Install Vitrifrigo 180A Refrigerator/Freezer

[Pat T]

Would like to install new Vitrifrigo 180A (internal compressor type) refer in place of old Grunert cold plate. I can shove it in but it will be a tight fit. I am concerned about the spacing they call for in the install instructions which states "The recess must respect the minimum distances between the appliance and the surrounding structure." And they call out that distance as 75mm which is just under 3 inches. I could be interpreting this wrong, it's converted from Italian and hard to understand. The problem is I won't have the 3 inch spacing. Might get 2 on the sides but nil on top or behind. I could get 2 inch on the back side if I install the unit with "proud" drawers as opposed to flush mount which I (and the Admiral) prefer.
The compressor is at the bottom/aft and requires venting. I can provide for that which is more important than the spacing, I believe.
I have seen other pictures of these Vitrifrigo units stuffed in Grand Banks just as mine and they sure don't look like they would have the spacing either.
I would hate to install this unit and then find it doesn't cool down properly. I've asked Vitrifrigo for some guidance but nothing back yet.
Have any of you installed one of these or similar units? Can you provide any words of wisdom regarding spacing and or ventilation?
Sorry for the sideways photo - could not figure it out...yet

 

[Comodave]

I can’t speak to that particular model but there was a Vitrifugo in our last boat and it didn’t cool well until I added a high and low vent and put a fan to blow air into the cabinet. Then it worked well. The model I had had terminals for the fan. It would run while the compressor was running. I would make sure that you have adequate ventilation and add a fan.

 

[kthoennes]

Boy, if you totaled up all the threads and posts about having to re-engineer or improve or rehabilitate or nurse-along or ventilate or repair or add supplemental components to, or find spare parts for, really expensive "marine" fridges. Not really helpful to the OP I know, but after joining the 110v fridge with an inverter crowd, I'll never go back. When I think of all the money and time I spent fighting with lukewarm dual 110/12 marine refrigerators - but I'll shut up now, I'm not being helpful.

 

[Comodave]

Our new Isotherm 12/120 volt refer works extremely well. We run it on a setting of 3 out of 8 any colder and it will freeze stuff in the refer section.

 

[mvweebles]

Chances are the fridge already has a fan connected to a terminal block that energizes the fan when the compressor comes on. As Comodave notes, add an intake and an outlet fan to the cabinet and wire to the same posts on the terminal block as the factory fan.

Not a specific recommendation, but here is a typical 4" 12v computer muffin fan.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECWKD6...imm_SY8713DZX0MPQBAKD88D?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Peter

 

[Comodave]

Check the specs for that model Vitrifugo and see how much current the circuit board can support. The Vitrifugo refer I had could do .5 amps for a fan. But that is a huge waste of power with a fan that big. I used a computer fan that drew .05 amps or 50 mAmps and it moved enough air. I also put the same fan behind our new refer in our current boat and it cools extremely well.

 

[Pat T]

I can’t speak to that particular model but there was a Vitrifugo in our last boat and it didn’t cool well until I added a high and low vent and put a fan to blow air into the cabinet. Then it worked well. The model I had had terminals for the fan. It would run while the compressor was running. I would make sure that you have adequate ventilation and add a fan.

Thanks Dave. I am now more inclined to tackle this project with backup plans that have been proven.

 

[Pat T]

Boy, if you totaled up all the threads and posts about having to re-engineer or improve or rehabilitate or nurse-along or ventilate or repair or add supplemental components to, or find spare parts for, really expensive "marine" fridges. Not really helpful to the OP I know, but after joining the 110v fridge with an inverter crowd, I'll never go back. When I think of all the money and time I spent fighting with lukewarm dual 110/12 marine refrigerators - but I'll shut up now, I'm not being helpful.

You ask a question on a forum and you should expect all kinds of answers. You make a valid point based on experience and I appreciate your comment Karl.

 

[Pat T]

Peter & Dave, appreciate the comments on the low power fan. I'll be ready if necessary to implement this low cost solution if needed.

 

[Comodave]

This is the fan I used. Got it on Amazon.

Noctua NF-F12 PWM, Premium Quiet Fan, 4-Pin (120mm, Brown)

 

[Bacchus]

Dave... thanks for the fan details. I've been wanting to add the fan to my fridge / fridge Vitrifugo for several years... may actually get around to it this winter / spring.
Mine has struggled in real hot Wx to keep cool and I'm sure the ventilation is not what it could / should be.

 

[mvweebles]

Dave... thanks for the fan details. I've been wanting to add the fan to my fridge / fridge Vitrifugo for several years... may actually get around to it this winter / spring.
Mine has struggled in real hot Wx to keep cool and I'm sure the ventilation is not what it could / should be.

Bacchus - I recently did this on my camper van. There were "fan" terminals clearly labeled on the terminal strip so wiring was easy. The fan wires are very fine - 22 gauge or so. 2-3 of them fit easily into a spade connector (red or blue, I forget which i used).

