BajaNomad

propane refrigerator and/or propane freezer

absinvestor - 7-23-2011 at 11:33 AM

Not sure if this is the right place to post but I'm looking for a propane refrigerator or freezer in good working order. We have one but it is having trouble keeping up in the heat. We are in Playa Burro in the Mulege area and will pay any fair price. Thanks

woody with a view - 7-23-2011 at 12:51 PM

have a local guy come by and give it a cleaning. blow out all the ports, look for leaks, etc.....

the RV 3cu.ft. i take with me had a prollem at LA Bay and the guy down the street got it working in short order. he saved our trip! $25 was never better spent.....

Mulegena - 7-23-2011 at 01:32 PM

Your refrigerator go-to man in Mulege has his repair/sales shop out on Ice House Road.
Its by the really nice market (Paulina's i think).

Santiago - 7-23-2011 at 01:42 PM

It's been my experience that about all you can get out of the Propane refers is 40 -45 degrees diff.

Bob and Susan - 7-23-2011 at 01:52 PM

it's next to pay-olas store

go there

mcfez - 7-23-2011 at 05:06 PM

Would a small fan (like a dash board fan) on the coils help?

mojo_norte - 7-23-2011 at 05:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
have a local guy come by and give it a cleaning. blow out all the ports, look for leaks, etc.....

the RV 3cu.ft. i take with me had a prollem at LA Bay and the guy down the street got it working in short order. he saved our trip! $25 was never better spent.....


How might one find this man in BOLA?

woody with a view - 7-23-2011 at 05:29 PM

we stayed here, on the road to La Gringa. the guy living in the first casita to the south "El Payaso" was our caretaker/capitan/fixer. he can hook you up.....

rsz_1100_6271.jpg - 30kB

mojo_norte - 7-23-2011 at 05:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by woody with a view
we stayed here, on the road to La Gringa. the guy living in the first casita to the south "El Payaso" was our caretaker/capitan/fixer. he can hook you up.....


Thanks - Yes - know that place - usually stay out at La Gringa itself but the Palapa looks nice

willyAirstream - 7-24-2011 at 08:06 AM

There is also a reefer guy 2 blocks down Ice House road, on the right, up the hill, very large, friendly pit bull in yard. I'll dig up his name and number.

Bob and Susan - 7-24-2011 at 11:04 AM

willy..that's the guy we're talking about

absinvestor - 7-25-2011 at 03:11 PM

Thanks- I'll go by tomorrow. Willie- we went to that store on Ice House road that they are mentioning that you told us about and you were right it is great. Wonderful vege's and fruit and prices were excellent.We owe you more beer!!! To McFez- fan might help but we are on solar and not sure how long a fan will work. Sounds like the propane guy is the answer.

Bob and Susan - 7-25-2011 at 03:29 PM

no matter what anyone tells you propane fridges can only get so low in temps when its 100 and HUMID

your may be perfectly ok
or not

propane is not a good refrig to use in this area
electric is WAY better

willyAirstream - 7-25-2011 at 04:16 PM

Ron, you can make your reefer more efficient, I'll stop by on Wed. and earn some more beer equity. Yep, my favorite store too!

rhintransit - 7-25-2011 at 05:20 PM

wire in a 12 volt fan, if one of those isn't readily available, get a 'muffin' or computer fan. ventilation may help but you're just not going to get the cooling you want in our summer climate. add block ice to the freezer. limit opening the door. move the unit to the coolest, shadiest spot you can. add insulation if you can around the cabinet.
I struggled with propane refrigeration for five years while in my palapa. went through three units. same outcome...the poor things just can't keep up in the heat and humidity. am now happily living in Loreto ON the grid. hooray!
most year round people in my old beach community beefed up their solar systems enough to run high efficiency 110 refrigeration.

larryC - 7-26-2011 at 07:36 AM

Ron
Here is a link to a post from about a year ago about converting an electric chest freezer into a chest refrigerator. http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=47172
If you are useing your propane refer in a motor home then this probably won't help much. If you are in a palapa or a house then these are great. Mine only uses 200 watts a day in the winter (less than a cfl) and around 400 watts a day in the heat of the summer. You wouldn't have to beef up your solar system very much to accomodate it. Probably one 100 watt panel would do it. Hope this helps,
Larry

Santiago - 7-26-2011 at 08:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by larryC
Ron
Here is a link to a post from about a year ago about converting an electric chest freezer into a chest refrigerator. http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=47172
If you are useing your propane refer in a motor home then this probably won't help much. If you are in a palapa or a house then these are great. Mine only uses 200 watts a day in the winter (less than a cfl) and around 400 watts a day in the heat of the summer. You wouldn't have to beef up your solar system very much to accomodate it. Probably one 100 watt panel would do it. Hope this helps,
Larry


What he say. I am soon gonna have a 5.5 or 7.0 CF freezer with same set up. Neighbor runs as a freezer and makes a bunch of ice to keep the beer cold - more 'lectricity but also has freezer. Hummmm- tough choices.

BajaGringo - 7-27-2011 at 10:07 AM

Chest freezer conversions are without a doubt the most economic way to run a refrigerator off-grid, hands down. I am going to install one in my workshop next month...

DavidE - 7-27-2011 at 10:48 AM

Been there, done that, got the T shirt...

You need to clad the top, sides, and bottom with 2" thick foam rigid panel material.

Nothing else works as good as aerosol spray foam to glue the panels to the enamelled steel. I make a two inch wide strip around the edges. Tinker around a bit because the foam really expands. I usually start off by snipping a real tiny hole in the cone applicator cap.

The next part is a little tougher. Get ahold of some Reynold's EXTRA Heavy duty aluminum foil. You're going to need to try and get squares and strips of the foil behind the coils on the rear of the refrigerator as best you can. This really reduces radiated heat from the coils into the refrigerator and reduces the loss of cold inside.

A tiny fan, just enough to move air past the absorsion coils (feel around for the radiator fins that are HOT), will really help.

An oft overlooked point is a D-cell battery circulation fan used inside refrigerators to circulate air and keep temperatures more even.

The above is the only way to get an absorbsion refrigerator to work correctly in hot weather.

Good low energy refrigerators like a SUNFROST have incredibly thick walls and weigh a ton, just visit their site to see one.

Hope this helps

willyAirstream - 7-27-2011 at 10:56 AM

Quote:
An oft overlooked point is a D-cell battery circulation fan used inside refrigerators to circulate air and keep temperatures more even.
Great point!

these are available at the tienda near the bank.

and if you need a 12v fan for the coils I think I have a computer fan you can use.

Great info on the above posts, holler if you need help