Techni-ice ice box, not working?

Submitted: Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 11:23
ThreadID: 99035 Views:7355 Replies:15 FollowUps:9
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posted Yesterday at 1:47 pm


O.P.

I read a lot of good things about Techni-ice iceboxes and bought a 40lt one directly from their website.

www.techniice.com

However, my experience with it has been less than stellar. I have used it a handful of times, and I find the ice melts within a day or so. This past weekend, we went camping and even my mate’s normal Coleman esky was far better than Techni-ice, which I was very surprised about.

I checked the seals etc. and everything is fine. What I did notice is that when I touch the outer side-walls of the Techni-Ice box, it is cold. This can’t possibly be a good thing as it means the cold is not being retained inside the box and instead gets drawn to the outside, mixes with the warm air outside and gets dissipated. Is my basic understanding of the laws of physics/thermodynamics correct?

I asked this question in another forum and also contacted Techni Ice directly as well. To their credit, they replied promptly with tips on how to pack the esky - pre-cool, ice blocks, salt etc. etc. All that makes sense.

What I'd like to know however is when you use your esky - Techniice or other brands -how do your eskies feel on the outside when you fill them up with ice and stuff? Does it feel cold or feel rooom/ambient temperature? If it is the latter, logic will dictate that the insulation is working i.e. it is forming a barrier between cold inside and warm temp outside. This means that the ice inside is isolated and will stay cold for longer. Am I making sense? Can you actually tell whether the esky is filled with ice or empty just by touching the outer side walls?

My Techni ice icebox unfortunately feels cold on the outside when I fill it up. Maybe it is a problem with the insulation or perhaps I got a bad batch. Infact you could tell how much of the esky was filled with ice, as the bottom half, which had the ice bags, was much cooler than the top-half on the outside if that makes sense. On humid days, it is cold enough to cause condensation on the oustide, similar to a glass of ice-water on a table. I am guessing this is probably not good as the cold is not being retained inside.

Sorry about the long post - I am just trying to get some data points around whether it is normal for eskies to feel cool on the outside, when you fill the inside with ice etc.

Please share how your eskies feel on the *outside* when you fill them up.

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Reply By: Member - wicket - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 12:26

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 12:26
Can't really comment on the temp of the box outside but for what it's worth we have an Everkool box, we fill it one third with a solid block of ice and on our last trip we still had ice remaining on the ninth day ( the champers was ice cold on the eighth day)
Never seen condensation and never been aware of the outer surface being cold.
AnswerID: 498622

Reply By: Member - Broodie H3 - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 12:47

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 12:47
I have three eskys and none of them feel cold on the outside when fully loaded, and I use block Ice that I make myself and generally last for up to seven or eight days depending on where we are at or camping. I generally keep the esky under a wet or damp bag and out of the sun as much as possible. I hope this helps.
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Follow Up By: graman - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 13:02

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 13:02
Thank you, that helps. Do you mind sharing what brand your 3 eskies are? Are they fibreglass or poly-ethylene? The cast that they don't feel cold outside is a great thing, means that insulation is working.

Do any other member have specific experience with Techni-Ice boxes and how are they to touch on the outside? Just trying to determine whether my specific box has manufacturing defect or its a general problem with all Techni-Ice boxes.

I have a Techni-Ice "Classic" btw. Not sure if the "Hybrid" is any better - I couldn't understand what the difference between the two is. But based on my experience can't recommend the classic.
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Follow Up By: Member - Broodie H3 - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 14:21

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 14:21
Hi Graman, Our three eskys are 20ltr Willow 10yrs old, A coleman40ltr at lest 15yrs old And the new boat esky a 120ltr Ice cool about 6yrs old, and no problems with any of them.
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Follow Up By: Member - Broodie H3 - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 14:27

