Propane refrigerator

My neighbor is using a RV propane refrigerator and has for several years. His insurance company has bought off on it after he was able to prove that the burner(pilot sized flame) was on continuously and was not subject to ignition. He has a remote shut off mounted with his tank in a ventilated tank storage locker. Has anybody else on this forum done this. There are several residential propane refrigerators on the market that would fit right in my boat, This with a gas range could really reduce your electrical consumption while at anchor.

12 volt refrigeration accounted for about 60 to 80% of my electrical consumption depending on how hot the weather...so propane is a big electric power saver...as you note, I recall that the burner IS on full time....so I wonder if it would take forever to cool down a warm fridge....

When I looked into propane refrigerators a number of years ago I found the standard 20 lb tank did not last all that long....Don't remeber the approximate time I figured.....be sure to check....so when cruising away from your home port you need to either find a propane source when you run out or bring along several tanks....or utilize a crossover valve between multiple tanks...perhaps one's today are more efficient and last longer....

Especially if you have a propane heating system aboard already, it can be a nice simple addition...

I understand that Absortion refrigeration (powered either by Kerosene or Propane) requires a fairly level, stable (non moving) floor to work well, since the condensates separate by gravity in low inclination pipes.

A rocking boat is probably not a good place for such devices.

Joe.

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Ask any RV insurance person what the #1 reason for losses are...... Fires from Propane frig's. BTW- Norcold does not have a good name with those same insurance people.

60 ft. houseboats (like an RV on water) come with these all the time and they work fine. Houseboats don't go where there are big waves though. They have much larger propane tanks to fuel the stoves too. I don't believe there is any actual fire or "burner" in propane refrigeration.

If the refrig is an absorbtion system, then the propane is marginal as far as cooling in that it will hold temperatures but takes forever to increase cooling even at maximum settings. So you have to have the refrig really cold using 120ac and then switch to propane and not use the frig alot as it simply will not keep the box cold.

I don't see how you can have a propane with a constant pilot light on a refrig unless there is a check valve on the pilot light if it goes out. Most propane refrig use an electric probe ignitor that when activated also activates the check valve allowing propane to pass thru ignitor tube and light if it does not light in several seconds the check valve is activated stopping the propane flow.

Propane stoves have what they call a Pilot light, but it's actually a valve that releases propane to a burner that when turned on is then lit with electronic spark.

I am however only familiar with dometics and perhaps there is newer technology as my units are 15 years old

It isn't easy to keep a fridge cold on a boat, especially a large domestic one which requires a lot of 110vac power...you have a choice of shore power, inverter (at least until the batteries go down) or genset.

A friend on this forum installed two very high-quality separate units made by Summit in the remodel of his 46MY; one freezer, one fridge, side by side under a counter. They worked well. They cost a lot. Better units have better insulation and gaskets and stay colder longer with less power.

The zenith of marine refrigeration systems are the ones that are built in, and have a small Danfoss compressor linked to a bronze shoe under the boat that exhausts the waste heat into the water. They aren't cheap, but they use very little power, and they stay cold even in the tropics. I think Waeco make them, or Adler-Barbour, maybe. Defender has them.

I know that houseboats have propane fridges. Propane has a variety of liabilities and I don't think I'd feel safe on board with it, but that's just my opinion.