ICE BOX NOT SO COLD

[Dennis Truett]

Although ice in my ice box seems to last about 2 days, inside the box doesn't seem too cold and food spoils. It has been suggested the drain for the box doesn't have a water trap in it. This allows the cold air to "fall" down the drain and into the bilege. Does anyone know if there is a water trap in the line, and does anyone have any experiance with this?

Thanks in advance!

Dennis
CD26D



truettdc@frontiernet.net

[Jon]

Dennis,

I'm not sure about the 26, but there is be a fitting under the ice box on the 25 to which a hose is attached. The hose should loop up then downward, creating the much needed water trap. This prevents your cold air from falling out and being displaced with warm cabin air. Also, use block ice, if you're not already.

Jon

[Tom]

Although ice in my ice box seems to last about 2 days, inside the box doesn't seem too cold and food spoils. It has been suggested the drain for the box doesn't have a water trap in it. This allows the cold air to "fall" down the drain and into the bilege. Does anyone know if there is a water trap in the line, and does anyone have any experiance with this?

Thanks in advance!

Dennis
CD26D

Insulation is the real answer.



TomCambria@mindspring.com

[Bob Miller]

On my 27, I put an empty gallon milk jug at the end of the hose from the ice box. This does two things...it holds any food that may come from the ice box and rot in the bilge and also keeps the cold air in the box as the water in the jug and around the submerged hose end keeps the cold air in the ice box. I dump it before it gets too full.

Although ice in my ice box seems to last about 2 days, inside the box doesn't seem too cold and food spoils. It has been suggested the drain for the box doesn't have a water trap in it. This allows the cold air to "fall" down the drain and into the bilege. Does anyone know if there is a water trap in the line, and does anyone have any experiance with this?

Thanks in advance!

Dennis
CD26D

millerfam5050@worldnet.att.net

[Russ Campbell]

An easy way to put an air trap in the line is to just put a plastic elbow at the end of the hose in the bilge and point it upward. This will fill with water and not allow air to escape. Water will still drain out. This little proceedure cut my ice consumption in half.

Russ

Although ice in my ice box seems to last about 2 days, inside the box doesn't seem too cold and food spoils. It has been suggested the drain for the box doesn't have a water trap in it. This allows the cold air to "fall" down the drain and into the bilege. Does anyone know if there is a water trap in the line, and does anyone have any experiance with this?

Thanks in advance!

Dennis
CD26D

camroll@together.net

[Ed Haley]

The secret is to hold some of the melted ice water in the ice box. It will remove more of the heat (read cool) that the former ice. I put my block of ice in a plastic pan (6 inches deep) that will hold the ice melt. When the ice completely melts, a new block if ice will go in the pan of cold water. This will significantly increase the cooling capacity of a block of ice.



eghaley@twcny.rr.com

[Bob Luby]

Suggestion: If you are not using beverages at a tremendous rate, freeze most of the canned beer and soda in your home freezer before you put it in the icebox. It will gradually thaw over the next 3 days or so. Don't do this with bottles, because they cannot hold the pressure.

I did this last year, and my cold beer lasted almost 5 days.


Cheers!



Rluby@aol.com

[Matt Cawthorne]

Dennis,
I can not speak for the 26d, but the CD-36 most certainly had a clever little trap that does not look like a trap. It is a little plastic bowl with the outlet near the top. The drain emptied into the middle towards the bottom. That traps the air. I suspect that all CD's of that vintage had them (early 80's) and probably all had some trap. It traps slime and garbage. Try vacuuming the thing out from the icebox side with a wet vac and you will see what I mean.

This past winter I ripped my icebox out and found a disappointing amount of insulation. Only 1 inch on 3 sides, two inches on two sides and the top did not have any for more than 1/2 of it's area. The 36 has enough room inside to increase the insulation to 5 inches and still have room for more than a can of soda. That is mostly what I did, with 7 inches in a few areas and vacuum panels in a few spots. It was a major job and would just recommend buying lots of extra ice if your cruising plans are all coastal. If you want to get the icebox colder put in a small fan blowing on the ice. The temperature in the box will be lower and you will use more ice. To find out what the temperature really is get a digital thermometer with big numbers. If it is staring you right in the face every time you open the icebox you will get a good average over time.
On trips to Bermuda before the icebox rebuild I would just pack 80 or 100 pounds of ice in it and the box stayed plenty cool for a week. If you have food going bad I recommend using more ice. Even if you have have to throw more away on sunday afternoon the average temperature will be lower since there is more surface area of ice exposed to the box. Also, consider placing the ice in a mesh bag rather than a plastic one. The airflow gets right to the surface of the ice.

Matt






mcawthor@bellatlantic.net

[Mike Everett]

I think I'll install an outlet hose with a trap on my icebox too. That sounds like an effective and simple idea.
Some ideas I've also found effective are
1. Put one or two blocks of ice inside an insulated bag (in the icebox). This greatly prolongs the life of a block. (Thanks to Jim Engle for this idea.)
2. Cover the top of the ice box with an ensolite pad or wool blanket. This provides extra insulation, and prevents infiltration around the cover.
We find on our CD28 that once the ice box is cold, we can leave it with its foam pad cover and a block of ice in an insulated bag on Sunday and find it still cold next Saturday.



everett@megalink.net

[Jack Schuhmacher]

On my 28, For the cooling of the box I use a old tidy cat litter bottle (about 3 gal.). It is made of some type of flexable plastic and is not brittle like a soda bottle, it also has a built in handle.
I freeze it at home and take it to the boat in a cooler. Once in the boat as the ice melts the water is retained and adds to the cooling of the box. I have planed to try and use a brine solution to add to the cooling capacity. Basicaly making a homemade holding plate. Since no water goes down the drain a small piece of tape holds the cold air in.
Jack



jschuh@wt.net

[Neil Gordon]

>>... freeze most of the canned beer and soda in your home freezer before you put it in the icebox.<<

We routinely fill spring water bottles from the Brita filter and keep them in the freezer. When we pack for the boat, they replace ice and ice-packs for the car ride.

The more frozen bottles you start with, the longer the ice on the boat will last. Otherwise, cooling summer temp beverages will eat a 30 lb. bag of ice in no time.

Oh, running the motor eats ice, too.


Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY
Cape Dory 28 #167



neil@nrgordon.com

[Larry DeMers]

This first thing to do is to block off the water drain in the bottom of the ice box. This is a cheap and easy job. At a hardware store, obtain a shower and tub stopper. These are rubber devices made to be placed over the drain in the bottom of your tub..to replace a malfunctioning lever operated drain valve. They are around $1.50.

Place it over the hole, and you have a removable block of the cold air going down the drain. The large shoulder on the drain plug will keep it in place while heeled or when moving food and containers around the box's interior.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

Although ice in my ice box seems to last about 2 days, inside the box doesn't seem too cold and food spoils. It has been suggested the drain for the box doesn't have a water trap in it. This allows the cold air to "fall" down the drain and into the bilege. Does anyone know if there is a water trap in the line, and does anyone have any experiance with this?

Thanks in advance!

Dennis
CD26D

demers@sgi.com