Adler Barbour Replacement

[rjabara]

I have an original  Adler Barbour CU100 in the boat that doesn't work and has a leak.  The PO left a replacement unit in the boat new in box uninstalled:  Compact #2001 Air Cooled Refrigeration System w/O-Shaped Evaporator | Isotherm U125X000R11111AB.

I had a tech come by, recommended that I replace with another AB CU 100 unit with an evaporator for the low low price of $4,000.

Well, I can't do that, but I was wondering if anyone on this forum knows why I can't just use the free one left behind on the boat.  Tech notes were:

"The isotherm system probably won't satisfy that box, as it's a pretty small system. I'd put an Adler Barbour back in or a SeaFrost if they don't need the little freezer bin"

Appreciate any insight here.

Rich

[Noah]

You could try it? I believe it uses the BD 35 Danfoss compressor and smaller evaporator.  It may cool enough for you? Or sell it on eBay. The cost of the ColdMachine 100 and properly sized 150 evaporator is about $2,200. It is a fairly easy DIY install. I did mine.

[awesome34]

Like Noah said the compressor in your isotherm unit is smaller and isn't designed to cool an ice box as large as ours. Defender has an array of options from Adler Barbour and Isotherm: https://defender.com/en_us/conversion-systems The properly sized isotherm system is significantly cheaper at ~$1150. One of the guys on the Catalina 34 Facebook group recently installed that himself and posted about it.

[pablosgirl]

I replaced our AB with the AB with the CU-100 evaporator my self in 2018 from Defender. They had the best price then. I chose the AB because the original had lasted over 20 years and the new was a drop in replacement.  I took out the old unit and put I the new in less than 4 hours because I went carefully slow.  The pre-charged refrigerant lines made the job DYI. Just measure the old line set so you will know what length to order.  My compressor is under the forward settee and used a 15' line set that had loop just before the compressor.

[scgunner]

Rich,

Well since you asked, I assume that $4,000 price tag your tech quoted you includes installation, yes? I wouldn't have him do it but I would take his advice. For me it's all about the cold it's hard to believe that the smaller, cheaper Isotherm unit is going to make as much cold as the A/B.

While more expensive the A/B unit will drop right in to the old unit's existing location and the A/B is designed with the DIY guy in mind, with pre-charged lines you don't even need to pay an A/C guy to come down and charge it. Also you already know how well the A/B works you won't know if the Isotherm makes enough cold until it's been installed so it's a bit of a roll of the dice. You could sell the Isotherm on Ebay to offset the cost.

[rjabara]

Kevin, yes included a $900 install.  I will either buy the AB as you suggest or buy a temporary portable fridge until I can buy the AB.

In the meantime, Paul, are you happy with the forward settee install?  Does the compressor noise bother you?  I like this location much better than the stern locker install.

Thanks for your help.

Rich

[scgunner]

Rich,

The aft locker and under the settee seem to be the two locations different dealers chose for install. Depending on battery location the settee is probably the easier install but you need to make sure it has sufficient ventilation. The compressor noise being a bother depends on how light a sleeper you are and where you sleep. If you sleep in the V-berth the compressor is much closer, if you sleep in the aft cabin it's farther away, of course if you sleep in the main salon you're sleeping right on top of it. During the day like your fridge at home it's not noticeable.

I sleep in the aft cabin and the compressor is in the rear locker the noise doesn't bother me or my wife.

[waughoo]

I have mine in the stbd setee just forward of the water tank.  It has an intake duct that I routed to a louvered vent in the forward footwell under the aft facing dinette seat.  I hear it when it starts up if I am doing nothing else, but otherwise I am completely oblivious to its opperation.  In fact, I often hear the freeon moving through the cold plate in the ice box more than the compressor.