SanFran 12 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Anyone have comments on these. Will be pulling out the 33 year old decommed fridge sometime soon, and looking to replace with a Waeco unit, semi portable, to run off 12v (or 24v system) but not gas/lpg. Good and bad stories, and suggestions please. Link to post Share on other sites
shanson 0 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 IMHO they are probably the best you can buy, but go for the compressor versions! I've had one for a couple of years and love it! SHANE Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I agree. They use the German made Danfos compressor unit, usually being the BD35. These units are two speed. They draw 6A on full power cycle to get the contents temp down, but then drop down to cycle on 1.5A when they just have to maintain cold. Link to post Share on other sites
Farrari 4 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Anyone have comments on these. Will be pulling out the 33 year old decommed fridge sometime soon, and looking to replace with a Waeco unit, semi portable, to run off 12v (or 24v system) but not gas/lpg. Good and bad stories, and suggestions please. We used a Waeco CF-50 on our Tracker. It was good as a fridge but it was a bit of an ask to use it as a freezer. Once the ambient temperature in the yacht raised it struggled a little bit and used quite a lot of power. We only had an 85 a/h battery and it gave it a hammering. If I had solar it may have been a little bit different but we only had a diesel to charge it with. We were charging twice a day and the Waeco still struggled to keep the temperature down overnight, especially on hot summer nights. Before the Waeco we had a 12V Peltier cooler and that was a toy really. The 1020 has a mechanical compressor off the motor and it beats the Waeco hands down. Just got to keep an eye on the beers in the freezer cause it freezes them solid if you don't keep an eye on them. Link to post Share on other sites
Atom Ant 0 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 The Waeco will be good. I use an Isotherm 50 litre fridge which uses the same Danfoss compressor etc. Average power consumption once down to temp is under 1 amp. Mine can be 12/24/240 volt, so I load it up at home the night before we go out, then take it down to the boat and it is already down to 4 deg. Nice & quiet too. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I have used Waeco CF-35 fridge/freezer as a back-up for the fridge and also as a freezer for the long crossings. It is a great unit. I think that the quality of Waeco is really good. The only thing I could complain about is the lid. It is not the most user friendly. I could actually sell mine if you are interested. Link to post Share on other sites
too_tall 15 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I have been investigating this type of food cooling system for a wee bit for a friends fishing boat. They don't wish to have a compressor on the motor as it would apparently be too much work to fit it ( possibly a valid point ). They don't have huge house batteries - about 100ah I believe, so I need to find them something which will be reasonable on the batteries. I have only really got experience with either engine driven compressors ( which I dislike ) or water cooled electric systems, which are probably the best ( imo ) but do require you to spend a reasonable amount to set up. Is there any way to watercool the compressor Waeco units? The fishing boat can turn into a right oven in the summer, so trying to cool in an ambient temp of 35 degrees plus could be asking a lot of the Waeco units I would expect, or are they that good? I do know that the Aussie 4WD brigade love them, so maybe my worries are unjustified. The fridge/freezer in our yacht takes about 5AH/day to keep cool - something that even in average weather, the solar system can very easily cope with, but it is a well designed system with water cooling and is very well insulated. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Is there any way to watercool the compressor Waeco units? The fishing boat can turn into a right oven in the summer, so trying to cool in an ambient temp of 35 degrees plus could be asking a lot of the Waeco units I would expect, or are they that good? I do know that the Aussie 4WD brigade love them, so maybe my worries are unjustified. The fridge/freezer in our yacht takes about 5AH/day to keep cool - something that even in average weather, the solar system can very easily cope with, but it is a well designed system with water cooling and is very well insulated. You don't need watercooling. I have had the Waeco running as a freezer in the tropics. It still only runs about 50% of the time and uses on the average 2A/12V. And then the temperature inside the box was 45 degrees lower than outside. The CF-models can go 50 degrees below ambient, the CDF slightly less. If you would run 30 degrees lower than ambient, you would probably use 1A/12v as average on my box (CF-35). Link to post Share on other sites
