[Greenbuilding] finding coils inside (new) chest freezer

[JOHN SALMEN]

Given the thoughts about all us tinkerers I was going to suggest the same as
Frank that you simply build your own. You get to put the money into a really
energy efficient compressor (meaning efficient motor) and blocks of foam
insulation. Cut extra blocks to take up dead space - or remove as needed.
Manually defrost.

Refrigeration used to be done with ice - blocks of ice laboriously cut from
lakes and stored in barns under piles of sawdust which would last through
the summer. The concept of building a box with a lot of interior mass and a
lot of exterior insulation that could be seasonally charged and then
maintained with minimal electricity can work (thermal mass refrig)

If you want to really tinker you could build an absorption freezer or find
an old Einstein fridge. 

Fridges are fun - tinkering is fun. I had to design a walk in cooler once
and got hooked on the history. 

JOHN SALMEN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
4465 UPHILL RD,. DUNCAN, B.C.  CANADA, V9L 6M7
PH 250 748 7672 FAX 250 748 7612 CELL 250 246 8541
terrain at shaw.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Frank
Tettemer
Sent: December 5, 2010 3:02 PM
To: Greenbuilding at bioenergylists.org
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] finding coils inside (new) chest freezer

Frozen greetings, Reuben, from the out-back of Ontario.

If you have DC power available, (off grid, with batteries, or a reliable 
converter), you have a variety of means for an efficient chest freezer.

If you are shopping for Brand New then:
Sundanzer, made by electrolux,   Very good efficiency, and well insulated.
The least initial expense, for good energy efficiency.

However, two neighbours have used the "kits" made at the E-Z Kold shop 
in Ontario, Canada.
They use stainless steel cold plates for inside of the insulation, (one 
at either end works well),
and air-to-refrigerant heat exchange through a Danfoss compressor (12vdc 
or 24vdc) on the outside.
(Danfoss is the same compressor used in the upright fridge and freezers 
made by Sunfrost, Calif.
Danfoss is also used in the Sundanzer, and in other DC refrigeration 
systems.)

If a person bought a used/dead freezer, about ten cubic feet, and lined 
it with another 3" of polystyrene, then lined it with fiberglass & 
resin, or,
aluminum flat stock, and placed two of the E-Z Kold cold plates in 
either end, then they would have about 5 1/2 cubic feet of freezer 
space. super well insulated, and run by the most efficient small 
compressors in the business.

One of our neighbours re-insulated an existing older, large-size chest 
freezer, and simply ran two runs of tubing to the colder basement, and 
had the compressor and air cooling tubes down there, working most 
efficiently, close to the battery room, and in a naturally cool area.

We are off-grid, thus considering each and every detail.  We have about 
six cubic feet of freezer space, outside. We have about four and a half 
feet of freezer space, sort-of indoors, and ten feet of fridge, partly 
indoors, all running off the house battery bank.

Our outdoor freezer is run by a Danfoss compressor, and is located in an 
un-heated entry mud room.  From now until spring, it very rarely runs. 
We hear  a compressor-run-cycle, for five minute duration, sometimes 
more than three or four days between run cycles.  It's just sipping from 
the battery bank, during our season of the least photovoltaic 
opportunities. i.e., it's cloudy now, until mid-winter.  Good timing for 
us.

Our in-house Fridge/Freezer is a Sunfrost, with the entire cabinet front 
built flush with the interior wall, and projecting outward from the 
house walls, and surrounded by out-door ambiant air temperatures. We 
rarely hear the fridge or the freezer run at all, from now until Spring 
time.

To buy one ready to go:
http://www.sundanzer.com/Home.html
They make one model that I can heartily reccomend, from many neighbour's 
use experiences, with about 5 1/2 cubic feet of space.

Or to build one from scratch, or re-convert an existing shell:
http://www.e-zkold.com/conversion.htm
the model of kit best suited for about half dozen cubic feet of freezer is:
*EK-12CPA**-2 **Air Cooled 12 Volt Twin Cold Plate System*

Cheers,
Frank

-- 
Frank Tettemer
Living Sol ~ Building and Design
www.livingsol.com
613 756 3884


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