Box Building Plans for the

LT200-F Kit

BUILD YOUR OWN SUPER INSULATED REFRIGERATOR !

These plans present a relatively low cost option for a super insulated refrigerator with minimal power consumption for a battery based alternate energy system. The key to low cost is to build your own super insulated chest with readily available building materials. No special refrigeration skills are needed because the refrigeration machinery is available in a complete kit, precharged with Refrigerant 134A.

Building with six inches of foam insulation will produce a truly cost effective unit with very low power consumption. Running times of less than three hours per day are possible. The quality of appearance and finish can be very good, depending on your own construction skills.

The plans are for a chest of 4.5 cubic feet actual capacity, suitable for a household of two or three sensible people. If you want a chest of a different size or configuration, use these plans and information as an aid in designing your own unit.

A super insulated ICEBOX is a lower cost option if you can't buy the DC refrigeration kit now. Several pounds of ice will provide refrigeration for several days. The refrigeration machinery can be added later. I use my own chest refrigerator as an icebox during the winter when I can collect snow or ice outdoors, so more power is available for lighting during the long winter evenings.

These plans are based on a prototype unit built by Clive Ellis. The DC refrigeration machinery is available from:

Steve Willey - Backwoods Solar Electric Systems 8530 Rapid Lightning Creek Road Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

WHY A SUPER INSULATED REFRIGERATOR?

People who generate their own electricity from sun, wind or hydropower recognize the high cost of their home-made electricity. Electricity from alternate energy sources is feasible only with conscientious conservation, and to some extent reliance on other fuels such as wood and propane. Conventional 120 volt AC domestic refrigerators cannot be operated economically on a typical battery based alternate energy system. They require three to six kilowatt-hours per day or more, and it's not cost effective to generate this amount of power with photovoltaic. Conventional refrigerators have minimal insulation mainly because grid power is relatively cheap and because insulation is bulky. With alternate energy systems we can't afford to skimp on refrigerator insulation.

REFRIGERATOR INSULATION

For a custom built refrigerators use only the highest rated foam insulation Polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foam board insulation are the best choices and a minimum thickness of six inches is advised. Foam insulation is a relatively minor cost in refrigerator construction. However, more than six inches adds enormous bulk with decreasing energy savings,

DC REFRIGERATION MACHINERY

These plans are based on the use of a Nova-Kool LT-2OOF kit, which has all of the required machinery which is pre-charged with Refrigerant 134A. This kit is the major cost of building your own refrigerator. The Nova-Kool unit is quite efficient but its cooling capacity is small compared to conventional refrigerators. People who install the Nova-Kool unit in a conventional refrigerator cabinet are invariably disappointed by excessive running times. It's usually difficult to effectively add insulation all the way around the outside of a conventional refrigerator cabinet. Building your own cabinet with no less than six inches of foam insulation will ensure good overall efficiency.

SUPER INSULATED REFRIGERATOR PROTOTYPE SPECIFICATIONS

ADVANTAGES OF A CHEST TYPE REFRIGERATOR CABINET

• Easier for a novice to build than a front door arrangement. , Much less cold air is lost when the lid is opened.
• The lid seal is less critical.
• The lid closes by gravity and can't be left open accidentally.
• With proper design and layout, a chest is more convenient to use.
• The full volume can be more effectively used without sacrificing accessibility, especially with tall or bulky items.
• The only major disadvantage is that a chest occupies more floor space than a front door cabinet of similar capacity.

DESIGN EVOLUTION

I wanted a well insulated chest large enough to serve two people. The dimensions are based on required capacity, convenience factors, and economical use of 4' x 8' construction materials.

With the lid open, the rim of the chest is 36 inches above the floor to match kitchen counter elevations. The interior is 12.5 inches deep to accommodate two liter bottles. The chest width of 32.5 inches out from the wall seemed to be a reasonable maximum for convenient interior accessibility. The space underneath the chest accommodates the refrigeration machinery and storage of a large picnic cooler used to transport groceries.

Making the unit wider and/or deeper would decrease convenience of use, but could be done to increase capacity. I balanced the width and depth dimensions for minimum waste of the 4'x x8' sheets of foam insulation. Building the same capacity in a cube shape gives the minimum surface to volume ratio in rectilinear form. That increases the insulating value only a few percent the configuration is less convenient, and there is more waste of construction materials.

