Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 11:40:54 -0700
Reply-To: Michael Elliott <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Elliott <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: About them Norcold refrigerators
In-Reply-To: <006f01c5870d$200d3bf0$640fa8c0@ttowerdef17>
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Thanks, Doug
2.5A in freezer mode running, like, 24 hours a day is 60 amp-hours. That
would quickly deplete my aux Optima 50Ah battery unless I added a lot of
supplementary recharging.
But I know that these reefers do not run 100% of the time. Someplace,
somewhere, I saw a spec page which provided typical duty-cycles. Can't
find it now. And I don't plan to run freezer mode, just below 40F.
Does anyone have a pointer to typical duty cycle specs for the Norcold
DC0040? These are either re-badged Engels, or are built around the Engel
swingmotor.
BTW, having the cold air fall out when the door is opened is not much of
an issue -- the real "cold" is "stored" in the food, not the air. The
amount of energy required to cool down a few liters of air is trivial.
Cooling the food is where the energy goes. And having the cold air in a
reefer replaced with warm might bring the temp of the food up 1/4th of a
degree, and when that is done, the air is cold again.
The numbers are in some e-mail thread from 2004.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
Carlsbad, CA
KG6RCR
On 7/12/2005 11:11 AM Doug in Calif wrote:
>Mike,
>My tests with the stock dometic in 110 degree weather were also dismal.
>Over 60 degrees inside is not considered safe for some foods at all.
>Plus when you open the door all the cold air falls out.
>
>The best fridge I have found so far is the Engel
>It will cool down to zero degrees F. even in 100 degree weather.
>Its a top loader though.
>
>You can read about them here.
>https://www.expeditionexchange.com/engel/
>
>The Engel 35 and 45 both use the new swing compressor technology
>2.5 amps in freezer mode.
>I did follow up with Vince about his purchase of the Engel 35 and he said
>first impression was it was made way better than he thought and since then
>he has been quite happy with it.
>
>Doug
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Michael Elliott" <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 8:50 AM
>Subject: About them Norcold refrigerators
>
>
>
>
>>Our Dometic reefer is working just fine -- for an absorption
>>refrigerator, that is. Working with all its might it achieves a good 40
>>degree F differential between ambient (outside) temperature and inside
>>temp. Which means that when it is 90F outside, the inside is 50F . . .
>>not very cold at all.
>>
>>So I'm looking at the Norcold DC0040. I read Karl's article at
>>
>>http://www.members.shaw.ca/McTavishPAC/fridge/fridge.html
>>
>>and at time of writing, he was very happy with the results.
>>
>>And last year Vince S. expressed considerable enthusiasm for the
>>Norcold's efficient Engel swing motor compressor design. I don't think
>>he's posting right now, so I have not seen any followup from him on the
>>subject.
>>
>>I'd like to hear from others who have gone the Norcold route, like Karl
>>did.
>>
>>NOTE: I am most interested in energy usage results in 90F+ weather.
>>
>>--
>>
>>Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>>84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>>Carlsbad, CA
>>KG6RCR
>>
>>
>
>
>
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