Refrigeration

[c_amos]

The install of my Engle 27 is one the many projects I need to take pictures of and post...

Sorry guys.

FWIW, I have mine mounted in the V-berth, on the port side just beyond the bulkhead. The lid opens well, and is easy to there.

I elected not to buy the slide mount, as it would have made the unit an inch or so taller, and I thought I might need the room for the lid to open. There is good clearence, and the mount would probably fit, but the handles allow you to strap it in pretty well.

I did mount a dedicated 12v outlet in the back of the bulkhead, using the Engle recommended 12ga wire.

I have used the unit for a few months now, and am very happy with it. My two T-105's don't even seem to know it is there.

[c_amos]

The Engle 27 is rated at 700 ma, but gives no mention of how much it runs.

My experience so far is that it seems to drink 10 to 12 amp hours a day.

This is of course with it in the V-berth, with adequite ventilation in temps from the mid 90's to 70's at night.

I think my single solar panel will keep up with it if I can find a scotty diode, the silicone diode is drinking most of the output to loss right now..

[ebb]

Got mine!
Definitely a luxury item. But there will always be a few of those.
On TonyG's thread, who also has an Engel 35, mentioned that I ordered an extra set of lid hinges from headquarters in FL.
With the extra set reconfigured the hinges to allow the lid, after being tilted up just a small bit,
to slide off sideways. Either right or left, your choice.
This means if you have the fridge cinched in tight, and have allowed some squirrlie access from the top, you can reach in,
without having to lift the lid through its huge radius.

I also believe the 'transit slide lok', which is mostly plastic, allows good versatility in mounting the fridge at the cost of about 1" more height. No straps or bungee cords necessary.
Also got the insulating blanket which is tailored to allow air circulation for the fan. And slight fiddley access with a zipper.
Wonder how much it actually cuts down on run time?

Not there yet,
but if we can electrically feed this baby we can probably factor in an exterior fan to keep cooling air moving around the back of this little gem.

[c_amos]

Wow,

Just realized I had not updated this since 07.....

Over the intervening years I have been VERY pleased with my Engle 27.

One complaint (I have to struggle to find one) is that the temperature knob is very easy to turn... any setting above 1.5 gives frozen stuff... easily bruise the bottles of frosty beverage if one is less then careful. Real life use was sub 30ah a day in the Bahamas with some sunlight coming in the foredeck hatch.... towel placed over the lid helped with this.

No special treatment was afforded to the cooling fins on the back, it was pretty happy being just mounted to the port side of the V-berth all the way aft. I did make a small cut into the 'stock' shelf to allow the corner a place to rest with the fridge being tucked up against the bulkhead.

One really special thing about the Engle is that it is quiet.... I was on a delivery last week (cold) and the installed fridge would wake me up in the middle of the night it was so loud! The Engle is not like that.... now, I got them regular old hinges so no comment on the special ones... but never had any trouble with opening mine.

Sure is nice to drink something cold at the end of a hot day!

Good buy!

[ebb]

Craig, Engel doesn't seems to have any stocking distributors. So if we're looking for prices we essentially won't find any deals, everybody gets their stuff or has it shipped from Florida. When I called I got a lady who wasn't surprised at all with my hinge request. The price, no surprise, was steep.
I can see that knob getting knocked off, and maybe that nice catch on the lid, but I'm sure they have replacements there for everything.

QUIET!
Worth paying for. So glad to hear that. Maybe that's why these little fridges have been along on so many expeditions. Afterall, getting away is also getting to quiet places.

If I had a complaint, it's the weight of the Engel27.
40 plus pounds!

[CapnK]

Had a real nice fellow come through the marina on his way back from the Bahamas this past spring with an Island Packet 31. His forestay had parted; his roller snarler held things together enough that he could attach his inner forestay and make it to Georgetown. He contacted me to do the fix. It wound up that he needed to purchase not just a forestay, but also a new roller snarler - the OEM one on his IP was no longer in production, and messed up just enough that we could not re-use it - parts would have been the cost of a new model...

Long story short, about 10 days, over 25 hours of work and 3 trips up his mast later, I had him all set up and ready to cruise the rest of the way to upstate NY. When he asked me how much did he owe me, I handed him a printout from the 'net with the Engel distributors contact number and the info for the MT35 model, and said "Just get me this...". Saved him about 50% off the hourly rate, and made it easy for me.

After 10 months now, I'm as happy an Engel owner, as I ever was an Engel user. Two thumbs up!

[carl291]

commanderpete, 60 beers ?? in one cooler ?? on the Starboard side, wouldn't let an Ariel sit on her lines. It would work in the Commander with the large cockpit because you could balance the boat with some of the more attractive gender if they dressed rather scantily! Besides I've been told on long cruises you fish for staples.

[c_amos]

Had a real nice fellow come through the marina on his way back from the Bahamas this past spring with an Island Packet 31. His forestay had parted; his roller snarler held things together enough that he could attach his inner forestay and make it to Georgetown. He contacted me to do the fix. It wound up that he needed to purchase not just a forestay, but also a new roller snarler - the OEM one on his IP was no longer in production, and messed up just enough that we could not re-use it - parts would have been the cost of a new model...

