Installing a refrigerator

[mregan]

Has anyone installed small Norcold or equal fridge.  I'm going to get rid of the stove/oven and maybe put in a 1 burner portable cooktop.  In the vacant space below I was thinking of installing a fridge.  I don't think the refrigeration on the boat works. I need to get it tested.  The gentlemen I bought it from said someone looked at it a couple of years ago and it worked but needed freon.  If I can't get it working I plan on purchasing a new refrigeration unit.
My older C-30 just had an icebox.  I ended up installing a 12/120 v fridge.  During the week it would run on 120v shore power while at the slip.  It was nice to be able to leave drinks/food on board during the week rather than haul everything home each weekend.  During day sails, the fridge was usually large enough to hold whatever perishables we brought aboard.  During overnights, we usually had to pack the ice box with ice to hold the overflow of food/drinks.
Wondering if I would be better off installing the fridge and use it the same way as I did on my other boat or to just replace/repair the refrigeration unit and run it constantly?

[lazybone]

Whether your buying a house, a car, or a boat and the PO says all it needs is bit of freon...

kick them in the pants.

[Stu Jackson]

There is that, but after 26 years, I think I've traced my fridge start issues down to needing a charge.  Ken Heyman did a nice writeup of charging his system.

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5084.0.html

Since Ken is a licensed "fridge charge" guy, legally, I'll just have to send him a plane ticket to get from Chicago to here with his gear, if HSA will let him on a plane with his "toys!"    Probably won't happen, so I'll have to go locally.

For Mr. Regan, you might want to consider resale value if you take out the oven and stove.  Unless you plan to keep her forever, many folks like the stoves.  You might want to consider simply replacing the fridge system.  Maine Sail speaks highly of the Seafrost system.  If I was replacing, I'd go with that.  Also heard good things about it on the C36 forum.  It's just so convenient to flip the breaker on the panel with a remote compressor.  Plus, the top loading fridge keeps stuff cooler when you open it, compared to a front loading fridge.

Keeping the fridge ON all the time?  Many of us do not keep our boats plugged in when we're not there.  Why?  'Cuz the power can go out, and you're left with this, reported by a C36 skipper just the other day:

I accidentally shut my fridge switch off when leaving my boat for 10 days (I live aboard) and came home to a smelly, green, goopy mess. Fun, I know.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to clean it. Leading candidates right now are clorox spray (1.5% bleach in water) and baking soda. I have a newly replaced Whale foot pump, so I can basically fill the thing with water to rinse it out.

I'd use baking soda to clean a normal fridge (no chemical residue), but I'm worried it could abrade the foot pump in a bad way. Alternatively, I'd never use Clorox on a normal fridge unless I were cleaning it on a driveway with a garden hose, but I feel like I could sufficiently rinse and then air-dry the galley fridge.

And this is from a liveaboard!     If I want a "cold one" I stop at 7-11 on the way to the boat or wait for 20 minutes with a few in the freezer/evaporator section.  You can buy or get ketchup, mustard and mayo in those little packets at fast food restaurants or Costco.

Your boat, your choice.

[TonyP]

Vanilla is a great way of masking fridge odour ... just clean first then rub over the walls and leave
I have read about "OzFridge" which is supposed to be very efficient ... google it.

cheers
Tony

[Stephen Butler]

We are coming up on 10 years with our C34 and have discussed adding/changing the refrig. at least twice per year.  We spend much time aboard, or at least we did as the boat is now in long term storage, and the admiral has always wanted more and easier storage.  We have looked at the Norcold units, and several others, and have always run up against the same issue....placement.  Under the nav table does not work for us as we store other things there....on the back settee in the aft cabin is out as the area is already cramped, and the cost of reconfiguring the galley to put in a new top and front loading frig was too high to consider.  So, we went with keeping our old but still servicable in-box system, adding insulation, experimenting with better storage approaches (the admiral now uses mesh bags that hang down to the bottom, to store many similar items and a better shelving arrangement), and purchasing the absolute best ice chest we could find and keeping it solely for drinks (this is a major improvement for us).  This combo works well, although the lure of a top/front loading refrig. is still there.   When our reefer does go (it is the original 1990 unit), we will replace with a SeaFrost as their reputation is quite good.  Hope this helps.

[David Comando]

We have had Kindred Spirit for 10 years. Eight or so years ago we installed a Frigoboat Refridgeration System with a keel cooler. It has worked flawlessly. I turn the system on when the boat splashes down in May, and leave it on till the boat is hauled in early November. With my 4 golf cart 6 volt batteries we can be on a hook for over 4 days before I consider a need for a charge. With my two young adult daughters and my wife we run out of fresh water before I run out of cold beer!

[horsemel]

We are currently replacing our refrigeration with a keel cooler type.  I saw it on another 34 boat last summer and kept in touch with the owner as to its performance.  Apparently he has had the same results as the previous post.  We are really looking forward to this instead of lugging ice and coolers back and forth.  Our old unit has not worked for four years.