Building the chest in place saves materials and simplifies construction. The unit becomes a permanent part of your home and is theft proof. If necessary, the plans can be modified if you want a unit that can be moved. Various details of construction could be modified according to your preferences. These plans are based on what worked out well for me. If you try something different, let us know how it works out.

DESIGNING FOR MINIMUM POWER CONSUMPTION

A refrigerator cabinet could be put on a cool, shaded, well ventilated porch to save energy. Consider:

Note that the relative power use is only for maintaining the temperature inside the refrigerator. Additional power is needed to chill items added to the fridge and cold air lost, according to user habits.

Obviously, putting the refrigerated cabinet outside your heated living space will reduce power consumption during all but the hottest days of the year. But some possible disadvantages are:

• Less convenient to have refrigerator away from the kitchen.
• Possible insect, rodent and theft problems.
• Refrigerator will get too cold in extreme cold weather.
• Compressor and condenser unit should not be exposed to very cold temperatures. More about that later.

Insulation is less critical if the refrigerator is in a cool location. You could use less insulation and increase the interior capacity with the same exterior dimensions. Power consumption in summer will be increased, but that may not be a problem because many photovoltaic systems have surplus power during the long summer days. However, do not use less than six inches of insulation unless you are sure that minimum power consumption is secondary to your refrigerator size and capacity considerations.

INSULATION INFORMATION

"R" Value per inch of thickness for Common Insulation Materials

"Relative Cooling Load" as charted here represents only the heat transfer through the insulated walls. Additional power is needed to chill items added to the refrigerator and cold air lost when the cabinet is opened, according to user habits. The chart shows a simple inverse proportion. Other factors are assumed constant: cabinet size, insulation quality, and temperature differential.

FREEZERS AND POWER CONSUMPTION

Even with a well insulated cabinet, a DC refrigerator will consume a large portion of a household's alternate energy budget, and especially so if a freezer is operated all the time. Here again we must recognize the costs involved.

Many people consider a freezer to be a necessity. But is it? The extra power needed for a refrigerator-freezer combination, compared to a refrigerator only, may require several hundred dollars worth of additional photovoltaic panels (or other source) and more storage batteries, or increased reliance on back-up power from an engine driven generator. 1 recommend that your home-made refrigerator have a freezer section which can be used when needed and if power is available. An optional freezer gives you a way to cut back on power consumption if you run into a period of cloudy or calm weather. Be flexible. There's little need for ice if beverages are cooled to 39°F.

For most of us, a deep freeze for long term food storage is not economical on an alternate energy system, particularly with the irregularities of PV and wind generated power. Other methods of food preservation are more affordable, such as canning, drying, pickling, smoking, or whatever.

For those who may want to design and build their own deep freeze, here are some suggestions for maximum efficiency:

• Build the freezer chest in a cool, well shaded outbuilding.
• Build the chest in a cube shape to minimize the surface to volume ratio. * Use 12 inches or more of foam insulation.
• Calculate the estimated power consumption before you build it.

HOW TO ESTIMATE REFRIGERATION LOADS

1 BTU = quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by l°F (1 gallon of water weighs 8.34 lbs). The Nova Kool LT2OOF unit has a cooling capacity of 185 BTUs per hour.

Suppose we have an insulated box with inside dimensions of 24" x 24" x 24". The foam insulation is rated R7.2 per inch of thickness, or about R43 for six inches. The volume of tile box is 2' x 2'x 2' = 8 cubic feet.

The internal surface area of the box is: (2' x 2') x 6 sides = 24 square feet.

The heat transfer through tile insulated walls is: Surface Area/R Value = 24 sq ft/R43= 0.56 BTUs per hour per 1°F

The box is in a 70°F room and the thermostat is set to maintain 38°F average. (0.56 BTUs per hour per l°F) x (70°F - 38°F) = 17.9 BTUs per hour. 17.9 BTUs per hour/185 BTUs per hour = 9.7% minimum running time of compressor

Suppose we reset the thermostat to maintain an average O°F. (0.56 BTUs per hour per l°F) x (70°F - 0°F) = 39.2 BTUs per hour. 39.2 BTUs per hour/185 BTUs per hour = 21% minimum running time of compressor

Suppose we want to chili a six pack of 12 ounce beverages about equal to 4.7 lb of water. The beverages are cooled from 68°F down to 38°F. 4.7 lbs. x (68°F - 38°F) = 141 BTUs. 141 BTUs/185 BTUs per hour = 0.76 hours

Suppose we want to freeze six pounds of water; a plastic gallon jug roughly 3/4 full. The water starts at 60°F and ends at 20°F. 6 lbs x (60°F - 20°F) ( temperature change) + 6 lbs x (144 BTUs per lb) (phase range at 32°F) = 1104 BTUs. 1104 BTUs/185 BTUs per hour = 6.0 hours refrigerator running time.

