baja43
Junior Nomad
Posts: 53
Registered: 12-21-2004
Location: Vista/Colonet
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propane refer
My old Servel has finally expired.
Anyone know where to find used propane refers in SoCal?
Don't need anything fancy, just something that works.
Direct response to baja43@aol.com is OK
Thanks,
Craig
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Terry28
Senior Nomad
Posts: 825
Registered: 8-25-2007
Location: S.Calif mtns.
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Mood: Thirsty
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Try Google...
Mexico!! Where two can live as cheaply as one.....but it costs twice as much.....
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Mula
Super Nomad
Posts: 1655
Registered: 8-16-2011
Location: San Nicolas y Lopez Mateos
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Contact Bryn at http://www.rvtrailersupply.com/ in El Cajon.
While they do not have Servels, they do have reconditioned propane fridges from RV's.
I've bought several from them and taken several to them for repairs from Baja.
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baja43
Junior Nomad
Posts: 53
Registered: 12-21-2004
Location: Vista/Colonet
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Thank you Terry and Mula.
I have a line on a guy with rebuilts up in Ontario, CA and will f/u with Byrn, too.
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larryC
Super Nomad
Posts: 1495
Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
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If you have a little power available, 120v solar or grid, then you might consider converting an electric freezer to a refer. Mine uses less power than
a 60 watt equivalent/ 14 watt actual fluorescent light bulb. A lot cheaper than a propane refer. See it here: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=47172#pid5931...
[Edited on 6-11-2013 by larryC]
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9010
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
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Mood: Inquisitive
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I dont understand why this is so much more efficient than a regular fridge that is thermostatically controlled. Are freezer compressors that much more
efficient? Are they that much better insulated? Better refrigerants?
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
I dont understand why this is so much more efficient than a regular fridge that is thermostatically controlled. Are freezer compressors that much more
efficient? Are they that much better insulated? Better refrigerants? |
The main reason is because chest
freezers don't have the heating elements for a defrost cycle like are found in all modern refrigerators. From wikipedia:
The defrost mechanism in a refrigerator heats the cooling element (evaporator coil) for a short period of time and melts the frost that has formed on
it. The resulting water drains through a duct at the back of the unit. Defrosting is controlled by an electric or electronic timer: For every 6, 8,
10, 12 or 24 hours of compressor operation it turns on a defrost heater for 15 minutes to half an hour. The defrost heater, having a typical power
rating of 350 W to 600 W, is mounted just below the evaporator in top- and bottom-freezer models and below and sometimes also in the middle of the
evaporator in side-by-side models.
[Edited on 6-11-2013 by monoloco]
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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larryC
Super Nomad
Posts: 1495
Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
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And to expand on what Monoloco said, chest freezers are usually much better insulated. Electric refrigerators generally just blow cold air from their
freezer compartment into the refer portion to cool your food down. The freezer conversion that I use will cool down in less than 30 minutes after
turning it on. It takes longer than that to actually cool your food or drinks down but unlike a propane refer that can take 12 to 24 hours to cool
down, the freezer conversions are very fast. I've had mine for almost 3 years now with no complaints. One small draw back that I notice is I get some
condensation that collects in the bottom of the compartment, but I only use mine for drink storage so not a big deal for me. If you had some thing
like tortillas or bread in there that would be a problem.
Larry
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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well seems this has morphed into the old fridge/freezer conversion discussion, if youre gonna build one, do it right.
its all about the integrity of the box.
start with a quality freezer. remove the metal skin, free the condensing coils, relocate the compressor as far from the box as possible. add 4" of the
best foil back hard insulation you can buy, being careful not to have air gaps between original and newly added foam. do this to sides,bottom and top.
now cover the entire box with fiberglass reinforced paneling. now reattach the condensing coils to the outside of the box, yes they will get hot so
try not to lean up against em! add a johnson control thermostat from one of the home brew guys.
now you got a hot rodded chest fridge, very efficient and not really that hard to build!
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