Replacing Adler Barbour refrigeration

[Ken Juul]

You haven't mentioned what type of fridge the replacement will be.  I will recommend Sea Frost with the ice box.  HUGE improvement over my old Norcold.  I've got a Mk1.5.  No real access to the lazerette.  My PO/Dealer put it at the bottom of the navsta hanging locker.  Drilled a couple holes under the desk to help air flow. Out of site, and the runs aren 't too long.

[Hugh17]

Thank you for the suggestion on the Sea Frost. I'll check it out. The wet locker next to the Nav table is not an option for me. Thanks to a PO that locker houses my Vetus holding tank bladder. Sounds like a nice location. I've also heard of some C34 owners installing the HVAC unit there.
Thanks again!

[Hugh17]

What did Stu say about most refrigeration issues? Answer = Electrical. CaiLeigh Anna update: Tech identified low voltage under load at the condenser unit. Found very loose ground wire at the main electrical panel. Tightened screw and old Alder Barbour CU100 is apparently pumping cold Freon again. Fingers crossed I may have dodged the replacement bullet for now. BUT, I will use this opportunity to pre-plan for the eventual replacement hopefully on my schedule and terms.

[Roc]

Recently talked to a dock mate (Beneteau 332) about refrigeration and he said he used to have an Adler Barbour which eventually broke down and he had to replace it.  Marina suggested Frigoboat.  They told him they never have issues.  Marina did the installation and he's had it for a while and says it's much better than A-B.  He can keep things frozen in freezer section and the compressor doesn't cycle that much at all.  the A-B unit (which I have) does cycle quite a lot. 

[Hugh17]

You haven't mentioned what type of fridge the replacement will be.  I will recommend Sea Frost with the ice box.  HUGE improvement over my old Norcold.  I've got a Mk1.5.  No real access to the lazerette.  My PO/Dealer put it at the bottom of the navsta hanging locker.  Drilled a couple holes under the desk to help air flow. Out of site, and the runs aren 't too long.

I looked at a video on the Sea Frost. It's impressive. Is there a specific model you went with? Can you share the cost? I'm curious if it's more or less than the AB.

Also, not specific to the Sea Frost unit, what's the opinion of the quality of insulation of the icebox in the MK1 Catalina 34? My suspicion is that it's not very good. Has anyone tried to add to the insulation of the icebox in order to improve the efficiency of the refrigeration?

[Jon W]

I recall seeing two Tech Note articles and references to a couple others. I recall Ron H., and Herb from Mainsheet having articles.

Some folks used styrofoam to make a mold then used a spray foam to fill between the fridge and the styrofoam. Others removed the countertop to get better access to all sides.

[Ken Juul]

IIRC the Sea Frost was about $1800, this was 3-4 years ago.  The freezer box holds all the cold plates, sits port/stbd high against the forward wall, so the lid acts as the freezer lid also.  Comes with 12' lines, I needed longer, no extra charge. They work with you to ensure a good fit. PO used spray foam to insulate the box, should be some tech wiki write ups.

[DaveBMusik]

I recall seeing two Tech Note articles and references to a couple others. I recall Ron H., and Herb from Mainsheet having articles.

Some folks used styrofoam to make a mold then used a spray foam to fill between the fridge and the styrofoam. Others removed the countertop to get better access to all sides.

I sprayed mine with a two part closed cell kit by Versi foam this spring. The small kit was enough to do the two accessible walls as well as the bottom. I took all of the old styrofoam out before spraying and am quite happy with the results. Cycling on and off is definitely less. Pulling the drawer unit out to gain access was not too bad.

[dpenz]

I installed an Isotherm SP2553 seawater-cooled unit in 2012, and have been quite pleased with it.  The main disadvantage is that it requires a special new thru-hull fitting, to replace the galley sink drain fitting.  The condenser heat exchanger is an integral part of the thru-hull.  Compressor noise is hardly detectable.  The refrigerator stays cold and most of the compressor heat dissipates in the water outside the boat, keeping the cabin cool(er). 

[Stu Jackson]

Stu,

Do you know how many cubic feet the ice box is on the MK1?

I was wrong.  Look in the manual:  3.8 cu ft

[Hugh17]

Stu,
Thanks for the update on the cubic feet of the refrigerator.

This past weekend I insulated the refrigeration line and saw an improvement in the performance of the refrigeration system. Compounding the problem with the lack of insulation on the tubing was that the high and low pressure lines were taped together every few feet. Apparently this was done to make it easier to run the tubing.

The negative, in addition to the lack of insulation, with this was that the return line, which is hot was laying next to the high pressure or cold line thus sapping the "cold" from the line before it made its way to the evaporator core in the refrigerator.

My next area of concern is to replace the rubber gasket around the lid on the refrigerator. Any help identifying this gasket would be appreciated.

[Stu Jackson]

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My next area of concern is to replace the rubber gasket around the lid on the refrigerator. Any help identifying this gasket would be appreciated.

We don't even have a gasket.

McMaster Carr has tons of 'em.  But it would seem to need to be thin, so weatherproofing could work.

I just keep defrosting.

Insulate the hot one and separate those fridge lines.

