Autofridge Eutectic

For that price I would have just bought a new fridge.

Eamonn,
How did you determine the repairer was fantastic? Does a compressor and fitting and gassing really cost $1200. If the Gel has leaked isn't it evident it has? It must go somewhere , so a leak trail or it is inside the fridge compartment. That issue should be able to be determined quick smart by a fantastic fridgey!

I had a 40lt Autofridge for around 20years. I had the compressor replaced twice. They do have and end of life and there comes a time when one needs to cut the loss and move on.

Geez, I recently paid $499.00 for a 60L Brassmonkey from Jaycar. They have now gone up to $579 but I recon I could buy 2 of them rather than paying for a repair.

Jaycar don't repair them, they just give you a new one if in the 3 year warranty period.

Eamonn, I'm not familiar with that particular brand but I've had cause to use these guys in the past for my engel fridges. They may be worth a phone call to see if they have the expertise to assist you with yours.

Don't let the picture of all the white goods on their website put you off. They are accredited portable fridge repairers (Engel and Waeco)

They are Eastern Suburbs based;Eastern Home Wears

Best of luck.

Mick

Autofridge was the best I've ever owned. Very expensive butI ran it constantly for over 20 years and it never missed a beat. I lost it when my vehicle was stolen
Pity they don’t make them anymore
The current engels are rubbish in the tropics, so much so that they have to be operated with an extra blanket to insulate them. I bought a new one about 3 years ago and gave it away. They use lots of power compared to the Autofridge
I contacted the company who bought the rights to manufacture them but they still haven’t got around to producing them

I think I bought mine from Brown Davis in Bayswater. Maybe they could help?
Barry

Hi
do a search for Eutectic Refrigeration ,
There are company's out there still making them commercially ,for trailers, boats etc ,
I did a long time ago, fix them for the Nestle, delivery vans
A great idea, if you had no way of keeping cold during the day ,
They would freeze the rear of the vans overnight and do their deliveries in the morning
There is not much to them , check your thermostat is getting to the right temperature, might be just that, does it hold temperature for long after it has cycled off
the brine tanks don't go off , but can leak out
There would be someone that could refill the tank, you only need to know what temperature you need and mix the brine to suit ,
eg water will freeze at 0 C and for it to change from 0 ice to 0 water take so many BTU's , but by adding glycol or salt to the water you can lower the temperature that it changes state
Bob

Try Noel at Cool Factor in Braeside.

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It may be helpful to describe just how 'eutectic fridges' work and their advantages/disadvantages.

Firstly, bear in mind at all times just how any refrigeration works. After reducing the fridge chamber and its contents to the desired temperature, the sole function of any refrigeration system is to remove heat that enters the chamber in order to maintain the chosen low temperature. This heat enters through the insulation, warm air entry through opening the chamber, and the addition of warm commodities to the chamber.

In a 'conventional' fridge, the compressor runs intermittently to remove the entered heat that was gained from the above means. Consequently, the power to drive the compressor can come from a solar panel if the sun is shining, the vehicle alternator if the engine is running, or stored energy from a battery if the previous are not available.

In a 'eutectic fridge', which also has a similar compressor system, the stored energy comes from the eutectic medium which has been cooled by the solar or alternator. It does not require a battery to maintain the chamber temperature when electric sources are not available. To achieve this, the eutectic fridge has energy storage in the form of a volume of fluid that has been cooled below the 'phase transition point' when the external power was available. The eutectic fluid is in the form of a brine solution composed of water and typically sodium/calcium salts or glycol of specific ratio. Its significant feature is the 'transition phase' from frozen solid to thawed liquid where appreciable specific heat transfer takes place. The energy to cause this thawing is taken from the heat entering the chamber. Hence, they must be operated at a very low temperature set point to take advantage of the eutectic transition function.

So in essence, both types of refrigeration systems have a similar feature. They each store energy, one in an electric battery, the other in an eutectic solution. Each of them are required to remove the same heat energy entering the chamber. The eutectic cell adds weight, volume and cost to its fridge, the auxiliary battery adds weight, volume and cost to the conventional fridge. Each of them require similar generation of electrical energy. Each of them operate for a limited time before regeneration of the stored energy is required. The eutectic must always be operated at a low set point to embrace the phase transition function.
There may be some efficiency differences in the cyclic operation of the compressors but it would be minor. The major point of efficiency for both is always in the insulation value of the fridge chamber, and this adds volume to the cabinet. The compact storage and reliability of lithium batteries has increased the benefit of electrical storage and boosted the appeal of conventional compared to eutectic fridges.

As usual, it gets down to personal preference and the assessment of capital expenditure.

As you probably are aware, the efficiency of your vehicle or marine electrical system can greatly affect the operation of any low voltage refrigerator. Whether to install an auxiliary battery can usually be determined by how you intend to use your Autofridge or any other D.C. lights or appliances. There is a 240V adapter as well if you want to use the fridge on plug in power. more details