Marco Flamingo
Guru
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2020
- Messages
- 1,157
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- CHiTON
- Vessel Make
- Tung Hwa Clipper 30
After deciding to add a pure sine wave inverter large enough for my induction stove and a "dorm room" size 120V fridge, I came across a relatively recent model of 12V fridge by GE. Although not as cheap as the little dorm fridges, the GE was still fairly cheap. Prices were all over the place, from $413 in West Palm Beach, FL to over $1,000. GE list price is $940.
It looks like this model has only been around for a couple of years and I couldn't find any meaningful reviews. The GE website had some vague responses to questions, but was not helpful. I looked closely at the few photos that were available online and decided to pull the trigger. Ended up paying under $700 with tax and shipping to the dock. So I went 12V after all for the fridge.
It replaced a 1981 vintage AC/DC Norcold 704 (4 cu. ft.?). The Norcold still ran, but the insides were rusty and stained. It occasionally made a noise like an old man getting out of a chair. Looked like time to retire. The opening was 24 inches wide so it had to be enlarged by 5/8 inch. Other than that, no modifications required for the GE 5.6 cu. ft. replacement. I did add a larger vent to outside fresh air in the rear of the cabinet.
The coil and compressor fit in a covered compartment at the rear. Perforations allow a muffin fan to draw air in over the enclosed coils. The air is then directed over the compressor and blown out underneath and forward. The fan turns off when the compressor turns off (no time delay) and I thought that might leave hot coils/compressor in the compartment. Turns out that the fan is efficient enough that the coils and compressor barely get warm to the touch. Also quiet. I first thought I had been sent a defective unit. Almost put my fingers in the fan to check.
The interior setup is exactly what we use when cruising. It has a small (i.e., silly) freezer and the owner's manual says it is for the temporary storage of frozen items. Meaning, I assume, you can keep a TV dinner in it for a couple of days, after which you have to decide whether you want to chance that the freezer has kept things uniformly frozen. We never used the Norcold freezer for frozen food storage for just that reason. We fill the freezer with Blue Ice packs so that we can turn it off overnight and keep the regular fridge cold, even for all the next day.
The only electrical specification given online was "9 Amps." That is apparently max draw and only gives a clue for fuse/breaker size. The most I ever saw on my battery monitor was 7-8 amps. No yellow energy sticker, but who cares? It is what my battery monitor reads that matters, not a factory test or Ohm's law. Preliminary results indicate that, although the GE is 30% larger, it uses 30% less amps than the Norcold. I've left the battery charger off and the fridge as the only thing left on (except bilge pump) and will have a better idea of usage in a couple of days.
Of course nobody will be getting into the fridge and it is cold out now, but I tested the Norcold recently under the same conditions. Still it won't be a real world test.
I do expect it will be better in a real world situation for one reason. It has a crisper drawer on the bottom. When opening the Norcold, all of the cold air dropped out. The GE doesn't do that. In fact, I'm going to look for the right size plastic storage bins that fit the fridge and help stop all the cold air from falling out every time the door is opened.
Oh, it has a light and a real stainless steel front. That's fancy for our style of boating.
It looks like this model has only been around for a couple of years and I couldn't find any meaningful reviews. The GE website had some vague responses to questions, but was not helpful. I looked closely at the few photos that were available online and decided to pull the trigger. Ended up paying under $700 with tax and shipping to the dock. So I went 12V after all for the fridge.
It replaced a 1981 vintage AC/DC Norcold 704 (4 cu. ft.?). The Norcold still ran, but the insides were rusty and stained. It occasionally made a noise like an old man getting out of a chair. Looked like time to retire. The opening was 24 inches wide so it had to be enlarged by 5/8 inch. Other than that, no modifications required for the GE 5.6 cu. ft. replacement. I did add a larger vent to outside fresh air in the rear of the cabinet.
The coil and compressor fit in a covered compartment at the rear. Perforations allow a muffin fan to draw air in over the enclosed coils. The air is then directed over the compressor and blown out underneath and forward. The fan turns off when the compressor turns off (no time delay) and I thought that might leave hot coils/compressor in the compartment. Turns out that the fan is efficient enough that the coils and compressor barely get warm to the touch. Also quiet. I first thought I had been sent a defective unit. Almost put my fingers in the fan to check.
The interior setup is exactly what we use when cruising. It has a small (i.e., silly) freezer and the owner's manual says it is for the temporary storage of frozen items. Meaning, I assume, you can keep a TV dinner in it for a couple of days, after which you have to decide whether you want to chance that the freezer has kept things uniformly frozen. We never used the Norcold freezer for frozen food storage for just that reason. We fill the freezer with Blue Ice packs so that we can turn it off overnight and keep the regular fridge cold, even for all the next day.
The only electrical specification given online was "9 Amps." That is apparently max draw and only gives a clue for fuse/breaker size. The most I ever saw on my battery monitor was 7-8 amps. No yellow energy sticker, but who cares? It is what my battery monitor reads that matters, not a factory test or Ohm's law. Preliminary results indicate that, although the GE is 30% larger, it uses 30% less amps than the Norcold. I've left the battery charger off and the fridge as the only thing left on (except bilge pump) and will have a better idea of usage in a couple of days.
Of course nobody will be getting into the fridge and it is cold out now, but I tested the Norcold recently under the same conditions. Still it won't be a real world test.
I do expect it will be better in a real world situation for one reason. It has a crisper drawer on the bottom. When opening the Norcold, all of the cold air dropped out. The GE doesn't do that. In fact, I'm going to look for the right size plastic storage bins that fit the fridge and help stop all the cold air from falling out every time the door is opened.
Oh, it has a light and a real stainless steel front. That's fancy for our style of boating.
