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Easy icebox insulation...

G

geno

Gene Mall
I just wanted to share with everyone an EASY way to insulate the icebox in 382's that I'm sure will work on newer models.We've all had the problem of inadequate insulation,compressor running too long when it's hot.The option of gutting the compartment to add insulation is major surgery and can be daunting to someone with a currently nice looking galley, right? Well, here's what I did:
Take your cordless drill, put in a 1/4" drill bit, remove the icebox lid and any shelves that may be inside.With a magic marker put marks every 6"...start about 1" down from the top and make neat rows of marks 6" horizontally and then vertically but stay about 3" from the bottom.Now take the drill and drill every mark right thru the liner ( you only need to go in about 1").Should look like swiss cheese now.Next, go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy about 12 cans of expanding foam spray.I used the kind meant for windows that will NOT push/ expand too hard.Starting at the top row of holes start by inserting the tip inside about an inch, start spraying until you see it ooze out adjacent holes.Go to the next, then the next, keep doing this until all have been filled in.Some holes will take a LOT, some less.Key is to get them all as much as you can.You may want to wrap a rag around the tube when spraying so none leaks out while filling.That's it! Now, let it all dry for about a day, go back and peel, scrape and clean the excess that oozed out...a plastic scraper and some acetone here is a big help.Then, to finish,take that same drill bit you used to drill the holes.Push it SLIGHTLY back into each drilled/ foam filled hole ( about 1/8") to make a small "pocket".Next, you're going to use 5200 smeared in the hole to "seal" it.Let it dry for 24 hours, put everything back together ( don't forget to replace the lid foam seal).Turn on the compressor, fill with cold beer, and notice how much less the fridge runs/ice melts.I have cut down my run times to 25% of what the were before!
 
Hello Gene,

I've been wrestling with the same problem and felt that I may insulate from the inside with blue, hard insulation panels and then fiberglass. This would cause the inside of the box to be smaller but for my needs wouldn't matter so much. I like your solution and have a few questions. Did you know what you were drilling into before you started? Any idea why some areas took more foam? Now that you've had it running for awhile have there been any adverse effects; wires drilled and components that stopped working, etc.

Thanks for your input.
 
I thought about this, but didn't like the idea of the foam going where I didn't want it. I've used it around the house, but a house doesn't get shaken like a boat, and doesn't "live" in a wet and corrosive environment. Any idea of how or if the foam reacts with seawater or freshwater?
From what I can tell poking and prodding in that area, the only plumbing to be concerned about is the dockside freshwater supply and the shower drain, both of which may be somewhere behind the icebox (though I believe they are higher up, behind the shallow galley locker.)
There's no wiring back there that I know of. Drilling down at the bottom could result, in the extreme, in putting a hole in the boat. It would also block any intended water flow to the bilge once filled up with foam.
 
Thanks for your input Matt. I agree, I'm not comfortable drilling blind holes. It's great that it worked so well for Gene but I'm going with the internal solution mentioned above.
 
I think that's a terrific idea (holes and NON-EXPANDING foam). The clearance all around the box is a couple of inches plus, so drill only 1/4" or so just through the liner. I am in the middle of a fridge re-do: I am filling the bottom of the box (which I can't reach anyway) with insulating foam from Dow [same as Great Stuff? but professional version] up to about 10" from the deepest part of the existing bottom (about 1 1/2 cu. ft. of foam), installing a sheet of 1/4" fiberglass (from rparts.com) to make a new bottom, supported by teak ledgers/cleats. I started this project because my 15 yr. old Isotherm fridge unit died. On the engine/inboard side of the box I am about to glue a Glacier Bay, horribly expensive (c.$350) R-50 vacuum insulation panel with a 1/4" rparts fiberglass panel just outboard of that, sitting on the new bottom. This will support the new Isotherm holding plate. I had ordered vacuum panels from Rparts but they are temporarily not selling them. So, maybe the drill/foam solution is worth a thought for the rest of the box, or, when the Rparts vacuum panels are available, perhaps I will do the sides (fore and aft) of the box with them covered with 1/8" fiberglass panels. Ditto the outboard bit of the box under the side deck which becomes an oven in the Florida sun.
BTW, a PO foamed under the box in the space accessible from the seat locker (looks like Great Stuff). Insulation is key.

...Steve Guy, 382 "Pilgrim".
 
P.S. I lined the bottom of the box with plastic trash bag material in case a future owner wants to get the foam out. I made templates out of 1/4" plywood with expansion holes and drain hole (drain made w. 1/2" i.d. hose, 3/4" o.d. fits in existing drain hole in bottom of box).

...S.
 
To answer the questions:
No, I did not drill into the bottom or spray foam there, believe it or not some still managed to ooze down there but was ok.There is little to none of "factory" foam in the sides so if you only drill far enough in to get thru the liner there's nothing to get damaged.No wires, hoses, etc.Some areas took more insulation because the liner may be closer or further away from some of the walls around it.The foam is a polyurethane material ( avoid the latex types) and will NOT dissolve in water, in fact it doesn't even soak it up very well( I have spent some time experimenting).I'm not saying it's the perfect solution, but it has worked great for me and saves the HORRIBLE job of gutting the galley/ icebox.
 
Correct, if you do this avoid over-foaming.Basically inject just enuff for it too oooze out adjacent holes.Remember, it continues to expand for a few minutes but this type will NOT build up excess pressure.Current update after about 1 month of use....couldn't be happier! Compressor run times are drastically reduced.Starting next week we have real summer weather coming and I'll let everyone know how it works in 90 degree heat!
 
Long term update on the foam injection.....no problems whatsoever.No leaks or water problems,nothing oozing or strange drips,still stays colder longher better even in last week's tropical temps on L I Sound.
 
Search the archives. I gutted the fridge an put in about 4 inches of Dow blue board alll around. It was a Royal pain, but the fridge runs about 20% of the time in Florida in July. I hope the shortcuts work, because my project took three months!
 
Ill be doing this mod soon. Thanks for posting.

One question, does it really take 12 cans of the stuff?

Hopefully this will help with my limited bat capacity (315AH).

Cheers
 
James,

If you do gut the fridge, that it the worst part. Putting in the blue board is slow, but kind of rewarding. Sawing out panels in the fridge and chipping out the old stuff is a lot of work. Actually Gene's description of HORRIBLE is pretty accurate.

My fridge had some kind of very low density foam, but it was uniform all around. It was about 3 inches thick on the bottom, and around 2 inches thick on the sides. It was not wet, but I removed it anyway. I built out the blue board till I hit the original liner and put the panels back in with fiberglass tape and epoxy. Then I continued on out with blue board all the way to the opening, except on the hull side. The lid has an inch and a half of blue board. It is a small box, about 4 cubic feet. After using it now for almost a year I am happy. It hardly uses any power. Currently in Florida it comes on for 4 minutes and stays off for 14 minutes.

Tim
 
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