The big fridge is dead - thank dog for big boats

The 550 litre Samsung died today

Panicked for a bit but then realised we have two bar fridges and an upright freezer aboard so with a bit of shuffling around, all food is back in the cold.

Google suggests given the symptoms that it's a starter relay on the compressor, so ordered one, should be waiting for us at the nearest post office by week's end and fingers crossed,
after some cursing and swearing getting to the back of it, it'll get to live again.

Not looking forward to replacing it.
Like several things on board, it was fitted and then the boat was built around it so replacement will need surgery......and a forklift, most likely lifting the boat out which wasn't happening for several months yet.

A builder should be required to replace every system in their first production Hull #1 build before it ships to the customer. Bet if they did many designs would change for Hull #2!

It looks to be good cosmetically so even a new compressor would be less costly if the starter relay does not resolve it.
Getting it out in pieces is an option, but getting a new one inside probably requires surgery.
Good news is it will take your mind off of the rain.

Some 2 door side by side fridges have some kind of roller underneath at the front helping movement, our Aussie built Westinghouse does.
Experience is, don`t build fridges in in kitchens. They die and the replacement won`t fit the space. Same with microwaves. Tenant`s fridges never fit so they remove the surrounding panels.

Do you have floor to ceiling doors? Maybe the photo is deceiving but you could have run rolling it over to get it out without hitting the ceiling.

Corner to corner diagonal distance was the limiting factor for my domestic fridge. Not height when in place.

Of course, if it's dead, a 9" might do the trick. ��

Good luck.

SteveK said:

It looks to be good cosmetically so even a new compressor would be less costly if the starter relay does not resolve it.
Getting it out in pieces is an option, but getting a new one inside probably requires surgery.
Good news is it will take your mind off of the rain.

Click to expand...

Compressor is around $400 but I would think out of my skill set to install, but I'll check YouTube.

Sunny days and 31c today

GoneDiving said:

Do you have floor to ceiling doors? Maybe the photo is deceiving but you could have run rolling it over to get it out without hitting the ceiling.

Corner to corner diagonal distance was the limiting factor for my domestic fridge. Not height when in place.

Of course, if it's dead, a 9" might do the trick. ��

Good luck.

Click to expand...

Nope, went through this a few years ago when we thought it was all over for it
It won't tip on the diagonal and one of the guys who worked on it confirmed it was built in.

Bottom of door is 250mm from deck and I need about 100mm to get it out so while not nice, I am prepared to neatly cut out a section and perhaps sikaflex it back in for easier removal if needed down the track.

9 inch would work, make a mess and still need to get another fridge in which, will be slightly smaller in size

Most likely this 4 door

https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/akai-473l-french-door-fridge-ak-h470ff

The Fridge is dead. Long live the new fridge!

pete

That low ceiling seems like a big issue too. Not a lot of vertical clearance to allow tilting that unit over to make it out of the interior, once you get it out of the cabinetry. How about door dimensions? Do you have enough clearance to get it out through one?

I had a fridge in a previous house that had been installed into cabinets before flooring was put down. The fridge sat below the level of the newer flooring. And there wasn't enough gap in the space above it to allow pulling the fridge out. It had to tilt up at the front and stay at that angle to get the unit out. This was when I bought by first oscillating saw. With a bit of care I managed to remove just enough of the lower edge of the cabinet above to provide enough room to get the fridge out.

As for getting it off the boat once it's out of the cabin, it'd depend on what kind of crane or forklift you have available. Going to take a lot of vertical extension to lift something up once the boat is on the hard. Versus dockside with either a ramp or something with enough reach to bridge the gap to shore.

How does the dog figure into this?

Would you replace it with a residential unit or a dual 110/12 volt unit?

Souvenir said:

Would you replace it with a residential unit or a dual 110/12 volt unit?

Click to expand...

I'd think the size of the unit and the limited dimensions would restrict the selection to AC-powered units. And since the OP is in Australia it's probably 220/50hz.

Now for the fun part, supply chain factors making it impossible to find the desired unit.

backinblue said:

How does the dog figure into this?

Click to expand...

I'm a dog fearing atheist (those fkers have got teeth)
Praise be to dog.

Simi 60 said:

I'm a dog fearing atheist (those fkers have got teeth)
Praise be to dog.

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lol. I'm about a month into raising a new pup, so I am well aware of the sharp fecking teeth!

If the fridge is dead then its headed for the Whitegoods recycling bin at you nearest refuse center, a free drop-off. It can go there in two or more pieces, so I'd just cut it up and leave the boat cabinetry/doors etc well alone.

