ColdEh Marine Refrigeration - Energy Efficient Air-Cooled Custom Systems

Check out Cruisers Forum For Great Marine Refrigeration Discussions

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 12:01:54 -0700

Refitting or repairing your marine refrigeration has its challenges -- and experienced cruiser's depend on the shared knowledge available on Cruiser's Forum.

Here are just a few links of debates, details specs and data so you can be an informed consumer and get a few hints on what to do...

Three Surprising Survey Stats on Marine Refrigeration Performance

Wed, 16 May 2018 06:04:39 -0700

At the Annapolis Spring Sail Boat Show an avid sailing crowd visited the ColdEh booth and many shared their onboard experiences with their marine refrigeration.

This year the ColdEh survey asked about two critical and inter-related topics:

Refrigeration and freezer day-to-day performance, and
Compartment box insulation.

Is anyone really satisfied?

(spoiler alert: some survey results are surprising)

As so many boat owners quest to live more comfortably aboard for longer periods of time, marine refrigeration plays an increasingly important role in their daily experience – and a well-performing system becomes a vital asset that’s depended on.

So how is their marine refrigeration performing? Here are the survey findings:

Survey Stat #1:

100% of sailboat owners with vessels less than 5 years old rated their refrigeration/freezer performance as only ‘OK’

While rating their insulation as more than adequate (even Thick and Frosty!), the performance of the original builder installed systems failed to meet all performance expectations

(For more information READ https://www.coldeh.com/blog/find-out-the-1-reason-why-people-want-to-improve-their-marine-refrigeration)

Survey Stat #2:

Vessels between 10 and 20 years old have the highest need for refrigeration performance improvement

Even those that had replaced their refrigeration system within the past 5 years only rated their system performance as adequate and able. And, it may not be surprising that 92% of the those with original systems stated they were Worried/Unhappy with their systems’ performance (with the majority of these owners noting their refrigeration compartment...Read More

Can a Spillover Work For You?

Sun, 11 Feb 2018 10:41:19 -0800

So you’ve made the decision to turn that old icebox into true boat refrigeration… or have decided that your current ‘ice tray’ bin-style freezer is just a little too small.

Can a spillover system work for you? Well… it depends…

Here are some things to consider to help you make your decision.

First… what is a Spillover system?

A ‘spillover’ system is a refrigeration compartment box that is divided into two separate sections with a partition dividing the box into a freezer section and a refrigeration section. Typically the box is designed to provide a ratio of 1/3rd freezer space to 2/3 refrigerator space separated by a well insulated partition.

The evaporator plate for the system is installed in the freezer section, and the system is designed to have the compressor operate based on freezer temperature requirements .

How does it work?

The system is cooled by air spilt over from the freezer section into the refrigeration section. It is important that the spillover divider is insulated – typically to R10 (that’s the equivalent of 2 layers of ‘blue board’ extruded polystyrene foam board (XPS), or about 2”/4cm of thickness). The divider should be moisture penetration proof, and sealed with fiberglass, plastic or formica.

Practically, some spillover systems just have air passages/holes in the bottom of the divider between the fridge and freezer. Often the air passages are made from PVC tubing, caulked into place. This design depends on natural convection to keep air flowing. How many holes should the divider have? It depends. A good test is determining the flow needed to keep the ice cream hard when the fridge reaches 32-40° F/0-4°C.

Depending on the box shape and more importantly how the box is loaded with food and filled, some boxes just can't get good convection air movement and need a fan to enable air flow for higher efficiency and temperature uniformity. The fans are thermostatically ‘triggered’ when the...Read More

Plug it!

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 15:03:07 -0800

Refrigeration is usually the biggest drain on a boat’s power supply – and one quick way to avoid cold air loss (and higher energy use) is to make sure your compartment drain is plugged.

The condensation drain in your compartment box should always be closed when the refrigerator is in everyday operation otherwise the heavier cold air will run out at the bottom to be replaced by lighter warm damp air from the boat bilge.

Double check – are you suffering from refrigeration drain drain?

While you don’t find refrigeration compartment drains on most new boats, it wasn’t so long ago that many boat refrigerators were built with a drain in the bottom or converted from ice boxes with drains that allowed any condensation to drip into the bilge.