Long story short, about 10 days, over 25 hours of work and 3 trips up his mast later, I had him all set up and ready to cruise the rest of the way to upstate NY. When he asked me how much did he owe me, I handed him a printout from the 'net with the Engel distributors contact number and the info for the MT35 model, and said "Just get me this...". Saved him about 50% off the hourly rate, and made it easy for me.

After 10 months now, I'm as happy an Engel owner, as I ever was an Engel user. Two thumbs up!

NOTE: For those who might wonder about this, I can attest that Kurt's propensity for the ingestion of frosty beverage necessitates the larger 35 model... I am frankly surprised he can get by with such a small unit. More good press for the Engel's rapid cooling prowess.

[CapnK]

Now, I'm not denying that I like a frosty cold barley soda or a chilled few inches of fine rum just as much as the next man, BUT...

My reasons for the 35 over the 27 (or 45, for that matter) were that the 35:

• Has the traditional Engel galvanized metal exterior (the plastic exteriors are new, and so, somewhat untested - tho' they'll prolly do just fine...)
• Has the compressor with the same (lowest) energy usage as the 27 (.7-2.5 Amps/h), yet...
• ...has ~50% more interior room than the 27, for a footprint only 4" longer, and 2" wider, and...
• ...it has a non-tapered shape, maximizing refrigerated area for the space taken.
• Can't I have something bigger or nicer than Craig? Just ONCE???? Gee...

Last, and most importantly to my mind, the REAL reason is that as an avid fisherman I know it is relatively rare to catch a pelagic fish which is exactly the size of one meal, without leftovers. Even a "peanut" mahi, when fileted out, will yield several pounds of meat. So I figure if I am gonna kill the buggers, at the least I oughta eat as much of them as possible. Having a little extra room in the fridge will allow me to store the extra meat safely until it gets all eaten up.

Look at the picture Carl posted. It's kind of hard to tell how thick he is, but that's likely a 35-40lb+ bull dolphin. You'll get 15 lbs + of tasty meat off of that fish, enough food for those two for a week of dinners. But not if you can't keep it cold!

And BTW, Ariels cruise at the perfect speed for trolling... ;D

[ebb]

Never thought I'd have 50% more volume envy! So Be It!

Anybody have the foolproof way to hard wire the fridge to the panel......or not?
Diagram? Gauges? Fuse or circuit breaker?
Tips? No electric smarts here.

Thanks.

[carl291]

Kurt, I had to go back and look... there is a fish in that picture!!!

[Tony G]

All this Engel talk has me wishing it was warm enough here to have to cool something down-and then drink it. Man, Kurt, I had to read your post several times. Somehow I read it that you were in the Bahamas already working and living my dream. I thought how the hexx did I miss that little piece of information?! Gottta hand it to ya for the alternative to cash on the barrel head. I would much rather barter for goods and services. As long as both parties are satisfied why not!

Ebb, I can see why you'd want to hard wird it just to remove a junction that is a potential corosion threat. But do you have other reasons for tying it into the system permanently? I haven't even thought of removing "the back panel" :O but I bet there are some readily accessable contacts that you could solder right onto. We have a simple glass fuse fuse block that will go "down stream" from the circuit breakers to protect the more sensative electronics with lower tollerances and in case the circuit breaker doesn't trip. Would something like that server your needs?

[ebb]

Howzitgoing Tony?

True it's one less connection.
Engel, I believe, also has available a 'harness' for doing it, so it therefor is an option.
And once it has found its place on the boat, that's where it will live. It is a relatively heavy unit.

But stacked in front of access to other parts of the boat, it will have to be moved at times.
So if somebody here says the fridge works just fine plugged into a cigaret lighter receptacle
then I would take that advice. Seems a bit too temporary or corrosion prone.

The Engel in litlgull will live under the c'way in front of where the engine ought to be -
which is where I have the batteries on a slide under the cockpit. The fridge will have to be removed for battery work.
So I can see the Engel hookup go directly to a panel which will be right there, inches away, under the entrance,
on top of the galley counter, but tucked underneath the bridge. Is there a better way?
Should it just be plugged in for 'convenience'?

Should dedicated monitoring, an amp gauge, or what gauge, be included in line?
Monitoring the draw would be a necessity, I think. Yes?
What would the diagram look like?

[c_amos]

Ebb,

Your thinking is spot on. I removed the crumbled remnant of my "stainless steel" lighter outlet, and have to either clean up the contacts on the Engle plug or cut it off.

I am leaning in the direction of cutting it off and installing a small terminal block (the former plug was in the 'cabinet' over the drawers on the port side).

Cigarette lighter plugs are indeed handy, but not ideal for long term use on boats (IMHO).

[ebb]

Hey Craig,
So when you do 'hard wire',
when the fridge has to be moved it will be unscrewed from terminals.

Which isn't so bad, actually good, but the cord remains long enough to allow the unit to be moved
to a temporary spot still attached. Cleaning, maintenance, whatever?