Insequent said:

If the fridge is dead then its headed for the Whitegoods recycling bin at you nearest refuse center, a free drop-off. It can go there in two or more pieces, so I'd just cut it up and leave the boat cabinetry/doors etc well alone.

Click to expand...

Yeah, but I still need to get a new fridge in.
No cabinetry is affected but the doorway will need to be cut to get a new one in.

Simi 60 said:

Yeah, but I still need to get a new fridge in.
No cabinetry is affected but the doorway will need to be cut to get a new one in.

Click to expand...

Unless you can find a combination of new stuff that'll fit the available space, meet your needs, and can be brought in and out through the existing holes in the boat.

Don't give up until you prove it's not the defrost timer stuck in the off position. I've had one fail on 3 different fridges. Has power but compressor won't run. $15 part.

rslifkin said:

Unless you can find a combination of new stuff that'll fit the available space, meet your needs, and can be brought in and out through the existing holes in the boat.

Click to expand...

Single door fridge will get in, but fridge is deeper and door is bigger so hits the island benchtop when opening, can't open more than 45 degrees.

High Wire said:

Don't give up until you prove it's not the defrost timer stuck in the off position. I've had one fail on 3 different fridges. Has power but compressor won't run. $15 part.

Click to expand...

I'm not giving up
I am waiting for the part to arrive.

When on, every five minutes you can hear a click and about 20 seconds later another.
At the same time amps spike considerably.

Google suggests that's the starter relay for the compressor.

backinblue said:

How does the dog figure into this?

Click to expand...

From the dyslexic agnostic insomniac awake at night wondering if there was a dog.
Wish people thought about removal when installing. On my boat a benighted PO installed a second fridge where the microwave was, relocating the microwave so to open it,you first have to open the fridge.

Part turned up today
Much cursing getting the fridge to a position where we could access the fix
Fitted it and.....nothing
Spoke to a fridgy I know and the decision was made

Sawzall? yikes. That must have been a messy job.

wkearney99 said:

Sawzall? yikes. That must have been a messy job.

Click to expand...

I wish

Hammer, wood chisel, jigsaw for the heavier steel corners and much swearing

Simi 60 said:

I wish



Hammer, wood chisel, jigsaw for the heavier steel corners and much swearing

Click to expand...

I have always carried a Sawsall. Twice so far it has been a lifesaver. Folks chuckle sometimes but I consider it an essential tool to have on board. Other esoteric tools? Oscillating cutter (Fein), tap and die set, orbital sander, jigsaw, impact wrench, torque wrench.

catalinajack said:

I have always carried a Sawsall. Twice so far it has been a lifesaver. Folks chuckle sometimes but I consider it an essential tool to have on board. Other esoteric tools? Oscillating cutter (Fein), tap and die set, orbital sander, jigsaw, impact wrench, torque wrench.

Click to expand...

If I was going to carry 'just one' motorized saw, yeah, it'd be a Destroy-z-all. Lots of blade types, and they're easily changed. I have all the others, and would bring the appropriate ones as jobs dictated, but for having to cut something quickly, can't really beat the versatility of a reciprocating saw. It'd certainly be more versatile than a grinder, though those would probably get through something like a chain a bit faster.

Simi 60 said:

I wish

Hammer, wood chisel, jigsaw for the heavier steel corners and much swearing

Click to expand...

Wow. Ok then. My arms/back hurt just thinking about doing it that way.

Today was the day
Gets the text message new fridge is 2 hours out.

Do a dummy park on the imaginary jetty mid river and then coax the single screw no thruster behemoth over to the concrete pontoon without losing my shite.
Fast ferries coming in every 10 minutes on a 2nd jetty 50 feet away, so a bit of extra going on and spectators.
Plus the jetty I am coming into is not set at the same level, need to do a last minute dive to port and then straighten up.
Didn't make it, close but not quite
Did a bit of shuffling back and forth and with prop walk eventually got a middle rope on

No one died, no paint missing and no yelling

Fridge turned up.
The guys took the old one off and with minimum struggle new one on and inside and we stood it up and it made it through with about 5mm to spare.
24 hours to let gases settle before turning on but man, what a relief.

Moved back out, re-anchored and beer o clock.

Looks great. Lots of space. I know you're happy that's behind you.

All in place, locked down and running.
Can't hear it at all
Temp on door matched exactly with my thermometers left inside 5c fridge -18c freezer

Woke this morning to several trays of ice and the big surprise............
Less amp hours used last night even though we are running an upstairs bar fridge which we don't usually.

Winning.