Peter

 

[Comodave]

Yes, the fan wires are very small and it has 4 wires if I remember correctly so you have to test to see which wires are + and -. Not a big problem but the fan was designed for a computer. The great thing is the 50 mAmp power consumption.

 

[Pat T]

Another question for all, maybe a different thread ........I have the option of running this unit on AC power and for the most part I'm hooked up to shore power. Is there a benefit to running AC or DC? I do also have an inverter and I could maybe run the AC power from the inverter. Thoughts?

 

[Endeavor GB 32]

Hi Pat,
Not an answer to the question that you asked, but; the hands down BEST boat inprovement project we have ever done was replacing the Grunert holding plate setup on our 42 Grand Banks. Ours had an 80+ pound 120 volt compressor in the engine room powering two boxes; one in the galley (fridge) and one in the aft port corner of the salon (freezer.) Did not work well on either end, was noisy, water cooled so the annoying sound of discharge water splashing whenever it ran, only worked on shore power or generator, and a city the size of Nanaimo would go dim with the start up power demand. Removed the compessor, holding plates, and all associated plumbing. Installed two Waeco Coolmatic compressors (Danfoss) with a plate evaporator in the fridge and a a larger finned eveporator with a fan in the freezer. Totally silent, worked great, ice cream hard as a rock, and about 8% the power draw. 12 volt only, air cooled, compressors in the engine room, simple. The best part was that we retained the beautiful stock Grand Banks teak boxes. This was over 20 years ago, and there are now many choices of manufacturers to choose from for a similar set up. I would advocate this approach as opposed to replacing the box itself with a more modern unit as I find the esthetics much better, and no cabinetry alterations required. Just another opinion! Good luck.
Regards,
Scott

 

[Pat T]

Hi Pat,
Not an answer to the question that you asked, but; the hands down BEST boat inprovement project we have ever done was replacing the Grunert holding plate setup on our 42 Grand Banks. Ours had an 80+ pound 120 volt compressor in the engine room powering two boxes; one in the galley (fridge) and one in the aft port corner of the salon (freezer.) Did not work well on either end, was noisy, water cooled so the annoying sound of discharge water splashing whenever it ran, only worked on shore power or generator, and a city the size of Nanaimo would go dim with the start up power demand. Removed the compessor, holding plates, and all associated plumbing. Installed two Waeco Coolmatic compressors (Danfoss) with a plate evaporator in the fridge and a a larger finned eveporator with a fan in the freezer. Totally silent, worked great, ice cream hard as a rock, and about 8% the power draw. 12 volt only, air cooled, compressors in the engine room, simple. The best part was that we retained the beautiful stock Grand Banks teak boxes. This was over 20 years ago, and there are now many choices of manufacturers to choose from for a similar set up. I would advocate this approach as opposed to replacing the box itself with a more modern unit as I find the esthetics much better, and no cabinetry alterations required. Just another opinion! Good luck.
Regards,
Scott

Thanks Scott. Appreciate your thoughts. The reason I am leaning toward the Vertifrigo is b/c my current refer and or fridge leaks when I defrost. It leaks right through the floor and my best guess is that the leaks come from behind the cold plates. So, I am guessing the current box is not good and would need some sort of rebuild anyway. Too much trouble. Too many unknowns. I just want to rip it out and be done with it. Additionally, the current hinges & door locks are not in good shape either.

 

[TJM]

I also had performance issues with my Isotherm 195 Frig this summer. It is 2 yrs old. Talking to the manufacturers rep he suggested I add vents and a pancake fan as suggested but he warned me against patching into the fridges power circuits, AC or DC. He said do not do it. Always check with the Mfg on electrical requirement changes.

 

[Comodave]

I also had performance issues with my Isotherm 195 Frig this summer. It is 2 yrs old. Talking to the manufacturers rep he suggested I add vents and a pancake fan as suggested but he warned me against patching into the fridges power circuits, AC or DC. He said do not do it. Always check with the Mfg on electrical requirement changes.

On our new Isotherm refer the owners manual didn’t address adding a fan so I didn’t go to the circuit board for power. I hooked the fan directly into the power cables to the refer with a fuse inline. That way the fan will run anytime the refer has 12 volt power to it. Since the fan is only 50 mAmps it isn’t a big issue about wasting power. On our last boat we had a Vitrifugo refer and the owners manual was much more specific and it said you could add a fan up to .5 amps so the .05 amp fan wasn’t much of a load.

 

[Gordon GB]

Pat T,

We have a GB 42 Classic with the same galley arrangement as you. This spring, we had a Vitrifrigo 180 installed and love it. It was a tight fit and did require a little interior cabinet trimming but it did go in with a flush front fit. Probably doesn't meet manufacturer specs for clearance but it does work very well. We installed vents on the back and side of the cabinet. We just completed a month-long trip to Canada and the fridge worked perfectly running 24/7 the whole time. We had some very hot days but it never seemed the fridge was straining to keep it's cool.

