F.A.QS.
Do
I need water-cooling for the fridge and freezer?
No.
For the amount of heat/hour the Mexicolder removes from the box, water-cooling
is ABSOLUTELY unnecessary, In fact, with a water-cooled system, the
energy to power the pump uses more precious amp hours.
We are concerned about the heat from the
system warming the interior of the boat in the tropics.
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| A typical box installation |
The radiant heat from sunlight on the deck,
cabin and hull far exceed the heat produced by the Mexicolder, in short you
won’t notice the difference. Boiling a kettle of water for 2 cups of coffee or
cooking creates much more heat than a Mexicolder.
I
have seen keel cooled systems advertised that do not need a fan or a pump, will
this work for me?
Yes, we built several prototypes that worked,
BUT…….. Nothing comes for free and for this reason Mexicolder uses air
cooling, When you are hauled out for underwater maintenance the keel cooling
system did not work and when left on it damaged the compressor which is the
heart of the system. Imagine being in a boatyard for even a few days and
loosing those cold drinks and ice when you need them the most? Not to mention a freezer full of meat or
seafood. In addition to the former you have to bore a 1 ½” hole though the hull
and pay for the haul, launch and labor to do so. Even though keel coolers are
made of bronze they are still susceptible to stray current corrosion. You don’t
need to haul out to install a Mexicolder, or ever need worry about future
corrosion issues.
There
are other systems on the market that use cold plates and high capacity
compressors, they cost many times more than a Mexicolder and then there is the
install to pay for, so even if cost were not an issue, why wouldn’t I opt for
one?
Cold plates are history, they are heavy, and
they occupy the well-insulated box space you have supposedly created to store
food in! They are problematic as most
require expansion valves with mechanical connections that are prone to
refrigerant gas leaks. Often they use a larger compressor and lots of
associated and sophisticated control equipment to cool them so that means even
more weight in batteries and heavy cables to supply the current. Add to this
mélange the solenoid controlled valves, multiple wiring blocks, looms, suction
accumulators and suction control valves………so much more to go wrong. Ask Nigel Calder.
What about engine driven systems?
In our opinion they are history too. From
their first introduction and our personal experiences they were one of the most
problematic systems we ever had or have worked on. In short, the operating
pressure of the compressor at the end of the cycle is lower than the compressor
was designed for in its role as an automotive air conditioning system. This
often causes problems with the shaft seal and the system can get shut down due
to moisture entering past the seal. The other disadvantage is that you are
literally bound to your vessel, as the engine must be started at least once a
day. Say goodbye to extended inland trips.
Do you offer “ high tech” digital
controls?
No, the simple thermostat does a great job
and is trouble free. If you insist, yes, we can custom install all the “bells
and whistles” you desire, however we will put a switch in the system so that if
you ever get hit by lightning, have a power surge or the digital control gets
knocked out by your h.f. radio transmissions you have the option of having a
simple, reliable thermostat.
Why is a high capacity compressor
that I see advertised, advantageous?
It is not, as heat moves very slowly, and even more slowly as the temperature
drops.
1.Think of your fridge box as the bilge and
the fridge system as a bilge pump and the bilge water as heat.
2. If you had a lot of water leaks into the
bilge you would want to stop them, this equates to building a well-insulated
fridge box, thus stopping heat leaking into the box.
3. If you have a well-insulated fridge box,
you have a smaller heat leak into the box and so you need a smaller more
efficient pump (fridge system) to remove it at a regular interval.
4. Try sucking a cup of water out of the
bilge with a 1 ½” hose size pump, then try with a ¼” hose size pump and you’ll
understand.
We need both a fridge and a freezer;
do we need to buy two units?
No, in almost all cases if the boxes are
next or near to each other the cold air that spills over from the freezer box
will keep you drinks ice cold and veggies fresh and crunchy. We built a custom
system that use a small circulating fan and insulated 2” pipes to cool an
auxiliary box when the boxes are split either side of the galley range like on
the Catalina 42 “Ceilidh”, this works very well, the information can be found
on this blog.
Assuming we purchase and have you install
a system, what happens if we need spare parts in New Zealand or somewhere else
on our circumnavigation?
All the moving components in the system are
available in any developed country anywhere in the world. The system was
designed with this in mind, we have been there! We offer a cruisers spares
package for those going further a field.
The key to the energy efficiency of the system is engineered within the static
internal design features.
Where did the Mexicolder system come
from?
An ANSWER to SATISFY hundreds
of sailors who, over the last 31 years
worldwide asked us “why can’t I have a
boat fridge system as reliable as a domestic fridge/freezer?”
Good QUESTION…why not?
We took a blank sheet of paper and years of
hands on experience. Then we wrote down all that was good and all that was not
good of all the systems available on the market in the mid 1990’s. We kept the
good stuff and then tested and tested and tested aboard a cruising sailboat in
the severe heat conditions during several summers in the Sea of Cortez Mexico.
We then removed all the excess moving parts that were “fluff” but doubled up on
the stuff that kept the compressor or “heart of the system” beating
nicely. Then we chose the finest quality
materials to build a simple, lightweight and efficient answer to the sailor’s
needs and dreams.
Where can I have a Mexicolder installed?
At the time of
writing in Mazatlan Mexico during the months October through May and during the
summer in and around the Sea of Cortez, we have all the equipment and tools to
install anywhere!. There are independent contractors who can make box
modifications, or all the materials available to do it yourself. Check out " Building a box" later on posts.
