A CD 27 question on Ice Box drainage

[RonE58]

Just curious how other 27's have there Ice Box draining. Does it go to the bilge or does it go to a thru hull?? Mine empties into the
bilge.
Ron

[Sethrkallman]

Mine does the same. I would rather it go to a through hull, perhaps some modification is in order
s

[bobc]

One of the previous owners sealed the drain and installed a pickup tube, a hand pump (the squeeze kind normally used to transfer fuel), and a second spout on the sink to allow easy transfer of the melt water into the sink. The pump is mounted underneath next to the sink for easy access.

I like this arrangement as I can leave cold water in the bottom (for really cold drinks). The only downside is that I have to remember to pump out some of the melt every day.

I haven't proved it yet, but I think the ice lasts longer if you don't pump out the cold water. Oops! I hope I'm not starting another debate like the one we had on locked vs. freewheel props.

[Steve Laume]

Water being a better conductor than air would suggest that by allowing your ice to sit in it's own melt water it would speed it's demise. Warm air rises up under the bottom of your ice box so the bottom of the box might be coolest on the inside but would tend to lose lots of BTUs to the warm bottom outside. I will weigh in that the ice will melt faster by allowing it to sit in the melt water. That will be speeded if the melt water is allowed to contact the bottom of the ice box. All I am thinking is the the ice will melt faster. By draining off cold water you are definitely giving away cooling capacity.

I really like the idea of the fuel bulb drain. I keep one of those puppies on board for all sorts of things but have not used it to drain the ice box. I think I will make a shut off and quick connect for that purpose.

What I do now is put a closed cell foam plug in the drain so the cold air can't run down the drain. I bring ice from home in clean milk jugs so there is no melt water sloshing around with the lettuce, cheese, fish bait, beer and whatever. Once the ice from home is gone, any ice that comes aboard goes into a dry bag at point of purchase. It makes it easy to get it back to the boat and contains all of the melt water. The melt doesn't have much contact with the outside of the box so I figure it slows the heat loss too. I keep all the cold melt water until it gets warm then just pour it out. The dry bags are great. I would freeze them at home but I use the milk jug water for drinking. I would not drink whatever comes out of that dry bag.

I still have insulating the ice box on my list , Steve.

[Neil Gordon]

>>Water being a better conductor than air would suggest that by allowing your ice to sit in it's own melt water it would speed it's demise.<<

What about the part where you are removing all that cold from the ice box?

My experience (anecdotal) is that keeping the melt water in the ice box (or cooler) keeps the contents (including the ice) colder for longer.

[Tod M]

keeping the meltwater in the cooler, but the ice out of the meltwater and preferably an air gap around both the meltwater (tub) and the ice?

I'm embarrassed to have to admit I don't know the solution to this one.

[Paul McCary]

My PO put a plastic quart milk jug in the bilge and ran the ice melt drain hose into it. You just empty the jug as needed. No messy bilge. The hand pump idea is neat; but the milk jug works pretty well and is even easier to install.

[Evergreen]

I have not done this yet but it has been recommended that I add a short piece of "U" shaped copper tubing to the end of the ice box drain hose in the bilge. The idea is that cold air from the ice box sinks and is lost out the drain tube. The "U" shape tubing would form a water trap and prevent the cold air loss. Sounds logical but I don't know more than that other than the fact that I have detected cold air escaping the drain hose.