[Hugh17]

CAILEIGH ANNA's REFRIGERATION SUMMARY

DOMETIC ADLER BARBER
•   The Dometic Adler Barber CU-100 air cooled condenser unit with the VD-150 Evaporator is very common in the Catalina 34, and is still a popular unit today.
•   The CU-100 Condenser Unit is rated for a maximum of 15 cubic feet.
•   The VD-150 Evaporator is rated for 9 cubic feet.
•   The icebox in the Catalina 34 Mark 1 is 3.8 cubic feet.
•   The CU-100 cost at Defender is $729, and $799 at West Marine.
•   The VD-150 cost at Defender is $425, and $480 at West Marine.

OTHER UNITS MENTIONED BY C-34 OWNERS
•   Isotherm SP2553 seawater-cooled unit and requires a special new thru-hull fitting, to replace the galley sink drain fitting.
•   IIRC the Sea Frost. Reported $1800 cost 3-4 years ago.
•   I've explored the possibility of locating the Condenser Unit in another location other than the Lazarette Hatch. Some owners have successfully located the Condenser Unit in the forward bench of Settee.
•   It may be possible to locate the Condenser Unit under the Range if one with the correct dimensions can be found.
•   I even considered locating the Condenser Unit under the V-berth. The distance would probably be equal to locating it in the Lazarette Hatch. One person mentioned that there may be a noise issue which would affect sleeping. I believe running the refrigeration lines would be a challenge.
•   The Lazarette Hatch to still be a good option assuming ventilation in that hatch can be improved. The distance of the refrigeration lines is rather long, but will work has been proven by probably hundreds of installations.
•   On C34 owner mentioned being able to purchase a new refrigeration unit directly from Catalina. I contacted Catalina and learned that they do not use the units that will work in the Mark 1 Catalina 34.

CONCLUSION
•   My VD-150 Evaporator was replaced in 2016. The refrigeration never worked as well as it did when I first purchased the boat in 2013.
•   A new refrigeration mechanic was hired and determined the problem was low voltage at the condenser when under load. Essentially the compressor was cycling on and off and only running for very short periods. The electrical problem was determined to be a loose ground wire at the main DC panel. The wire size from the panel to the condenser unit was determined to be appropriate for the load and distance run.
•   Once the ground wire was tightened the unit immediately started frosting over the evaporator.

INEFFICIENCY ISSUES
•   During the hot Southern afternoon, the refrigeration didn't appear to work as well as during the cooler nights.
•   The refrigeration mechanic suggested improving the ventilation in the Lazarette Hatch by cutting out the holes behind the 4"x4" ventilation grills on the forward bulkhead of the Lazarette Hatch.
•   I determined that the refrigeration lines were taped together and there was no insulation on the "cool" line. I separated the lines and insulated the "cool" line.
•   I do not believe that the lid on the icebox is sealing very well. This is evident by the buildup of frost/ice on the Evaporator. I will eventually try to refit the lid and add a better rubber seal. But for now, I'm keeping a foam back small mat over the lid to help seal out the loss of cool air.
•   Based on feedback on the C34 forum it's clear that Catalina did a poor job of insulating the space between the inner walls of the icebox and the hull/cabinets.
o   There is some feedback from other owners who has addressed this problem.
o   Some owners have removed the countertops to gain access to the space between the icebox walls and filled it with spray foam.
o   I do not want to remove the countertop now, so I'm considering drilling holes on the outside walls of the icebox and filling the space with a closed cell foam, but will have to drill holes inside the icebox on the hull side of the icebox. I will not do this until I can locate a circular plastic plug to cover the holes inside the icebox on the hull side.
o   Essentially, the icebox must be insulated as much as possible to improve the efficiency of the refrigeration, which is obviously of sufficient size based on cubit feet ratings of the Condenser Unit and Evaporator and icebox.
•   The 1-1/4" hold under the evaporator where the refrigeration lines exit the icebox was not sealed after the new VD-150 evaporator was replaced in 2016. This is another place where cold air from the refrigeration is being lost. This will be sealed with spray foam.

CONCLUSION
•   I have dodged the replacement bullet for now! My problem is/was a lot of small issues from electrical to terrible inefficiency of the physical ice box. Even if a new refrigeration unit is installed, the inefficiency issues must be addressed. This is my goal for now.
•   THANKS to all who have contributed comments and suggestions as I've tried to educate myself on the refrigeration problem. I hope others will gain some knowledge by reading this thread also.

[DaveBMusik]

Regarding insulation, I removed the drawer unit, removed the ineffective sheets of styrofoam and was able to spray insulation on the forward wall, bottom and wall closest to drawer unit.  I would guess that I doubled the efficiency. There is very little space to insulate between the stove if any. I'm not sure about the hull side.
After much investigation, I used a product called versi-foam http://www.rhhfoamsystems.com/standard.php. The smallest kit was just enough for what I did.

Dave

[Stu Jackson]

James, please do not drill any holes.  Insulate the outside as Dave mentiined or insulate the inside and lose a small amount of room.  The danger of pumping in exapnding foam into holes is that you have NO control over the amount of expansion and could easily break something.