crisper. They also put extra strain on the compressor as it's trying to do more than it was designed for. This could void warranty etc etc...
They also said that as you mentioned you can't get a good temperature that is safe for food.
I don't know about the Waeco but imagine it may be the same case. In the end I didn't get one. Sorry for the bad news. hope you work something out.
Cheers
Nik
AnswerID:
404407
Follow Up By: Jedo_03 - Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010 at 07:04
Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010 at 07:04
Thanks very much to all.
12v fan on its way from HK - $3.80 + free post..!!!
Jedo
FollowupID:
674198
Follow Up By: Tenpounder (SA) - Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010 at 10:14
Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010 at 10:14
Nik. I must disagree with you. I too have a Two Zone on top of an Engel MT45F. First, according to the Two Zone website: "Engel Australia have advised us that they have no position, positive or negative, on the Twozone. However, they have clearly stated that the use of a Twozone will not affect their warranty which will be fully honoured. Engel Australia supply Twozone with all their hinges and clips used in the manufacture of our product."
Second, we have fitted a piece of ply to STOP too much cold air reaching the top section. We then run the Engel as a freezer down below, and the top section stays at fridge temperatures.
Yes, you have to adjust the thermostat to get the right settings, and we use two thermometers. The biggest problem is to keep the top section cool enough to preserve the lettuce from freezing!! We've kept frozen food at minus 10 or better in ambient temperatures in the 40s (maybe 50plus inside the vehicle) and the top at around 4 degrees AND raised the thermostat a bit to save precious battery capacity. So you were spun a huge yarn! Lots of owners will tell you the Engel can be run flat out as a freezer for years, so that puts paid to the 'extra strain' theory!
FollowupID:
674209