Total refrigeration load is the sum of heat transfer through the insulated walls (essentially constant for given temperatures) PLUS the items put in the unit to he cooled (variable according to user habits).

Note that half as much insulation will double the heat transfer component of the refrigeration load.

PLACEMENT OF REFRIGERATION MACHINERY

Conventional domestic refrigerators generally have the refrigeration compressor mounted underneath. Some say this is poor design. So why is it done?

1. Space efficiency: The compressor is placed low at the back in space which is least convenient for interior accessibility.
2. Weight distribution: The compressor is heavy. A top mounted compressor makes a refrigerator top heavy and more likely to tip over, particularly when it has to be moved.
3. Lubrication: Refrigeration oil in the refrigerant may separate when the refrigerant evaporates in the freezer plates. Placing the compressor at the lowest place in the system ensures that the refrigeration oil eventually returns to lubricate the Internal workings of the compressor. This may not be a factor for all systems, depending on the chemistry of the Refrigerant 134A and special refrigeration oil.

The supposed inefficiencies of a low mounted compressor, which may allow heat to accumulate under the refrigerated section, is more a problem of poor air circulation and marginal insulation.

I placed the compressor underneath my refrigerator chest mainly for space efficiency. This arrangement provides a good place to hide the extra coils of refrigerant tubing. There is no noticeable heat build-up because the compressor is in a sizeable open space with good ventilation. Furthermore, the compressor produces little heat because it is of relatively small cooling capacity and has short running times because of the well Insulated chest. I did reverse the fan position on the condenser so that it blows air out from underneath the chest.

OVERCOOLING A REFRIGERATOR'S CONDENSER

DOES NOT IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

A refrigerator transfers heat from the inside of its cabinet to the outside. Why not improve refrigerator efficiency by exposing the condenser (heat dissipating section) to cooler outdoor temperatures? This sounds logical, but excessively cold condenser temperatures actually slow or stop the refrigeration process because the refrigerant system is designed to condense at room temperatures. And if the condenser gets really cold the refrigerant pressure will drop so low that the refrigerator compressor can not build up the pressure required for the system to work.

To understand how refrigerant cools, consider the cooling capacity of:

1. One pound of ice at 30°F which melts to 50°F. The heat absorbed = 20 BTUs (temperature change) + 144 BTUs (phase change) = 164 BTUs total, enough to cool a gallon of water about 20°F.
2. One pound of ice at O°F which melts to 50°F. The heat absorbed = 50 BTUs (temperature change) + 144 BTUs

effective on smaller domestic refrigerators.

FREON - (Nova Kool discontinued using Freon R-12 as a refrigerant in July 1994)

Most people know that CFC's (as in Freon) damage the Earth's protective ozone layer. However, the Nova Kool kit contains only six ounces of Refrigerant 134A in a sealed system which should give more than 15 years of service. NOTE: It is against the law to vent Refrigerants to the atmosphere.

Be aware that the Nova Kool kit uses two pairs of sealed tubing connectors in its Refrigerant 134A system, which are joined after the components are assembled with the insulated cabinet. Follow the Nova Kool instructions carefully to avoid loss of refrigerant when joining the connectors. It's also important that you build a well insulated cabinet of lasting quality, because if you disassemble the system to rebuild it, you may lose the refrigerant after several years of service. Then, you have the additional trouble and expense of having it recharged.

CONSTRUCTION OUTLINE

Study the plans and choose your location. Consider: A) Adequate space for cabinet and machinery. B) Convenient to kitchen, preferably adjacent to a counter. C) Cool ventilated location away from heat sources like wood stove or sustained direct sun.

1. Buy materials.
2. Build cabinet shell of 3/4 inch particle board or plywood.
3. Cut and glue foam board insulation inside cabinet shell.
4. Cut and glue plastic panels in place for interior liner. Caulk all seams with 100% silicone caulk.
5. Install freezer plates, compressor and condenser unit~ thermostat and wiring according to Nova Kool instructions. Then turn it on to make sure it works.
6. Build and install lid.
   

