Getting Desperate- Modify the Shape of Store Bought Refrigerator?

[Cadence]

A 50' cat. can't you put a home reefer on the bridge deck?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Cadence

A 50' cat. can't you put a home reefer on the bridge deck?

We definitely could, but that’s more difficult than just walking on the same level as the galley. We don’t want to go upstairs every time we have to open the refrigerator. You know?

It would also block some of the 360° visibility.


When designing things, I really shoot for the optimization and most efficiency.

[pbmaise]

Cold air falls and warm air rises. You might be able to use these facts to mount a rather short complete unit midway up the hull and build a box below it. All you would need to do is drill into the base of the fridge. Many small dorm fridges have ample area on the bottom that can be drilled out to allow air flow to the box below. If I were to do this...I would beef up the insulation on the sides and door and top. The bottom section should be fine for keeping things like fruit cold.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by pbmaise

Cold air falls and warm air rises. You might be able to use these facts to mount a rather short complete unit midway up the hull and build a box below it. All you would need to do is drill into the base of the fridge. Many small dorm fridges have ample area on the bottom that can be drilled out to allow air flow to the box below. If I were to do this...I would beef up the insulation on the sides and door and top. The bottom section should be fine for keeping things like fruit cold.

This is actually a great idea. A dorm fridge size freezer dropping to a custom support box that is the refrigerator would be awesome.

The dorm fridge wouldn’t give us enough freezer space, but an under counter freezer would.

Definitely thinking about this to get more space than the off the shelf refrigerators can provide in the space they would fit.

[pbmaise]

Originally Posted by Chotu

This is actually a great idea. A dorm fridge size freezer dropping to a custom support box that is the refrigerator would be awesome.

The dorm fridge wouldn’t give us enough freezer space, but an under counter freezer would.

Definitely thinking about this to get more space than the off the shelf refrigerators can provide in the space they would fit.

This looks to me like a really high quality freezer and frost free too.

https://www.hbh-woolacotts.co.uk/kit...iebherr/GN1066

The existing insulation level looks fine.

[AndieKay]

Originally Posted by Chotu

My galley down design is driving me nuts.

You need to have the stove/oven, sink and refrigerator in a small area in a properly designed kitchen, even on a boat.

I want to use a decent size home refrigerator/freezer, but due to the fact that boats aren’t square, they don’t fit!

What do you think the feasibility is of cutting the back of the refrigerator near the bottom 1/3 to match the hull shape?

I’m actually considering building a custom front opening refrigerator but I’d much rather modify an existing one to save time/money.

Is this possible?

The refrigerator would be placed athwart ships so the backside of it would need a curve cut out of it to match the hull it needs to cozy up against. The most would be taken from the very bottom of the refrigerator, then less and less cut off as you go higher up the refrigerator, matching the curve of the hull.

The bottom 1/3 of the refrigerator is the only part that would need modification.

Possible, but you'd have to completely reengineer the workings of the 'fridge and it'll work out way more difficult than building one from scratch. Also, domestic 'fridges aren't that well insulated because mains power means they don't need to be.

[Buzzman]

Originally Posted by Chotu

There is nothing worse than a chest refrigerator. It’s the worst thing about traditional boat galley refrigerators.

Hmmmm.... Big call.

In actual fact, and it has been well and truly proven, both on shore and off, that chest fridges and/or freezers are WAY more electrically and cooling efficient than ANY upright fridge or freezer.

When you open the door of an upright fridge, cold air being denser, heavier, all the cold air in the fridge pours out of it and around your toes. Great in summer! ONce you shut the door, the compressor then ahs to cycle for some time to remove all the hot air that rushed in to replace the cold air that poured out. More cycling times equals more power draw.

Whereas opening a chest fridge or freezer you lose almost no cool air, and so the compressor does not need to cycle every time you open it to extract anything - food, milk, whatever. Very efficient.

It's also why automotive vehicle fridges are invariably chest-type.

So from an energy consumption perpective, there is NOTHING worse than an upright fridge or freezer - unless it's not having one at all.

