New Refrigerator

[Delta Riverat]

The refer swap has begun. Today I was able to remove the old and get ready for the new. The new will be a Dometic DMC 4081. Had to remove the doors so I could access the hold down screw on the bottom to remove and then it slid out easy. The old one is a Dometic absorption unit that needed both 120 vac and 12 VDC. The propane input was never used. 2.7 amps at 120 VAC to run the boiler. Would have cost me 30 amps out the batteries through the inverter.

The junk man is coming tomorrow -

Also found a 120 VAC outlet box for the microwave hanging from the cables as a PO just stuck it on the wall with double stick tape...

These old boats...

 

[Kaniksu]

So the new one is DC only, correct? Looks nice but my old barge would require a major remodel to fit something that tall. I just pulled the trigger on a Summit AC under counter built in model last night without a freezer. Send pictures of your install.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Got some pics of the pull out, but main computer is down. Should be up next week.

Yeah 12 VDC only, 15A max, 150 watts. Fifteen amps is probably only a compressor start, reviews say about 7 when running.

Checked to make sure it fit in the hole, is a little smaller so will need a little "fill" to make look good. But better to add than start sawing away eh?

Looking forward to having a fridge again. Tired of going up to the fly to get a cold drink. Haven't ordered the new fridge yet, still need to finish the battery project and get that mess done and then order and find some help to load it into the boat. I can install it by myself, but I can't get it into the boat myself -

 

[Comodave]

As to filling in around the new refer you may want to leave it open some to let air circulate around the refer. You will save power and the refer will work better. I always add a small, 5”, computer fan to help move the hot air up and out of the cabinet. The one I use only uses 50 mAmps.

 

[Kaniksu]

As to filling in around the new refer you may want to leave it open some to let air circulate around the refer. You will save power and the refer will work better. I always add a small, 5”, computer fan to help move the hot air up and out of the cabinet. The one I use only uses 50 mAmps.

That is great advice. The model I bought is intended to be built in and comes with a second fan to move air out through the bottom of the unit into the room. I am replacing something much smaller than Delta, just a tiny ol DE0041 with a freezer the boss hates

 

[Delta Riverat]

There is a fan inside the existing space now with ducting out to the aft deck locker and then to outside air. When that boiler on the absorption unit was running there was plenty heat that needed removal. After I get that clunker off the boat and out of the way, I'll find out more. Suspect I'll need way less fan.

 

[Comodave]

Yes, it doesn’t take too much of a fan, just to help the hot air rise.

I get these fans from Amazon.

Noctua NF-F12 PWM, Premium Quiet Fan, 4-Pin (120mm, Brown),​

 

[Delta Riverat]

Today was amazing!

The junk guy arrived right on time (all by himself, no helper) and removed the old fridge and took it away. Also removed the (2) 130 pound 4D batteries and took them away. Took out my (4) dead 6 volt golf cart batteries and put them in my trunk so I could get the core charge back and put in my four new ones. He was there for an hour and a half and wanted $275. I gave him $300 and felt it worth every penny.

Tomorrow I'll install the Li Time 280 AH battery which will be House 1 and hook up the new starter batteries. Woo-Hoo! All new batts on the boat!

 

[Comodave]

$300 was a deal…

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yes, I agree, and plan to use him and recommend his services to anyone with a "project"

Lots of elderly folks around the marina.

 

[Delta Riverat]

New fridge ordered and microwave outlet properly mounted. Not like this;

Another one of those "what was he thinking" moments...

Old fridge out;

They still make these things and they ain't cheap either;

 

[Delta Riverat]

I figured out the ventilation plan. That wood panel you can see in the back of the cavity is a snorkel open at the top only with the exit at the bottom inside that goes under a storage cabinet behind and opens into the aft deck locker where it is ducted to some 4 inch vents out the side. The fans were right in the corner (of course, most inaccessible spot) and one was broken. New plan is to mount 4 inch (100mm) computer right on the 4 inch exit. Much cleaner and easier to service.

Was back today and connected the power to a proper terminal strip and removed the rats nest of computer wires that was before. The 4 incher will fit perfectly over a 4 inch vent. Next visit install new fan, plug second vent and verify. The fan will run constant if the fridge is powered, on the same circuit, but doesn't move a lot of air, almost silent and yeah, uses 50 mA, a whole 1.2 AH per day -

 

[Delta Riverat]

The space is ready, bring on the fridge! Ordered from Camping World, ships LTL direct from Dometic and hasn't shipped yet. But the space is ready -

Wiring cleaned up with proper terminal blocks and crimps, TV wire moved behind AC ducting, LP gas line cut and folded, fan installed on aft locker vent. Ventilation system tested, draws smoke down from top of snorkel, which is that wood box you see in the back. Now that I have a big house bank the 12 volt fridge is ideal.

This is the fan I used, fits perfectly over the 4 inch duct.

 

[Delta Riverat]

As long as I was working on the fridge, I decided to fix the range hood too. The light worked but the fan didn't. It's a home unit with the fan removed and wired to 12 Vdc. The blower is up on the fly in a seat locker in a nice looking wood enclosure.