LIST OF MATERIALS FOR CHEST TYPE REFRIGERATOR

• Nova Kool LT200F DC refrigeration kit (not used for icebox version)
• Two: 3/4" x 48" x 96" particle board or plywood
• Two: 3" x 48" x 96" polyisocyanurate foam board insulation 60 or equal volume of other thick nesses as available Styrofoam not as effective as polyisocyanurate/polyurethane
• Extra long saber saw blade for cutting insulation board
• One gallon can of panel adhesive such as "Abitibi #900"
• Notched spreader for panel adhesive with 1/8" notches
• Shower wall covering kit such as "Artesian Surrounder Model A-6100 Bathtub Wall system". This particular kit contains four textured white plastic panels each 28.5" x 57" x 1/16" thick.
• Lumber: 2 x 4 x 48" or 2 x 6 x 48" cabinet floor support; 2 x 6 x 49.5" with good appearance one side for cabinet rim brace; 2 x 2 x 47.5" + two 2 x 2 x 29" cabinet floor supports
• Drywall screws as required: 1.25". 1.5", 2.25", 3" lengths
• Two: 2" x 2" x 10" aluminum angle for mounting one of the freezer plates
• One cartridge of 100% white silicone bathtub caulk
• Aluminum or plastic rectangular pan for freezer drip tray
• Electrical wiring as needed

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR CHEST LID

• One 5/32" x 48" x 96" shower wall panel such as "Abitibi" brand. This is a dense fiberboard panel with a hard plastic coating on one side.
• Eight #6/32 x 61.25'' threaded rod + eight #6/32 cap nuts (acorn nuts) + eight #6/32 tee nuts + eight #6 flat washers = lid tie rods
• Self stick soft foam weather-strip such as "Frost King", 3/4" wide x 1/4" thick x 17' long or use 3/8" wide: see instructions on lid installation
• 3/4" x 48" electrical conduit (lightweight galvanized metal pipe) used for lid handle. Sold In 10 foot lengths.
• Two: l" hose clamps to secure lid handle in position
• 5/8" finish nails to secure perimeters of lid panels
• Two pulleys, two screw hooks, rope and counterweight for lid
• 1 x 4 x 72" lumber with good appearance for attaching lid hinge to wall
• Four: 2 x 2 x 5 3/4" wood to join lid frame corners
• 48" long piano hinge with screws

OPTIONAL INSTRUMENTATION (RECOMMENDED)

Engine Hour Meter to monitor refrigerator running time. This helps manage your alternate energy budget, Alternately a battery operated clock could be adapted for this purpose.

Thermometer with remote sensing probe to monitor temperature inside refrigerator, I used a Hicronta (Radio Shack) digital indoor/outdoor thermometer which has its own battery,

TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION

• A Table saw or radial arm saw is desirable but not absolutely necessary, for cutting the lid framework accurately.
• A circular saw is adequate for cutting wood panels and lumber.
• A Jig saw works well for cutting wood panels if you clamp a suitably long straight edge to the piece you are cutting. Clamp the straight edge on the finish side of the cut so that if the blade happens to wander it will go towards the waste side of the cut, Use sharp new blades of the correct type.
• A jig saw with an extra long blade is best for cutting the insulation...
• Electric drill and assorted drill bits.
• 1.5 inch hole saw for installation of refrigeration tubing.
• 15/16" wood bore for lid handle installation. Or use a 7/8" wood bore and carefully enlarge the hole.
• Tape measure.
• Chalk line may be useful, or use long straight edge to lay out the panel cuts.
• Common hand tools as required.
• Sandpaper and sanding boards.

USE EYE, EAR AND RESPIRATOR~ PROTECTION WHEN APPROPRIATE.

CHOICE OF MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS

Particle board is a smooth, uniform material that works well for a cabinet. If the pieces are cut and assembled neatly, the particle board can be simply primed and painted for a good appearance, Make clean, square cuts and sand the cuts smooth on edges that will be exposed. For neat flush screw heads, use a conical grinding bit in an electric drill to carefully countersink the screw holes. Where screws or nails are driven into the edge of a panel, use care and good judgment to avoid splitting the panel. Alternatively, the cabinet could be constructed of plywood and overlaid with Formica or paneling.

