Refer running!!!! We finally have a working refer!! - 2011

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It is Sunday and the big day has arrived! 

November 2011 Marina Kona Kai Shelter Island San Diego, CA

Note: 

 We got rid of this laser tool as it was not working well and had a weird battery. We purchased a gun type one and it is inexpensive and works great with a common battery type.

 Using our handy dandy laser temperature tool we kept checking the temperature of the lids and they remained consistent with the outside temperature. 

We plan on firing up the Frigoboat freezer and unloading the collertron contents into the refer and then retire the collertron!

 We had a blueberry pancake breakfast and then fired up the freezer by putting in the freezer thermostat fuse. The compressor fired up and on 110 volt shore power!

 After the temperature got down to 12 deg which did not take long we fired up the refer thermostat by installing the fuse. The refer took much longer to get to temperature. We went to the spa at the MarinaKona Kai  which we are members of and did some needed relaxing in the Jacuzzi and steam room, we skipped the gym.

 Once back at the boat the refer was at temp and the freezer was at temp. It seems the compressor is not running that much but that is yet to me analyzed.

 It was about 70 deg in the boat and the lids and other counter tops were all within a couple degrees of each other. The stove top being the wormiest. The counter by the sink was cold as there is storage under it.  It was obvious to us that the lids were doing their job with the seals in place and the Dow Blue Board keeping the cold in. The temperature being what it is this test is not the final say. In Mexico it may get a 100 deg so what will be the inside temperature of the freezer? How hard will the compressor have to work to keep it?

 We are thinking of stepping in the Dow Blue Board insulation on the lids and adding another two inches. First before we fiber glass and epoxy paint the Dow Blue Board we will determine how much freezer space we can afford to give up for the added two inches of Dow Blue Board. At this time it seems we have more than enough freezer space.

Debbie loaded the contens of the collertron into the refer and it hraly made a dent in the amount of space. The  collertron was packed to the max.

Here come the collertron! 

 Ready to unload, the end is in sight!

And there is another item!

Out it comes!

 Not much left

Our first refer items.

 Top shelf slid forward.

Still plenty of room!.

 We have been without a refer on this boat for three years! We have lived aboard for six months without a refer. On the darn collertron!

 Many trips to the cockpit for food out of the collertron as it is noisy and takes up space in the salon.

 This is one of those times where words just do not express how satisfied we are and how happy we are to have this bit of creature comfort!

And then there was installing the brass stove guard back into place!

 Yes it is a handy little item.

 We could not keep frozen anything so nothing went into the freezer.

It is so nice to have the counter space back as Debbie said.

 Because of all the prep work Debbie did each time we worked on the refer\freezer the whole galley area stayed nicely intact. Nothing got gouged up or stained. We did end up with some epoxy on the teak bulkhead over the refer. That should sand up and not be noticeable when we varnish the area.

  It also makes the boat a much nicer place without all the refer construction.

 We still need to tidy all the wiring and tubing up. We need to do the final install for the thermostats and trim some wires. We need to finish the refer lid insulation on the refer side and fiberglass all the lids inside and epoxy paint them.
 The refer lights still need a hooking up but we are just basking in the glory of the home sweet refer working!!

 But we finally have a working refer!!!!!!!

 Tonight we are going out shopping for some freezer stuff and getting ice cream! We will drop down the freezer temperature to 0 deg and check it out!