Ice box gasketing

Set2sea · April 20, 2018, 06:45:26 AM

I have my counter top out for a rebuild. I have read a lot of write ups on insulating the ice box. Which seems pretty straight forward. What I am also contemplating is changing the lid flange to something deeper so I have space for a decent gasket.
The factory design on a 1988 does not allow much space for a gasket. I have seen the newer models that have a good looking rubber gasket. You are not going to get much of a gasket within the ¾" plywood top thickness. So, I either have to reduce my opening with new flanging or cut back the fiberglass opening to allow for new flanging in an effort to keep opening the same.
Has anyone done this?
I have seen a lid set ups sold by Rparts but they are very expensive and appear to be either too small or larger which I might have to cut counter anyway?

KWKloeber · April 20, 2018, 09:41:23 AM

The question is, how much work do you want to do for the amount of return you receive?

Ever walk down the meat aisle at Walmart and think about all the open top cases in the middle of the aisle? With FROZEN food? Warm air rises, cooler air falls.

What will be your return if you 100% seal off the crack, vs. it being less than perfect? Ya, you'll stop a slight amount of heat transfer due to conduction but probably nil due to convection, and for what cost/pain?

-k

Stu Jackson · April 20, 2018, 09:48:01 AM

Paul,

There is a great deal of merit in Ken's approach: What is the ROI?

Much depends on what kind of boating you do, and where. Even if you're a weekend warrior in Florida, there may not be a great deal of improvement.

When we lived in San Francisco, I'd go anchor out for two nights a week usually every other week, for many years. We also often sailed up into the hot California Delta for a week or two in the summers. I never added insulation to the ice box. Now that I'm in Canada, the water is 10F colder and so is the air!

Years ago Ron Hill suggested a simple "fix": put a towel over the top at night or even during the day. I tried it a few times and found it in the way. One of the first things we did was add hinges and a hatch holder to the fridge top.

If you add insulation around the box, the top becomes even less of an issue.

KWKloeber · April 20, 2018, 09:59:58 AM

Stu

Long ago I bought a foam blanket made for boat ice boxes, CRS who sold it. One of the aftermarket sites. Worked reasonably well..

They will make a custom size of this, which if fitted tightly not only stops air flow but is extra "top side" insulation.
https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Super-Q-Ice-Saver-Thermal-Cooler-Blanket-Handcrafted/15998162

-k

Ron Hill · April 22, 2018, 02:28:56 PM

Paul : Look in the early Mainsheet tech notes and you'll find an article that I wrote were I had a 1" thick Thermal Pad made that would fit over that entire surface of the countertop for the fridge. It was amazing how cold the underside of that pad got!!
It was "worth it's weight in Gold" for helping insulate the top of the fridge!! Forget trying a gasket!

The Ron "Fix" that Stu mentioned with the towel - was to just to convince someone skeptical of just how much cold migrates up thru the fridge lid. After you feel how cold it is under the towel you'll purchase the thermal pad for sure!!

A thought

KWKloeber · April 22, 2018, 02:46:46 PM

Ron

Ken? Re-read the entire thread.
Thanks for arguing my point, tho!!!

-k

J_Sail · April 26, 2018, 05:08:15 PM

IF the icebox has an area that consistently sits below freezing (e.g. for making ice cubes) then there is an advantage to sealing against air transfer, in that it helps reduce the buildup of frost. Another possible reason to add insulation would be to reduce power consumption for lengthy cruising.

Other than that, it sounds like a project without great ROI. Someone should make/sell a nice insulating slab with a cutting board on the top surface.

Jeremy

Ron Hill · April 28, 2018, 12:40:45 PM

Jeremy : I wrote a Mainsheet tech note article on a commercial cutting board from a Kitchen Store that fit perfectly over one of the double sinks in the C34 galley!!

A thought

scgunner · April 29, 2018, 12:38:52 PM

This thread caught my interest, since I recently replaced my reefer, I thought I'd run a test. this what I found. I stacked about half a dozen beach towels on top of the reefer a waited a couple of days. The reefer top under the towels was quite cold. After I installed the new reefer I timed the on/off intervals and the temp inside. Before towels the on/of intervals were both around six minutes the temp was about 34degrees, after insulating with the towels the intervals were; about 3min 40sec ON and about 9min 50sec OFF, the temp stayed about the same 34degrees.

Insulating the fridge top appears to make a noticeable difference. I think I'll look for something more permanent than just a stack of towels.

Jim Hardesty · April 29, 2018, 03:22:02 PM

I use something like this that I picked up at Walmart.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Norpro-Dish-Drying-Mat-Gray/131359398

Jim

Craig Illman · April 30, 2018, 05:06:42 AM

I bought a small roll of thin foil faced duct insulation. Cut three pieces a little larger than the lid. Stapled all three together around the perimeter and we lay that on top. Very light, easy to move out of the way and seems to work quite well.

Craig

pablosgirl · May 01, 2018, 05:32:40 PM

I installed some "D" shaped foam insulation around the lip of the counter top just bellow the bottom of the counter top. The "D" shape is hollow so as to compress some and allow it to deform easyly to make a tight seal. I found at the home improvement/hardware store. It is 1" on the straight side and 5/8" thick from the straight side to the curved side. The straight side has an adhesive strip that you peal a tape off of to expose the sticky stuff. I experimented with a short length to determine the height in which to install it from the top of the counter top. You want it high enough to contact the bottom of the lid but not high enough to keep the lid from fully seating into the counter top. You miter the corners.

Pablo

pablosgirl · May 01, 2018, 05:49:00 PM

I forgot to add that though it did make the compressor run less often, the biggest improvement was in the accumulation of frost on the evaporator box really slowed down after I installed the "D" gasket. We use the boat on the hot & humid gulf coast and before I added the gasket we were defrosting the fridge every two weeks. After we were only doing it every 6 weeks.

Pablo

Roland Gendreau · May 10, 2018, 07:37:22 PM

Pablo, can you send a picture of or a link to the D shaped weatherstripping you used?

mregan · May 15, 2018, 07:11:53 AM

Does everyone have the 2" or so, thick, insulated fiberglass panel screwed to the underside of the lid? I assumed it was factory installed in my '86. Or do some people have just the plywood lid? I always assumed I was getting some leakage around the opening lip but never thought it was too bad.
I also installed some 2" rigid styrofoam pieces on the underside of the countertop between the refer opening and the edge of the icebox.