So double check your box… there may be an unsuspected drain culprit letting cold air escape your refrigerator and warm air from the bilge to enter the compartment.

Plug it! Some Easy Options

For a temporary solution, roll duct tape into a ball and lodge it into the drain hole (careful – it may leave a sticky residue).
For a removable solution, use a wine cork in the drain hole. If it doesn’t fit, trim it down a bit, using a knife.You want a tight fit and enough of the cork protruding that you can remove it.
Try a rubber stopper or jar lid gripper to keep the cold air in.

So how do you deal the condensation?

Condensation forms in every fridge – even your home refrigeration. It begins when moist warm air enters the box from leakages (seals, drains, etc) and every time you open the door. The moisture in that air will 'condense' and turn to liquid on the coldest surface available to it (which happens to be your evaporator plate).

Dealing with a puddle? Mop it up with a sponge or use a turkey baster or even a small hand pump to suck water from the box and any bits of food or spilled liquids.

Keeping condensation down to a minimum

Check...Read More

That's Cool, Eh!Here are 17 cool things we have discovered from our customers...

Sat, 30 Dec 2017 14:53:04 -0800

ColdEh Marine Refrigeration made its mark as the first new North American manufacturer in over 20 years. And that is cool, eh! Here are other cool things we have discovered by serving our customers.

What people want (according to what they told us):

Help dealing with old 'energy eating' refrigeration -- well-found older and previously owned vessel refit and renovation investment is increasing and refrigeration is a top 5 refit choice
Boaters worldwide are facing inoperable or failing refrigeration systems... we helped people in 4 continents!
Marine enthusiasts consider cost first in the 'cost vs. price' decision... choosing their refrigeration systems to avoid the cost of replacement, short-life and need for constant maintenance
Those embracing new sailing lifestyles and long term live-aboard intentions, particularly in warm climates, want to enjoy the 'the comforts of home' (and that includes having dependable cold food storage... effortlessly)
Energy efficiency is the #1 benefit desired in a new marine refrigeration system -- to support efficient system energy management aboard (see the October blog "What is the #1 benefit?")
Refrigeration run by solar power only is a top goal of our customers! (it can be done)
High quality refrigeration systems are a consideration to contribute to added resale value

What people need (and what we help with):

Pointers on refrigeration options -- especially icebox conversions and spill-over vs. freezer compartment design planning
Information on how to insulate their compartment -- we did tests on 2 popular insulating materials and here's the Cruiser's Forum link http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f115/polyiso-vs-blueboad-xps-test-193232.html
Help...Read More

Marine Refrigeration Price vs. Cost

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 08:13:48 -0700

Price is a simple number.

How much money do I need to hand you to get this thing?

Cost is more relevant, more real and more complicated.

Cost is what I had to give up to get the convenience of safe food storage.

Cost is how much power it takes to feed the system.

Cost is how much time, money and intrusion it takes to install the system.

Cost is how much effort it takes to care for it, maintain it and troubleshoot it.

Cost is my lack of focus because of noise and heat it makes.

Cost is the externalities, the side effects.

Just about every time, cost matters more than price.

ColdEh refrigeration systems do not have the lowest price.

But we work to ensure that they have the lowest cost for you.

What is the #1 benefit people want from their marine refrigeration?

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 16:04:10 -0700

At the United States Sail Boat Show in Annapolis we conducted our ColdEh Marine Refrigeration survey.

We asked booth visitors to share some information on how they used their marine refrigeration and what benefits they wanted from their system (beyond the advantage of cold, safe food storage) including:

What power sources did these sailors use for their refrigeration needs?
What was their sailing lifestyle? (and did that change their refrigeration expectations?)
What system benefits did they value most?

Here are the ColdEh Survey results…

#1 feature wanted in marine refrigeration?

Energy Efficiency.

Mirroring our spring survey findings that the #1 reason people consider a new refrigeration system is power consumption, energy efficiency was the number one benefit desired in a marine refrigeration system.