The foam board insulation is cut and glued inside the cabinet shell, and provides support for the interior liner material and the refrigerator contents. The vertical pieces of insulation board must be carefully fitted with straight and square edges to provide support for the heavy lid along the gasket surfaces. These pieces should be cut slightly oversize and carefully sanded for a good fit.

The interior liner must be impervious to moisture. Solid plastic shower wall panels work well and are readily cut to size with a straight edge and sharp utility knife. These plastic panels are not as hard and thick as the plastic interiors of conventional refrigerators, but with reasonable care it will give good service. When assembling the insulation and liner pieces in the cabinet, use a notched spreader to apply a full face coating of panel adhesive to one face of the surfaces being joined. Use quality 100% silicon caulk to seal all the liner edges after the panel adhesive has thoroughly cured.

The lid has six inches of foam insulation in a particle board frame. The top and bottom lid surfaces are a dense fiberboard panel with a hard plastic coating on one side. This is a different type of shower wall panel which has suitable rigidity to span the wide area across the movable lid frame. The edges of the lid panels are secured to the lid frame with small finish nails and panel adhesive.

Based on use of "Artesian Surrounder Model A-6100 Bathtub Wall System" which contains four flat polystyrene plastic panels, each 28-1/2" x 57" x 1/16" thick. The dimensions shown here are approximate for planning purposes. First, assemble your cabinet shell and insulation. Then, measure your actual interior dimensions. Cut and fit the liner pieces one at a time.

INSTALLATION OF FREEZER PLATES

Allow space under the freezer plates to position a drip tray in the freezer compartment. An aluminum cookie sheet works well for this purpose, if you can find one of suitable size. The drip tray should be large enough to collect ice melt from both freezer plates.

Use stainless steel hardware and silicone caulk to fasten the freezer plates and aluminum angles to the plastic liner. Be careful not to over tighten the screws that go in to the plastic liner material, as it is only 1/16 inch thick. Bend the Refrigerant 134A tubing so that there is minimum strain on the fasteners.

DISCUSSION OF LID CONSTRUCTION

I built my lid with a frame of particleboard. It works well and is not too difficult to construct, but it is quite heavy at 50 pounds. The hinge supports half that weight when you open the lid, so it takes about 25 pounds of lift initially. That's too much for convenience, but it can be readily counterbalanced with rope and pulleys. Despite the heavy weight, the large one piece lid does have the advantage of simplicity. A two piece |id will require more work and some careful redesign to get a good seal between the two pieces, and may require an awkward bridge piece across the top of the chest compartment.

I didn't use the right panel adhesive on my lid panels, and the lower panel eventually sagged and distorted from its own weight, causing gaps in the lid seal. To correct that, I installed small threaded rods through the lid to clamp it back together and flatten out the panels again. These tie rods form metal thermal bridges through the lid, but they are of such length and small diameter as to be insignificant. Either or both ends can be capped with plastic or caulk to minimize any thermal bridge effect. If you do a good job of gluing the panels together the tie rods may be unnecessary. Or, the tie rods may make the panel adhesive unnecessary.

REFRIGERATOR LID CONSTRUCTION

1. Cut the foam board insulation for the lid- Check the actual thickness of the insulation and cut the lid frame pieces accordingly.
2. Build the lid frame of particle board and 2 x 2's. Attach the handle with hose clamps inboard of the side pieces.
3. Cut the finish panels for the top and bottom lid surfaces. Cut two 31 3/4" x 48" pieces from a 48" x 96" panel.
4. Attach the bottom finish panel to the lid frame. Use panel adhesive and 5/8" finish nails spaced 4" apart.
5. Turn the frame over and install the insulation board and the top finish panel with panel adhesive between all the adjoining surfaces. Nail the top finish panel carefully the same as the bottom panel. Check that your nail spacing at the back edge does not interfere with the screw hole spacing of the continuous hinge that will be attached later.
6. Stack a sheet of plywood and heavy weights on top of the assembled lid to clamp it all together until the panel adhesive has thoroughly set.
7. Install the tie rods through the lid (optional)-
8. Set the lid on top of the refrigerator chest to check for surface uniformity along the rim where the gasket will be applied. You should not have any major irregularities.
9. Apply the lid gasket using self stick soft foam weather-strip. The gasket should seat on the chest rim about two inches outside of the inner edge, or as you wish.
10. Set the lid on the chest again to determine lid hinge position on wall. Fasten a 1 x 4 to the wall for attachment of the hinge- This 1 x 4 may be cut several, inches longer than the hinge as necessary to span enough wall studs for good support Screw the hinge to the lid and to the wall mounted 1 x 4.
11. Check the hinge for smooth operation without binding.
12. Install lid counterweight with rope attached to center of lid handle. The pulleys must be securely fastened to your ceiling joists! The counterweight should not be so heavy that it breaks the lid seal. If you have trouble getting a good gasket seal due to surface irregularities and you do not want to reduce the counterweight, you can change the gasket along the front and sides to a narrower width that will compress more easily.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Why the spaces shown in the cross section diagram of the chest?

