My 2 cents: The insulation is more important than the compressor
system, if you're looking for energy efficiency. I have the Frigoboat
system, and absolutely love it, but also
believe that the Isotherm system operates under the same principle and
doesn't have the external sintered bronze plate.
While I probably have a ridiculously expensive fridge/freezer system
(the vacuum panels) it also works fine in Mexico in the summer when the
tropical sun is hot enough to literally (I did it) fry an egg on deck.
It probably draws 40Ah on the worst day, but normally only pulls about
25, keeping the freezer at 10F.
I honestly think that the circulation fans
<http://www.wbryant.com/StellaBoat/Projects/galley/pipefan/>
have a huge impact on power consumption. Last summer I was defrosting
the freezer and the fan went from 10F to 110F with 80 percent humidity.
It wasn't the first time, but it was the last. <G> I didn't carry a
spare fan (you can't have a spare *everything*) so lived without it for
two months. I was amazed at the difference in system behavior and power
consumption on the freezer side.
If building a system, I would definitely consider internal fans a valued
component. And even if not believing it, I'd run the wire through the
insulation while adding other components like copper tubes, and just
seal the wire off with some Ancor heat shrink so the fans could be added
later if desired.
The whole refrigeration project is on my galley page:
<http://www.wbryant.com/StellaBoat/Projects/galley/index.htm>
Wal
--
s/v Stella Blue
www.wbryant.com
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