Also, Chotu pointed out his significant other is height challenged, so having chest-type fridge mounted around knee-to-waist height would mean she was looking in at chest level, enabling an easy reach into the chest for any item.

I have noticed in several architectural home shows on TV that under-bench refrigeration is also now 'a thing' but can't advise any brands.

I seem to recall one home that had lightweight "solid kitchen cabinet doors" to maintain the overall kitchen appearance, but once open, the kitchen/freezer drawers had glass fronts, so it was easy to see in and select, without having to 'fish' from the top. So a 'chest type' but with drawers that opened outwards on roller slides. From memory they had two drawers for fridge and two for freezer.

So maybe google 'under bench refrigeration' and see if anything comes up that might be of assistance in your specific requirement.

[Chotu]

Buzz man: Striking quite a chord with me. I’m quite passionate about refrigerators in boats so be prepared. Ha ha. the big claims of the highly annoying pit refrigerators boats traditionally had are false.

It wastes the same amount (if not more) energy to spend 5 minutes pulling all the stuff out of those awful pit refrigerators and placing it all on the counter to absorb heat while trying to find things in them.

The real life use case was never considered, as is the case with so many things on boats. The people who perpetuated the high efficiency rumor (boat manufacturers?) probably did so because they couldn’t fit anything else in small monohulls and were trying to persuade the boat buying public into thinking it was ok to have to dig in a pit every time you needed something from a refrigerator.

But they conveniently left out the tremendous heat transfer that takes place in real life use as all your stuff gets really warm in the counter while you hunt for things deep in the pit.

Opening a door on the font and instantly grabbing the item is far more efficient even if a little air is lost. Why?

Your food has a high specific heat as compared to air, meaning it absorbs heat way faster. When you take the food out, you blow all that efficiency of not losing a little air from a door.

In any case they are also just awful. They make you not want to be on a boat. They make life irritating.

With 1400 watts solar and generator too, I’ll stick with a nice looking, easy to use refrigerator that is nearly as efficient as the pit. Insulation is not as good as the typical pit, but it works out reasonably well. They use 70 amp hours per day at 12vdc for 8-10 cubic feet of refrigerator and freezer space. On par with all the pits, actually even with poor insulation.

If I wanted really efficient, I’d keep the one I have now. It runs on propane so it uses like 1 amp an hour. It’s 8.5 cubic feet. But I’m switching to electric so I don’t have to find propane every few months. I’m Wasting electricity in the name of convenience.

I’ve looked at under counter, mounted up higher to get away from the chine, but have determined the best solution is an apartment refrigerator/freezer, 24” wide max, set against a rear watertight bulkhead. It’s a short walk away from the galley into a utility room. With all the variables, this is the best fit.

[Sherpa17]

There are interesting refrigerators built for aircraft.

[rslifkin]

A chest fridge is only more efficient in a scenario where you can access the things you want quickly and are opening it frequently. The more you'd be digging in the chest fridge and the less frequently you open both types, the less difference it makes.

I'm with Chotu on this one. It's easy enough to supply a little extra power these days that if it fits, the convenience of a front opening fridge is well worth it. Then again, I'm biased by my boat design, as seen in the picture of my galley below.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

A chest fridge is only more efficient in a scenario where you can access the things you want quickly and are opening it frequently. The more you'd be digging in the chest fridge and the less frequently you open both types, the less difference it makes.

I'm with Chotu on this one. It's easy enough to supply a little extra power these days that if it fits, the convenience of a front opening fridge is well worth it. Then again, I'm biased by my boat design, as seen in the picture of my galley below.

That’s a nice functional galley! Beautiful!

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Chotu

That’s a nice functional galley! Beautiful!

Thanks! It's one of the things I appreciate most about this boat. It's not a perfect galley, but it's better than a lot of boats (even more trawler types) this size. Enough room for a big fridge, acceptable storage, enough counter space, good size sink, etc. Only thing it lacks is an oven. Just stove and microwave.