 

[Pat T]

Pat T,

We have a GB 42 Classic with the same galley arrangement as you. This spring, we had a Vitrifrigo 180 installed and love it. It was a tight fit and did require a little interior cabinet trimming but it did go in with a flush front fit. Probably doesn't meet manufacturer specs for clearance but it does work very well. We installed vents on the back and side of the cabinet. We just completed a month-long trip to Canada and the fridge worked perfectly running 24/7 the whole time. We had some very hot days but it never seemed the fridge was straining to keep it's cool.

Thanks Gordon. I have seen your inspiring photos on Facebook. The fridge/freezer look great. Per your Facebook pic it seems like you have more room/spacing than I will have above the unit. If I have my calculations correct I will have almost no space between the frame of the unit and the top wood trim piece that goes around the countertop. Looks like you have an inch or so. Hard to believe Grand Banks made different height countertops? And if I install flush doors I will only have, at most, 1/2 inch spacing in the back. Good to know yours works and I appreciate your input.
If you get a chance could you measure the height of your counter top and total depth of your cabinet?
Regardless, I am going try this out. The new unit should arrive by early next week and I'll have some first hand dimensions of the actual product. This will be a winter project for me here in the Midwest.

 

[tozz]

Hi Pat,
...Not an answer to the question that you asked, but; the hands down BEST boat inprovement project we have ever done was replacing the Grunert holding plate setup on our 42 Grand Banks...
Scott

We did the same but we replaced with a Sea Frost bait freezer unit after one of our Grunert holdover plates ruptured. The self contained BF-3 unit in the engine room and replaced the Grunert holdover plates with evaporator plates. Still working on fan solution to move air around but after 2 months with the Sea Frost we are glad we were forced away from the Grunert.

-tozz

 

[Comodave]

Thanks Gordon. I have seen your inspiring photos on Facebook. The fridge/freezer look great. Per your Facebook pic it seems like you have more room/spacing than I will have above the unit. If I have my calculations correct I will have almost no space between the frame of the unit and the top wood trim piece that goes around the countertop. Looks like you have an inch or so. Hard to believe Grand Banks made different height countertops? And if I install flush doors I will only have, at most, 1/2 inch spacing in the back. Good to know yours works and I appreciate your input.
If you get a chance could you measure the height of your counter top and total depth of your cabinet?
Regardless, I am going try this out. The new unit should arrive by early next week and I'll have some first hand dimensions of the actual product. This will be a winter project for me here in the Midwest.

That isn’t much room for air flow. What is behind the compressor area? Is it possible to locate a vent right by the compressor? If so that may work since with the small spacing you may have you won’t get much air flow.

On our new boat we had to modify the cabinet since the new refer was 7” taller than the old one. We chose it because it would fit in through the door to the cabin. We cut up the old refer to get it out of the cabin. Obviously Formula put it inside the cabin early in the build. Also the new refer is 2” narrower than the old one. I just left the 1” on each side open. I painted the inside of the cabinet black so you don’t really see into the spaces around the refer. Isotherm wanted an inch on top for air flow so I left 2”. Now there is 1” on bottom, 1” on each side and 2” on top. I put one of the 50 mAmp fans in back blowing up. The fan is on whenever there is 12 volts to the refer. So far it has been awesome in cooling. If we set it on 4 out of 8 it will freeze things in the refer section.

Try to get as much ventilation around the new refer as possible, you will not regret it

 

[Pat T]

That isn’t much room for air flow. What is behind the compressor area? Is it possible to locate a vent right by the compressor? If so that may work since with the small spacing you may have you won’t get much air flow.

Thanks Dave. The compressor is at the rear and bottom of the unit. I am able to put a vent at the rear for this intake. It's open to the main cabin. Likewise on the left rear for the exhaust. So good thing is I can vent the compressor rather well as Gordon GB as done also. It's just the spacing top & bottom that will be nill. With the rear spacing I have an option to move the whole unit out and mount it "proud" if need be or as you said earlier add a powered vent (or even unpowered) probably located back side up high. Side spacing not to bad as I may have about 2 inches.

 

[OldDan1943]

Here's what I did for NovaKool. Added 3/4" foam board on 3 sides of the box, added a grill with 2 fans blowing into the box area at the compressor level and piped the hot air out the back of the cabinet. Seems to improve the temp inside the box. I did add a 5 inch box fan inside the box blowing starboard to port at the back, inside of the box. Seems to have made a major improvement.
Remember, humidity inside the box is our enemy.

 

[Gordon GB]

Pat,
The height of the top of the fiddle on the our counter is 39 inches. The fiddle extends about 3/4 inch above the actual countertop. The top of the fridge surround as installed is 35 3/8 inches from the cabin sole. Sorry, I don't have the measurement of the cabinet depth.

 

[Pat T]

Pat,
The height of the top of the fiddle on the our counter is 39 inches. The fiddle extends about 3/4 inch above the actual countertop. The top of the fridge surround as installed is 35 3/8 inches from the cabin sole. Sorry, I don't have the measurement of the cabinet depth.

Thanks Gordon. As I suspected your cabinet height is taller than mine by about 2 inches! I am just going to be able to squeeze it in height wise. On the other hand I might have a little more width than you.