The result held true regardless of sailing lifestyle – from occasional cruisers through to live-aboards and isn’t surprising. Core marine systems like navigation and lighting draw minimal power in comparison to marine refrigeration, making refrigeration systems a focus for efficient system energy management. And when on the hook, your boat is your home and your refrigeration system is the only system running steadily to tax your energy reserves.

#2 Reliability and #3 Low Maintenance

Knowing that their marine refrigeration is reliable and low maintenance are most desired by occasional and short cruise sailors. These two benefits were also scored highly by off-shore cruisers and live-aboards.

#4 Value and #5 Warranty

While only half as critical of Energy Efficiency, Value was rated highly by off-shore cruisers.

Survey results clearly demonstrated that the more time aboard individuals have, the more importance they feel a...Read More

Why Copper Is A Good Choice For Marine Refrigeration

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:13:17 -0700

Did you know copper is the most recycled and recyclable building material you can use? It rarely ends up in a landfill - it's just too valuable. In fact it’s about three times as costly as aluminum. Salvaged electrical wiring, plumbing tube and car radiators are the main sources for reclaimed copper, which is sold to brass mills, copper mills and refineries to be melted down and recast and developed into new products – like ColdEh 100% pure copper evaporator plates. Recycled copper helps conserve the earth's resources - a primary goal of the "green" building and off-grid movements. And it’s a longtime favorite metal of sailor’s and boater’s alike.

Copper is a good choice to prevent mold

Anywhere there is water there is the danger of mold. Copper works well to prevent internal molding and algae buildup. That’s why it is often preferred for plumbing applications.

Copper is a great choice for thermal conductivity

Copper is first choice for high thermal conductivity, operating almost 90% more efficient than aluminum when transferring heat from the air to refrigerant (and 10X better than stainless steel).

ColdEh Systems Have More Copper Than Any Other Marine Refrigeration

Why? First and foremost, ColdEh’s exclusive custom-copper evaporator plate design delivers copper’s remarkable thermal conductivity. That means your refrigeration has an heat transfer platform that removes heat more efficiently, so your system cools down quickly and stays cool, saving you energy (perfect for solar applications).

And here are three more advantages to ColdEh’s exclusive custom-copper evaporator plates:

Copper is tough. That means your compartment refrigeration plates will stand the test of time… and withstand shifting load impacts and ice pick abuse too.
Copper is corrosion resistant compared to stainless steel and aluminum. That means your compartment refrigeration plates will stand the test of time… in fact they will...Read More

In the News: ColdEh Featured in Canadian Yachting

Sun, 04 Jun 2017 11:25:56 -0700

What is a boat marine refrigeration system’s weakest link?

Sat, 03 Jun 2017 17:07:28 -0700

Got the boat of your dreams? Check. Rigging is good? Check. Battery and power? Loaded. Radio and GPS in good order? Yes.

It’s a long list you work hard to check off to be certain you have equipment you can depend on for safe travels. But, is refrigeration on your list?

When you pack your things and come aboard – for a day, weekend or a passage - keeping food and drink cold and safe can make the difference between enjoying a great time and or facing an annoying struggle.

So how do you make sure you avoid the struggle? Check your weakest link…

What is the weakest link in your marine refrigeration system? The Connectors.

For many systems, the weakest link is the self-sealing couplings that connect the refrigerant hose between your plate and your Condensing Unit. What is critical about couplings? They have two functional ends, the line end, and the port (or "thread") end. They create the seal that avoids refrigerant leaking from your system.

Many boaters suffer the pains of weak coupling links, and the resulting poor refrigeration

performance. It’s a top maintenance concern.

What causes weak couplings? Sometimes they are not installed and attached correctly. A poorly torqued coupling may leak. A coupling that has been over-tightened may deform, strip threads, or crack the cone or seat resulting in restricted refrigerant flow and reduced system performance.

Sometimes it’s age. If your system has been sitting for many years, a tiny leak from a coupling that was never properly tightened all the way can result in a big problem. Slow leaks of only an ounce of gas per year may hold a charge sufficient enough that you don’t identify the problem for quite a while (unlike a faster leak caused by corrosion in the system).

Sometimes it’s the environment. Refrigerant systems that have couplings that depend on o-rings as the final seal against refrigerant loss can fail. Why?...Read More