reduce size of ice box

[gonesail]

i'm looking for ways make it easier for the cold plate to do its job. i thought that reducing the square footage would help. maybe put a chunk of foam in the bottom half?

[By Invitation]

It's all a function of insulation thickness and volume. Either increasing the insulation or decreassing the volume will increase the efficiency.

[Vasco]

On my CS36 Merlin I put a clear plexiglas divider in with some holes in it. This had the effect of making a "freezer" section (the section with the holding plate in it) and a "fridge" section, the rest of the box.

[AnchorageGuy]

I would increase insulation at more than the bottom but even that will help a bit. Gluing in insulating foam, then covering that with plastic panels and caulking all seams and corners is the quickest and easiest.

[GordMay]

As others indicate, insulation is the key to refer' efficiency: top, sides, then bottom (in order of efficacy).
A flexible insulated blanket, that conforms to the ever-reducing top of your stored perishables, works better than a fixed "brick" to reduce displacement (as you consume stores).

[gonesail]

i forgot to mention that another issue is that i would really like to reduce the depth of the box. it sounds like i could use a lot of closed cell foam on the bottom and some on the sides. probably good to leave some way for any fluids to get to the drain also.