The spaces resulted from stretching the chest dimensions and not buying a third sheet of foam board insulation. Actually I filled my spaces with scraps of foam and fiberglass insulation.

And why not put that 2 x 2 under the front edge of the floor of the chest?

The way I built it, there is just enough room under the chest to store a large picnic cooler that I use to transport groceries. And any warm air rising from the refrigeration machinery can dissipate more freely. With six inches of insulation I wasn't that concerned about filling all the edges and corners with continuous pieces of roars board. But you are free to redesign and build as you think best.

What's the story about reversing your fan on the condenser?

That was part of my experiment with an outdoor condenser. I removed the electronic module and the fan shroud from the unitized assembly and positioned the unit through the wall so that the compressor was inside the house and the condenser was outside, with two inches of foam board insulation in between. The plastic fan shroud was easily removed by carefully drilling out some aluminum pop rivets. With minor modifications, the fan shroud was reattached to the other side of the condenser, so the fan still pulled air through the condenser but in the opposite direction. In its original form the fan also blows air over the compressor, but with limited running times my compressor barely got warm. In any case, the outdoor condenser proved to not be an advantage so you can save yourself all this trouble of experimenting.

What about Nova-Kool's water cooling option?

NOTE: The WATERPAC was discontinued in 1992. Following extensive testing Nova Kool found the cost in watt hrs./ hr. surpassed the benefit in additional BTUs

(Note: See the Keel Cooler Options offered by Boat Electric)

Here is what one of their brochures says about it: "All standard Nova Kool refrigeration systems are air-cooled simply because sufficient ventilation can be provided in the area in which the compressor assembly is installed. If you find it difficult to locate the compressor due to inadequate air supply or plan extended cruising in tropical climates ... the optional WATERPAC ... requires no additional room because it mounts under the standard Nova Kool compressor assembly. With the flip of a switch your Nova Kool System is water-cooled for increased efficiency in hotter climates. Flip the switch back and you are back to air-cooled for simplicity and dependability."

What is the actual current consumption?

The Nova Kool specs say 5.2 amps on their 12 volt LT2OOF. My unit draws 5.2 amps when the compressor first starts up, then it eventually drops off to about 4.8 amps after running for 10 or 15 minutes. So I call it about 5-0 amps average. The electronic module draws about 0.019 amps (19 milliamps) all the time that the compressor is not running, unless you disconnect the power.

What is the "Compu-Cold" option? (Discontinued)

This feature has lights that give a ballpark indication of system voltage and refrigerator temperature. I suggest that you add your own more accurate digital instrumentation.

Can the thermostat be adjusted?

I had to adjust the standard thermostat on my unit because it ran much too cold over its entire range. Take the thermostat out of its plastic housing and use a 2.0 mm screwdriver on the adjusting screw. Turn clockwise to make the range less cold; try 1/2 to 1 turn at a time. I went a total of two turn on mine. If you drill a small hole in the plastic housing you can adjust the thermostat without having to remove it from the housing each time.

How do you regulate different temperatures in the freezer and refrigerator compartments?

You may need to put a plastic divider between the compartments Use some of the extra shower wall plastic material left over from making the interior liner. Experiment with different heights of dividers to get the temperature differential that you want. I don't use dividers because I don't have enough power to run the freezer continuously.

Do you build finished units for sale?

No, I do not. The whole idea is to build it yourself to save all that expense of hired labor and transportation.

I will try to answer other questions personally if you send a stamped self-addressed envelope to:

Clive Eliis, 2039 Manzanita Street Klamath Falls, OR 97601

Please note that I do not sell any equipment or materials. Those who build their own refrigerator are invited to share their experiences and data!

Boat Electric Co., Inc.

2520 Westlake Ave N

Seattle, WA 98109

Phone 206-281-7570

Fax 206-281-7511

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