Tim; I completed my insulation project. I glued the Areo Gel to the inside of the ice box and then covered it with bi-directional fiberglass mat such that it is completely sealed from the interior of the box. After cleaning up the box and galley in general, I started the unit before I retired for the evening. When I awoke this morning, the refrigeration compressor had the box at a cool 18.2*. It held at that temperature for an hour. I then turned off the compressor and the temperature crept upward at .8* per hour. I will monitor the draw on the batteries tomorrow to determine the amperage drain the compressor draws to determine its cost in amp hours to operate it at that low temperature and decide if I will use it at its low temperature or a somewhat higher setting. I was unable to gain access to the exterior to my box so I went the way I did for sheer convenience. Right now it is making ice for bloody marys and holding some ice cream for desert. My Norcold can make ice, but the freezer section is too small for ice cream......I figure I've invested about $1,000 converting my ice box into a refrigerator/freezer. However, I am very old and simple pleasures of having a dish of ice cream while at anchor in some remote cove is "Priceless." It is nice to have Sovereignty as my home and not be concerned about another residence or kids, or work, or other distractions. I can understand your inability to be so frivolous with your funds. Enjoy the summer, we are headed to the North Channel of Georgian Bay and I can guarantee we will have a blast. David Hoyt Sovereignty Catalina 27 #65 ahsovereignty.com In a message dated 4/12/2010 3:57:41 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
Dave, I just got off the phone with Jay Clarken who works with your contact Earl Lawton at Pacor. I think for our simple needs the aerogel would be overkill. Because of it's chemical make-up it's not appropriate for use on the inside of the box, and our construction in the galley wouldn't make it easy to wrap on the outside. We'll probably just go with the bubble wrap with mylar facing. Maybe we'll get an extra half day out of a block of ice. Thanks for your information and advice. Tim Millar, Skipper Sea Scout Ship 76 PO Box 36 South Harwich, MA 02661 (home) 508-432-3142 (cell) 508-221-6773 _seascoutshi...@seascoutshi_ (mailto:[email protected]) I have a 12V compressor which is both/either water cooled and/or air cooled. Typically I operate the compressor when plugged into shore power and once away from the dock, I turn off the compressor. While at anchor I use battery power (6 golf cart batteries) to maintain the temperature. By the way, I have three Simens solar cells and a wind generator to charge the batteries. My outboard is utilized to charge the two 12V gel cells for motor (and hydraulic system) operation. I drilled access holes in the ice chest"s liner and sprayed insulating foam between the outer hull and the ice chest. Use caution with the spray insulation as it expands greatly and adding too much material could deform or even crack the ice chest. I sprayed large circles of material slowly withdrawing the tube as I rotated it. I then plugged the holes with chrome gromets. I purchased my Aero Gel from Pacor Corp. (609) 324-1100. The product is called Cryogel Z and Earl Lawton was my salesman (feel free to use my name when you speak with him). He was very helpful and sent me a sample. I purchased a piece approximately 59" X 60" X 10mm thickness. You can contact him by E-mail ([email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) . After double layering my aft wall (where my holding plate is attached) and the area below the grate lip, I had enough material to insulate the supply pipe between the compressor and the holding plate. The Milar facing material was not well attached and I eliminated it when I installed the insulation. If you wished to use it you would have to reattach it using the Max Professional' If you wished to use it By the way, my material cost $225 + shipping. I used Max Professional'I used Max Professional'<WBR>s Hi-Strength Spray Adhesive Purchased a to attach the Cryogel Z to the existing ice chest surfaces. Once installed I coated it with West System epoxy and laid one layer of bi-directional mat over the Cryogel Z. Once sanded I recoated the bi-directional material with more West System epoxy. I am not going to paint my freezer as I don't want paint chips to contaminate or disfigure my installation. I added a fan to the underside of the grate to circulate the air in the box while the compressor is operating. When the compressor is turned off I turn off the fan. If you wish pictures of the installation contact me directly at [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) and I will be delighted to share them with you. Once the project is complete and operational I will post photos on my boat's web site AhSovereignty. Onc David Hoyt Sovereignty Catalina 27 #65 Ahsovereignty.Ahs
