For Sale: Dual Refrigeration System -12V and Engine-driven

[petedd]

Just (July 12, 2014) removed from service. Dual drive (12-Volt and Engine-driven) holding plate (carry-over) refrigeration system. This is a great system engineered by Rich Beers back in his hay day. See pictures below. This system works very well (we are moving to two Seafrost systems and solar panels). You can count on plenty of ice, very cold beer, and even hard ice cream with this system if you have a well-insulated box. (We keep the freezer side at around 6 to 15 degrees F and the damper, see below, keeps the refrigerator side at about 35 degrees F).

Includes BOTH Technautic/Rich Beers engine-drive system and Grunert AR-50 12-volt system. These two drive parallel coils in the pair of holding plates. That is, either or both can keep both holding plates cold.

Both systems have been converted to modern refrigerant, Hotshot (ICOR International, Inc. - Hot Shot®) (much more effective and efficient than R-134a). (I have large cylinder of Hotshot and can sell this to you also if you have an EPA certification. or to your certified refrigeration tech)

The 12V system has a new extra heavy duty 60 amp rated contactor and a spare one. .When I replaced the brushes in the 1/2HP motor recently I also installed new bearings. You will have years of reliable service from this motor. Two extra sets of brushes are included. Also included is a new shaft seal and gasket set and other spares for the Bitzfield CE compressor. (I have not had any trouble with the compressor but I am a freak for keeping spare parts on board). (Do your homework and you will find that this stuff is worth a lot of money just by itself).

The engine-driven system is very effective and reliable. It uses the venerable Techumseh compressor which has widely been used commercially in trucks. You will need to devise an appropriate mount for your engine. (Mine is welded to the engine mounting bracket so is not coming with the unit). I have never had to service anything on this system. The compressor uses two A-series belts and four are included which might work out for you.

All valves were front seated to seal the system wherever possible before any fittings were opened. I will provides links to all the manuals which I keep on one of my web sites.

The two very large holding plates (50lb each) provide great holdover time due to so much thermal density (20" tall, 17" wide, 3" thick, corner is cut off at 13" down from top and 9" over from edge, to follow line of hull when mounting on outboard side of refrigeration box).

Includes thermal damper for flowover system (put the plates in the freezer side and put the damper half way up the wall separating the freezer and refrigerator sections.

Water pumps are included. I recently services the wet ends of these with new impellers and other parts as needed to bring them up to perfect performance. (I did this work as I was not planning to replace this system at that time).

What you need to complete installation: You will need a thermostat for the 12-V system (anything from a simple mechanical one to a SCADTech SensiStat (Manufacturer of Innovative Marine Electronics | Technologies LLC) would work fine). The engine system is normally run with the wind-up timer. New copper lines from the condenser to the holding plates should be installed (flare nuts are included). New copper seals should be inserted in the flare fitting at the engine compressor (this is done to make the seal much more resistant to vibration and not mandatory but very good practice. You can get them from R-Parts or your refrigeration tech should have some on-hand. They are also used in automobile refrigeration systems so local car air conditioning shops should have them. The lines to the engine compressor are very thick rubber lines made for the purpose). All of the high and low pressure switches are included (and calibrated) for the engine-driven system. The 12-V system has an over-pressure cut-off switch built-into the condenser package. New filter dryers should be installed as normal after a refrigeration system is opened. These can be had from Grainger or many other sources. The model numbers of the current dryers are clearly printed right on them. If you are not a refrigeration tech, you can have one handle this and the evacuation of the system before recharging. The 12-V system has all of the refrigerant pumped down into the receiver so it is likely that it could be restarted without adding refrigerant and run quite well depending on the length of the lines you install. The engine system does not have all the necessary valves to allow such a capture of refrigerant so this system will need to evacuated and charged with refrigerant in order to put it back in service.

The system is located in Melbourne, FL. Shipping the whole system would require crating and not be cheap so best to be picked up here.

I will take offers over $2000 for the entire system until August first and the highest offer (not including shipping costs) will take it all. The plates alone are probably worth that. I assure you this system was chilling our beer and making ice for us up until the morning I decommissioned it (July 12, 2014). However since you will have to install it properly and I have no idea what kind of box you have, your knowledge of refrigeration systems, or that of any tech you might hire, I cannot guarantee your results nor guarantee the components themselves in any way.

[Boatguy30]

I met Rich at the boat show in 2001. I told him I wanted to run a modest size fridge freezer on solar panels. He told me "never going to happen" Super old school when diesel was $.50 a gallon stuff.

[ColdEH]

Wow ,nice system . I hope you sell yours, I have a SeaFrost system listed on here with no takers . Probably going to toss it out, what a shame.

Regards

[jcapo]

Was this originally an R12 or a R134A system?

How does the Hotshot refrigerant compare to the original?

[letsgetsailing3]

How old is the system -- how many years was the system in use?

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by typhoon

Wow ,nice system . I hope you sell yours, I have a SeaFrost system listed on here with no takers . Probably going to toss it out, what a shame.

Regards

I also gave my engine drive/110V away. Too much trouble to use and maintain. Replaced it with a 12V adler barbour cu200 air cooled ten years ago. Can run off my solar panel. Very happy with it.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[petedd]

ANSWERS:

1) The original refrigerant was R-12. Hotshot is at least as good as R-12.

2) The system was new in 1991. The box, plates, etc were built by Rich Beers' team in Fort Lauderdale. I had the boat on the hard for about six years. I recommissioned it last August and have been using the refrigeration since then. Only thing I had to do was replace the brushes of the 12V motor a few months ago but that is the first time I had to do that since I got the boat in 2004 from the original owner.

Also, when I replaced my engine a few years ago, I took the opportunity to change the shaft seal on the engine-driven compressor. Not because it needed it but because it was easy insurance at the time.

[petedd]

Yes, still for sale.

Yes, will consider bids for any of the components.

[SailRedemption]

Why are you switching to a seafrost system? I just ordered a 12v unit from rich and had him service the plates that were in my boat. The old compressor was a 110v, so I'm getting his compressor. I'm just curious, you can pm if you'd like.

[petedd]

Yes, still for sale and Yes, taking offers on any of the components.