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 14:27
Sorry I forgot to mention that two 20 and 40ltr, are Plastic thats what I call them I may be incorrect with what they are made out of and the 120 ltr is polyurethane. It is big and orange that is all I know about them some one else might know the correct build, as they all work for us . Glad to be corrected
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Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 19:05

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 19:05
Broodie! The orange unit is probably a Tropical brand box, it is made of high density Polyethylene and the insulation is usually expanded foam polyurethane! They are a good unit, i have a 50 litre unit for weekend use. They would be better if they were white to reflect the heat.. How dumb are the manufacturers!! Michael
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Follow Up By: Member - Broodie H3 - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 20:23

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 20:23
Personaly I am glad it is orange for boat use because at least I will have a life raft that you can't miss from the air,lol and Micheal I just went and checked it is a tropical. great esky for big fish.
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Reply By: Stevo - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 13:01

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 13:01
Techni-ice box-very, very overated. My Coleman beats it hands down.

My Techni-ice box is now only used for storage.
AnswerID: 498624

Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 13:01

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 13:01
Don't use eskies enough to comment on their efficiency, or lack thereof.

However I seem to recall a thread on here, maybe a few years ago, where the bloke was complaining about the poor performance of his esky. Can't remember the brand, but it turned out there was no insulation in the top and/or walls. Not a happy chappy!!!

He reckoned you could see a light through the walls, if you put a torch inside the esky. If you did a search you may pick the thread up.

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Follow Up By: milkieboy - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 16:38

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 16:38
I think the torch myth was busted http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/Topic/90878/Techniice_Ice_Boxes.aspx
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 17:25

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 17:25
Thanks Milkieboy,

Don't remember the last few posts of that thread, so must have been working at the time. Good response from Techni-Ice, eh.

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Reply By: Krooznalong - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 14:38

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 14:38
Did you tell them that bit about it being cold on outside? Sounds very much like you have one with no (or insuffiicient) insulation. Hassle them for a replacement.
AnswerID: 498626

Reply By: graman - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 16:36

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 16:36
They gave me long list of tips - I will try them out this weekend. If same result, I will follow them up.
AnswerID: 498629

Reply By: workhorse - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 17:31

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 17:31
I have to admit my techni Ice sits in the corner as I found it disappointing in relation to all my other past/current cheaper eskies. My ice was lucky to last 2 days with pre-cooled drinks.
AnswerID: 498631

Reply By: Gossy - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 17:44

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 17:44
yep, I'm not impressed with mine either
AnswerID: 498633

Reply By: philw - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 18:33

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 18:33
I have a 70L and a 40L.Techni-ice. Both keep block ice for at least 7 days in the middle of a South Australian summer,if kept in the shade and not opened every 5 minutes. They have superb insulating qualities.They are both 4 years old.
AnswerID: 498637

Reply By: Dreadnought - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 18:34

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 18:34
Hey Graman,
We've got 2 Techni-Ice boxes, a 60ltr for the beer out on the boat and a 70ltr for the fish....One, we empty rather quickly and the other we have trouble filling!
In answer to your question, both of our iceboxes work really well. We live in Karratha and the iceboxes are generally the last thing to get emptied at the end of the days fishing. Consquently, it may be the next day or even the one after that, that I get around to emptying the ice from them and there is still plenty of ice left. This is during days of the high 30's/low 40's. The outside of the boxes doesn't seem to get cold, I haven't actually made a point of checking them but I think I would notice it as we shift them around the boat a fair bit, have never noticed condensation on the outside of them either.
If I were you, I would try again, control the conditions as much as you can and give Techni-Ice some data if possible.....eg 5 kilos of ice, ambient temp of 28 degrees average, 12 hours without lid being opened, reduced to 2 kilos of ice and 3 litres of water approx. They should know if there's a problem and I'm sure would be more than willing to help you out if they suspect one may have slipped through quality control.
Good Luck........
AnswerID: 498638

