Sunday, May 29, 2016

My last refrigeration rebuild (spillover freezer/fridge)

I'm working on my last reefer rebuild as we slowly transition to our new home in Texas.  The boat is an Island Packet 35 and had an old SeaFrost hold over system that was - marginal at best providing a very inefficient large "Ice Box".

After stripping out the old system and cleaning the lazarette I started removing the old top insulation in preparation for new polyisocyanurate insulation.

 The first step is to begin laying in new top insulation.  In this photo I've started with a layer of 3/4 foil backed insulation and added another layer of 1" with one additional layer of 1" and then the top made from 1/4" plywood covered with FRP liner material.  The top will include new LED lights in both the freezer a fridge compartments.

I need additional 1" insulation so I'll add additional photos and write up once the remaining insulation is installed and the top panel are complete


The next step is to lay in new bottom insulation, in part to bring the floor up so that it can be easily reached but also to reduce the volume of both new boxes and to provide drains for both.



The first layer is a 3" thick panel of insulation cut so that the new drains can be enclosed with the drain going directly out the back of the compartment into the lazarette.  Hole thru back wall is visible here.
The next step is to lay in the drain pipe made from standard PVC pipe and fiberglass pipe cut to fit the remaining layers of insulation and liner.  Space in and around the pipe is filled with spray foam.


The next layer is tapered insulation with the slope toward the drains.
The final layer is 1/2" epoxied plywood covered with an FRP liner.  Once the side insulation and liner are in place the seams will be epoxied as will the areas around the drain pipes.  The blue tape is used to make cleanup of the epoxied joints neater.

Photos and description of side and back insulation installation will be provided later.

Digital thermostats will control the compressor (freezer side) and a spillover fan (fridge side).







 

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