Atom Ant 0 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Is there any way to watercool the compressor Waeco units? Don't know about water cooling the waeco units but there is a system that uses water temperature differential. See below, I think that what you're after will be in there. Fridgetech are a good bunch. http://www.fridgetech.co.nz/page/4/ Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 TT, another option for the Fishing boat is the LPG heated, Amonia filled circulating type. Horribly power hungry on DC and AC, but very economical on LPG. Supposedly no good for sailing when heeled over, although we have never had a problem with ours. But then, we don't leen over as much as some. Our smaller fridge box has a Danfos BD35 compressor cooling it. It works great, but I did find a small problem when we sailed up the coast and filled the boat with water. the compressor unit is down in a Bilge area that is normally dry and should it ever get water, should drain to the engine room bilge. Well it didn't. Murphy was playing around down there. Even though I had the compressor mounted 400mm above the bilge Sole, it went under water. The Electronic controller died. the new one cost me $300 and it is all go again. I notice the new one has epoxy coating the circuit, so it should be better at coping with moisture. Our Freezer is a standard ole Wharehouse special. Cost me $199 on special. Front opening unit, that I unscrewed the compressor unit from and laid the box on it's back to make it a top opening. Put extra foam insallation under the back of it and screwed it in place. The compressor unit has enough copper tube to allow me to turn it correct way up and screw it down. The entire thing sits under a Settee and runs off the 230V inverter. It's 7yrs old now and has never skipped a beat. I went this way because I could not find a "chest Freezer" the right size tio fit under the seating. I imagine it is not as efficient as the Danfos unit. This is because the heat exchanger pipes are part of the metal sides of the freezer. That surely would mean some heat from those tubes must get back through the insulation into the freezer. A seprate heat exchanger may thus make it more efficient. But $199 against $2K....well I am happy to put up with a little inefficiency. Link to post Share on other sites
too_tall 15 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 But then, we don't leen over as much as some. I thought that Tahitians were level even in a force 5 well I am happy to put up with a little inefficiency. What sort of current does it draw on the inverter if its the only load? Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 It's about the same as the BD35 @ around 6A at 12V. I can only measure the DC load of the inverter as the AC load is probably half an amp anmd the meter doesn't register. But unlike the CF35, it does not ramp down to 1.5A. But then.. it is a freezer, not a fridge. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I have a CF40, the same compressor unit as the 50 but just a tad smaller in the boxes space. A magnificent machine. Once down to speed it uses 1 Amp, maybe a smidgen less 'on average', with average opening and closing of the door in mid Jan i.e. on hot days. We have it set at 3 degrees. Load it up and bring it down on mains either at home or on the marina while loading up then swap to 12V. Very quiet, can't hear it running. Would I buy another or look elsewhere next time I wanted something similar? I wouldn't bother looking elsewhere. I wouldn't buy a thermo-electric though, a tad lighter but use a lot more of them amp bug things. One trick I have learned is keep it in the shade and well ventilated. We have a bin thing we drop it in... after taking out all the empty rum bottles Otto left in it last trace, and at times that cops the sun down the companionway. If that happens we chuck something over the top to shade it. That does seem to make it happier i.e. run less. It's currently sitting on the back seat of my wagon full... errr.. 1/2 full of beers. Xmas traffic and all that Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 KM's post just jogged mty memory. I just wenbt back and corrected what I was calling the Danfoss compressor. It is the BD35F, not he CF35 I was calling it. CF is the actual complete complete box. The same compressor is in all the CF range up to the CF50 model. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 KM's post just jogged mty memory. And less than a week after you lot were picking on my memory. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 That was two weeks ago......I think Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Bugger!! Link to post Share on other sites
Grinna 2 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 And less than a week after you lot were picking on my memory I don't remember that! Link to post Share on other sites
waikiore 408 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Did years of research, whilst working on the boat and settled on the Waeco CF40. And have not regretted it for a minute. (my only battery is 85 ah house ceep cycle) and Harry honda only charges at 5A). As old knot me says crank it down at home or work and 12V will actually keep up after that, the comp in them is actually running 24v. But these units are well proven with a friend using one as his sole means of cooling in the tropics, 26' yacht and big solar panel. After buying mine a year or two back had the opportunity of going through Waeco Australia with the boss over there, a very impressive operation and you can be confident that they stand behind their product. If this weather clears in a day or two may get back out in the gulf and be able to offer a cool wine or beer to mr and mrs grinna, seem to remember that I owe them!!!! Remember most Auckland professional yacht designers prefer to sail Townson boats!!! bears thinking about. Link to post Share on other sites
Grinna 2 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 be able to offer a cool wine or beer to mr and mrs grinna Oh ho ho so you remember that??? Would be satisfied with a chance to come sailing with you ..... been a while since we've been out. Link to post Share on other sites
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