Follow Up By: Joseph C3 - Saturday, Nov 17, 2012 at 10:34

Saturday, Nov 17, 2012 at 10:34
I checked mine and it doesnt seem to have any condensation either .. If you search online , there is a company called Global National that sells esky's into a lot of shops and i just found that they also sell to Techniice , Esky , Big chilly Chest and Chillco coolers If you notice they all have the same type of features on all their boxes .I also have an Evakool and a Chillco (one of their el cheapos ) but picked up a Techni esky for my camper , it costed me a little more more but holds ice for about a week , which is about what my mates get out of them too, I just found this video on youtube Esky Test

@ Garman - I think you should just call them with the test results and if its a dud one they will just replace it under the guarantee .. dont stress about it .Try asking for a free upgrade to the next size up if they are replacing
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Reply By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 19:11

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 19:11
It is possible that the foamed insulation has not been filled (injected) correctly, the unit may be faulty. Try taking it back, either for a refund or a replacement. Michael
AnswerID: 498639

Reply By: happytravelers - Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 22:18

Friday, Nov 16, 2012 at 22:18
I was in the market for an ice box this time last year. I looked at the Techni ice but bought a Chilli chest. My mate bought two Techni ice's about the same time. Both brands have worked really well over several camping trips keeping ice for several days. I've never noticed them being cold on the outside, so I would suggest you may have a faulty one. Certainly do as someone suggested and carry out a controlled test so that you have some data to go back to Techni Ice with.

Jon
AnswerID: 498646

Reply By: Joseph C3 - Saturday, Nov 17, 2012 at 15:46

Saturday, Nov 17, 2012 at 15:46
Garman Herz the link which says their boxes are covered under aLife Time Guarantee.. So your esky must be covered if its defective .Try asking for a free upgrade to the next size up if they are giving you a replacement. Wouldnt hurt to Ask

Ive just picked up one of their fridge freezers and works a treat .I have those gel packs hydrated and frozen in my fridge and another batch in me esky and these days i hardly ever buy ice .. you cant use the gel packs for fish becuz they absorb all the juice

Lemme know if you are looking for a fridge .. im planning to sell my old waeco 40L
Cheers
AnswerID: 498663

Reply By: graman - Friday, Nov 30, 2012 at 10:06

Friday, Nov 30, 2012 at 10:06
For what it is worth, I cannot complain about the customer service Techi-Ice provides!

I emailed them and they have been prompt in their responses. They offered tips on how I can improve performance, things I should check for in the esky to make sure every thing is alright, seals are ok etc.. I've been running some "controlled" tests as suggested to assess the performance and they have offered to have the esky sent back to them for testing/replacement (postage paid) if it fails in the test.

I must admit, I have been pleasantly surprised with their service, very refreshing to see someone stand behind their product and warranty - hopefully the esky issue also gets resolved! Will keep you guys posted.

Thank you for all your advice and support!
AnswerID: 499505

Follow Up By: Member - Phil 'n Jill (WA) - Friday, Nov 30, 2012 at 13:05

Friday, Nov 30, 2012 at 13:05
Hi graman

I would take them up on the 'return for testing' option.

I don't believe ice boxes should be cold on the outside.

Had numerous in the kimberleys over several years and the really good ones held ice for several days in extreme conditions - assisted during the day by being covered where possible - shaded or tarped.

I use the techni-ice packs for cooling my products in the eskies - best product I have come across - but I suspect your icebox could be defective and would be getting it checked. They appear keen to protect their product name so give it a shot.

Regards - Phil
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FollowupID: 775520

Reply By: Shaker - Friday, Nov 30, 2012 at 16:40

Friday, Nov 30, 2012 at 16:40
Michael may be on the right track, hold it up to the light & look from the inside out, if it appears blotchy then the foam isn't covering the whole area.
I had the same problem with a Waeco ice box, don't know why I even bought it after the problems I had with one of their fridges, probably thought they couldn't bugger up an ice box ...... Wrong!
AnswerID: 499525

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