PC Fridge - looking for feedback


sixsandyfeet

sixsandyfeet

Member
Refresher - we bought our 08 27 PC last May. It's our 3rd boat, but all prior experience over the last 20 years is transient or on boats without shorepower. Hadn't cracked our harbor wait list last year, so had to relaunch the PC every weekend - which simply means that if we weren't on board, boat was dry in storage - all systems off. We're finally seasonal this year. For those with long experience, do you leave your fridge on and stocked while you're away? We're 200 miles from our boat, so can't run and check on things in a pinch.
So far, I'm leaving the fridge running and unstocked, but noticing when I get there that while we're gone and cabin temps rise, the fridge tends to defrost a bit and drip.
Just looking for opinions and experiences. Leave it on/off? Stocked?
Freezer frosts over a ton too - even when we were transient. Anyone have any luck mitigating that? Any insulation improvements? Freezer isolation gimmicks? Guess I also question if the door really, truly seals properly, since it's integrated to the cabinet door, so can't really see the seal quality while the door is closed. (Yes, I can and have disconnected the cabinet door to check overall, but that removes the whole interface and defeats the purpose of checking seal WITH the cabinet door intact.)
Opinions?
 
We leave our fridge on and stocked with nonperishables. But we live a couple miles from the boat and visit often. I also use the humidifier mode on the AC to keep some circulation in the cabin while we're away. Doing this, I usually need to defrost the fridge coil midway through the season, but do not experience any other issues. Some here have reported seal issues on the fridge door sealing, but ours has been fine. Our fridge is connected to the same circuit as the galley, so if the microwave clock has reset, we know we've lost power to the fridge for a time. Some have gone further and leave a piece of ice in a cup and if the ice has melted and refrozen to the shape of the cup, you know you've lost refrigeration for an extended period.
 
We use the microwave clock method as well. If the time is off, perishables in the fridge get thrown away. Fridge has auto-DC switching, but there's no way to know how long power was out, and whether the house batteries were depleted in the process. Would take a while for the house batteries to exhaust, but we wouldn't risk it.
 
I leave my fridges on, cabin and cockpit, but we are close by and visit often. I had the same issue with the ice build up. You need to do the dollar test, slip a bill between the seal and if you can pull it out easily your seals are not adequate. I refreshed the seals on mine and no issue since. Did the same on my cockpit fridge. I used the insulation strip(self adhesive) that is designed for hatches. 15 minute job.

I also have the wood door that pushes the fridge closed, and it was not snug. I rigged a little memory foam around the latch/lever to ensure a tight fit.

Mine was also missing the door to the freezer compartment and I ordered one from Isotherm and works great.
 
oh... my door to freezer compartment is broken on one of the points where it connects so doesn't always close right unless I rig the tray below the freezer just right.

I may order a new one from Isotherm - good idea!
 
Like most of the folks above, I leave it on and stocked. Use the Microwave clock to know if there was an issue.
 
the more the door is open or unsealed the more it will freeze up. the admiral restocks the fridge every weekend and the first thing she does is open the reefer door and she doesn't close it until everything is packed away. there is no need for her to hurry or continue to open and close the door for two reasons. first reason, she's the admiral. enuff said there right? second reason, she knows if the ice build up gets too bad, she can just have the captain to defrost it. it really isn't an issue for her ;)
 
sorry, to the OP's question we also leave 'er stocked up. nice to drop by and have a beer in the evenings since the boat is so close to home now.
 
I do not depend on anything except a small Dixie cup with an ice cube in it inside the freezer.
If 120 volt goes off 12 volt kicks in and takes over.
Only way to tell if freezer stuff melted is if the cube is melted and re-frozen.
 
Leave it on stocked with drinks (water, juices and such) only. If the seal isn't tight the freezer coil with ice up. Once that is fixed shouldn't ice up on ya much at all. Also check the setting. If set on max that too can cause ice issues on coil. Find a setting that keeps things as cold as you want without the max setting.
 
GSENT said:
I do not depend on anything except a small Dixie cup with an ice cube in it inside the freezer.
If 120 volt goes off 12 volt kicks in and takes over.
Only way to tell if freezer stuff melted is if the cube is melted and re-frozen.
Click to expand...

So this is the BEST idea - I totally forgot bout that....thanks for reminding me/us!
 
Yet again - a hundred years of collective experience provided in a matter of days/hours, shared with wisdom, salty tales and great humor! Where else can anyone go for this kind of value?!
Great inputs. I was using the micro clock as a general guide already, but don't have a high level of trust in it. (Ok...I really struggle to remember how to reprogram the damn thing, and it's amazingly inaccurate as it is!). Dixie cup and an ice cube is sheer engineering brilliance. (The simplest solution is usually the best.) Wife and I agree - stock with beverages and non-perishables, pay attention to the clock, and leave an ice cube in a cup.
Also going to bring a dollar bill and some foam next trip up...
Stop by our slip anytime. The beverages will always be cold!
 
Only problem is, if you leave an ice cube in a cup in the PC freezer, there's no room for anything else. ;D
 
V1rowT8 said:
Only problem is, if you leave an ice cube in a cup in the PC freezer, there's no room for anything else. ;D
Click to expand...
I am just going to leave the ice in the corner of the freeze...a small cube. If it melts, things will get a tiny bit wet, but at least it wont take up space.
 
V1rowT8 said:
Only problem is, if you leave an ice cube in a cup in the PC freezer, there's no room for anything else. ;D
Click to expand...
Ha! Very, very true!!
However, those adult juice boxes of pre-mixed slush cocktails... Alternate directions, and you can get 6 of em in your PC freezer!
Also, on this mindless topic, no cockpit fridge on the 27, so a trick I learned years ago on my old Captiva is to wrap a block of dry ice in a piece of reflective insulation (or just place it underneath and also as a barrier between the dry ice and anything you don't want to freeze solid) and put that in your cooler. I also cut a piece of reflective insulation as a cover on top of everything in the cooler. You can keep ice cream in there for days! Meijer sells dry ice by the pound at the front of every store. (Good idea to put a folded towel or a mat under the cooler. It can freeze to the floor!)
 
Or the door gasket isn't sealing correctly. Try the dollar bill trick. Stick a dollar bill into the door, close and latch it and see if you feel drag while pulling it out. If you don't, see first sentence ;D.
 
Door gasket isn't sealing well. Replacing gasket next weekend. Also need to adjust the pressure from the outer wood cabinet door. Not even close right now. As Nana Rosanadana used to say, "it's always somethin'!"
 
sixsandyfeet said:
Door gasket isn't sealing well. Replacing gasket next weekend. Also need to adjust the pressure from the outer wood cabinet door. Not even close right now. As Nana Rosanadana used to say, "it's always somethin'!"
Click to expand...

I made a block that I glued to the inside of the wood door that puts pressure on my fridge door. it solved all of my problems.
 
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