Which I found out by drilling a couple of holes for big screws and using a slap hammer with a claw end under the screw heads to pop it off. After I popped the lid the horror began. You think wire nuts are bad? These were twisted and taped. Undid the tape and twists and hit the blower with 12 volts and it worked. Cool, don't need to replace the blower, but no voltage to it either.

After removing the vent hood I was able to see what was going on with the hood wires. Yeah, another mess. Sixteen gauge crimped to 10g connectors, sliding in the clamp and one had pulled out. Cut out all that mess and verified voltage. Used jumpers to connect the volts to the top blower and went up and touched the wires and the blower ran!

Cool. Rewired the mess top of the hood, installed proper connectors on the fly and now the range hood works as it should -

These old boats...

 

[Comodave]

Gotta love the DIYers that don’t know anything about wiring but still do it anyway…

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yeah.

Some work on this boat was done by a PO that was really good. Especially the woodwork. Top notch.

But then (only by looking and fixing) you see stuff like what I've described in more than this post. Like the car stereo on the fly that was installed in a cut out piece of plywood screwed to the top of the entrance so that closing the door would turn it off as well as a rats nest of wires that was the speaker wiring.

Got to spend a lot of time just looking through these old boats to see what's really going on. Lots of hours just exploring all the nooks and crannies...

 

[Delta Riverat]

The new fridge is being delivered tomorrow, to my house and not the boat, so I'll call my trusty junk guy to help me move it and load it into the boat. Really looking forward to having a fridge again -

 

[Delta Riverat]

The new fridge is in the garage and my hired help is coming tomorrow to get it in the boat.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yeah Baby!

Needs to set for 4 hours before power after "disturbances" Like shipping and lifting and tilting to get it though the door. The guys left it in the the box and it just made it through. Stripped off the box and packing in the saloon. Looks like a real fridge too;

No boiler, no zig-zag pipes, no finned thing on top or curly cue roundy-round pipes either -

Goes in tomorrow after we peel all the film and internal packing off.

 

[SteveK]

Can you post the make/model and sizes please of the fridge

 

[Delta Riverat]

Dometic DMC 4081

Hers's an inside shot;

 

[Comodave]

Looks nice.

 

[Irish Rambler]

The refer swap has begun. Today I was able to remove the old and get ready for the new. The new will be a Dometic DMC 4081. Had to remove the doors so I could access the hold down screw on the bottom to remove and then it slid out easy. The old one is a Dometic absorption unit that needed both 120 vac and 12 VDC. The propane input was never used. 2.7 amps at 120 VAC to run the boiler. Would have cost me 30 amps out the batteries through the inverter.

The junk man is coming tomorrow -

Also found a 120 VAC outlet box for the microwave hanging from the cables as a PO just stuck it on the wall with double stick tape...

These old boats...

I hope you bought a 'Frost Free' version to please the admiral.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yes, it's a self defrosting unit.

Today was a fine example of "stuff always takes longer on a boat"

Made up a nice 10g power cable for the fridge and hooked it up to verify operation. Compressor turned on and draw was 5.5A, cool. Freezer section fan was not running but it was a few minutes later. All the lights lit up and the controls worked as expected, so I began the install and stopped when there was a wobble. The bottom rails were not wide enough for the fridge "feet". The old unit fit, but the new one needs wider rails. So another trip to the depot for some wood and cut me up some new rails to screw in beside the existing ones so I can slide the thing in and screw it down.

Otherwise, it looks great!

 

[Comodave]

Always something is different…

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yes, because it's a boat. Not only do the rails need to be widened they are also sloped. So 22 inches long, one end is 3 inch high and the other 2.125. A 4 foot long 3/4" board ought to do it.

 

[tiltrider1]

Read the operation manual carefully. I found a hidden requirement for air flow in my current refrigerator’s manual.

 

[Delta Riverat]

The fridge is in! Sorry, no pics yet as I left the phone in the car. But the fridge is in and getting colder even as we speak. Went to the depot yesterday and got a pine board 3/4" thick and 3.5 wide. Cut off two 22 inch pieces and marked the bevel against the existing rails and cut them at the dock. Screwed them to the existing rails and perfect ramp. Even remembered to beeswax the tops before I screwed them in.

Pushed the fridge up to the hole, tilted back and shoved the rear feet onto the rails and it slid in nice and sweet with no wobble at all. Installed the top and bottom securement brackets and screwed them to the frame. In like Flinn -

Not going to be any ventilation problems. I have at least 2 inches bottom, sides and top with 6 inches in the back, the securement brackets are vented and there is a power vent running whenever the fridge is powered.

 

[Comodave]

Sounds great. Good work.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Thanks!

Went back today with "provisions" and liked what I found, a nice cold fridge. And the house bank was still at 13.2 after running both fridges for 24 hours, no charger. Yeah Baby!

Loaded in 48 cans of soda, a pint of half & half and a dozen half liter bottles of water. No more trips to the fly for a cold drink -