My New Fridge/Cooler

[Ridge Runner]

I have been on about buying another fridge for a while now but summer is here and the prices have gone up by about 200 to 400$$ Any way I started looking at Coolers and I ordered one of the new Thermoelectric Dometic Waeco TCX 35L, they make some wild claims stating that it can cool down to 30*c below the Ambient Temperature, And that it has an Eco mode So this got me wondering so tonight I thought I would put it through some tests,

Yeah I know what folks are going to say ? But this thermo cooler is where things change, This one is quite clever, It has 7 LED's and when you press the temp button it lights up another LED, Soon as I unpacked it and powered it I set the temp setting on the first LED I put a digital Thermometer in the middle of and just ran it up/down to Temp with nothing in there, It Sounded like someone was flying a Drone in the Lounge room In really quick time this thing got down to 13.7*c and shut off ??? Yep that's right a Cooler that Shuts Off, when it warmed up to 15.1* it fired up again about 5 minutes later this might seem a bit OTT but remember It had just come out of a hot Van having never been given the chance to drop down to room temp and had only 5 minutes for the internal to cool down and a couple of minutes later it shut off again and it kept doing that, So seeing as I want to get it cooled right down I clicked the Temp button once more and away it went again and this time it shut off at 7.6*c and after about 5 minutes it got up to 8.3* and it fired up again, this went on for about another 40 minutes and I was getting impatient, So another press of the Temp Button, That's now 3 LED's lit up (I Still got 4 to Go) and it fired up again and then it shut off at 5.5*c and a while later it started up again when the Temp rose to 6.2* etc etc,

Now this motor cutting might sound excessive but heres the good part, When I first turned it on it sounded like a Drone but once it has cooled down after the initial start up from that moment on it never does it again, Every time after that when I said it fired up it actually was running at about 1/10th of it's speed if that and then it would cut out and come on again at the 1/10th of the speed setting and that is all it will do to maintain that temperature, When it is running like that it is whisper quiet like the fan on a Computer, And it shuts off and on when ever it needs to, No more drone sound like when I first powered it up, Lovely {)

Anyway I got Itchy fingers and pressed the Temp Button again 4 LED's the Half Way Mark :lol: Yep It fired up Drone mode and then it went back to computer Fan Mode at a Temp of 4.5*c,, It's get towards BEER TEMPs Now, Another Click and 5 LED's are burning {) {) {) Happy Days right on 3.3*c Lovely :Y: And it kept on like this until every LED was Lit,

ReCap:- They claim that it can cool down to 30*c lower than the Ambient Temp ? And that the Internal temperature cut off is set to 0*c Well I don't know about that But I was testing this in 22.1*c and heres what I got. But once it has cooled properly check what the Temp did on 4 LED's when I reset it

1 LED = 13.7*c = 8.4* lower.
2 LED's= 7.6*c = 14.4* lower.
3 LED's= 5.5*c = 16.6* lower.

4 LED's= 4.5*c = 17.6* lower. I ran it with 4 LED's again It dropped down to 2.2*c and then shut Off here because I choose to retest it at it's halfway point. So all the other values will get lower also once it has had a chance to cool down properly remembering this was the results from it's first Cycle at these temps so the drops would be even greater given the chance.

5 LED's= 3.3*c = 18.8* lower.
6 LED's= 1.8*c = 20.3* lower.
7 LED's= -0.2*c = 22.3* lower. YEP that's -0.2*c, Not bad for a cooler sitting in 22.1*c room Temp. down Minus -0.2*c. :Y:

Now here's another feature, This Cooler can also reverse cycle, meaning those 7 LED's can also become Hot Temp settings because you can press a button and those 7 LED's become 7 levels of heating for keeping food warm from 45* up to 65*c,

This Cooler runs off 12v/24v and 230v/240v which is handy and because of it's ECO mode it chews a lot less power then normal 12v Coolers, It has 2 fold up handles and the 35L model is the only one in the range with a latch to hold the lid shut and It has the cooling Gizmo right at the front of the cabinet where the fan pushes the Air in to the body/Box instead of the Lid like on so many others, and another feature is this has 2 fans one on the outside and one inside and the moment you open the Lid it automatically shuts off the inner fan so it does not Blow all your cold Air out of the storage area and close the Lid and it starts back up, There are no fancy menus to work this thing, you have one Button to select Hot or Cold, and one for Power and one for the Temperature control and every push lights up another LED and when all 7 are lit press it again and it goes back to 1 LED again,, Simples

I Have the ARB47L but I wanted something to use just for a fridge/Cooler that was easy on the Back to Lug around, It only weighs 10.6kg's and it holds 33/35 litres. and another thing If funds are a but tight and a fridge freezer is a bit out of range at the moment you can buy one of these for somewhere near a 3rd of the price of a fridge freezer and still have cold beer/Food, Please note that this has been redesigned and is not the older model I have seen on the Aussie web site and they show you a small picture of it there so they must be bring them to Aus, it seems pretty good too a lot of the Truck Drivers over here are using them with no complaints.

If this link takes you to the Aussie Site click on the Flag on the right hand top corner and select UK site
https://www.dometic.com/en-gb/uk/pr...oxes/powered-boxes/dometic-tropicool-tcx-35-_-
153291

Here's where I got mine with all the info further down the page.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302629858240

Anyway hope this helps, It was fun to do, :Y:

J.

 

[madtuna]

Unfortunately, at 30 below ambient the beer is still undrinkable half of summer

 

[Ridge Runner]

Well at 32*c it should be just about right then, This is a very clever cooler But No it can't match the Temps of a fridge freezer but it would get someone out of a tight spot if they are short on Cash

 

[condor22]

RR where are you, Aus or the UK?

 

[Ridge Runner]

RR where are you, Aus or the UK?

UK, I thought you knew ?

 

[user 7268]

John had or still have a Waeco thermoelectric and found here in the summer especially inside a car was little more than a container to put food in I thnk that simply the ambient temps, especially inside a vehicle just wouldn't let it get down past about 20 degrees. Have actually just received a set of window panels from solar screen to aid in keeping inside temps down just so the fridge isn't working as hard. In the UK do you even need a fridge

 

[Manpa]

It's to bring the beer UP to temp! :lol:

 

[Ridge Runner]

John had or still have a Waeco thermoelectric and found here in the summer especially inside a car was little more than a container to put food in I thnk that simply the ambient temps, especially inside a vehicle just wouldn't let it get down past about 20 degrees. Have actually just received a set of window panels from solar screen to aid in keeping inside temps down just so the fridge isn't working as hard. In the UK do you even need a fridge

Of Coarse I need a Fridge, I'm Australian, Beer above 2/3* is a crime against Humanity and anyone caught serving Beer above the 3* Max Limit should be charged with War Crimes,

I might be over here but I've not gone Feral :lol: :lol: :lol:

I should of got it a couple of weeks ago because it was over 30* here, It's only 22 to 25* now. I tired my old cooler in a Black Merc I had and it did better than I did inside a Black Car in 33*+ outside Temps, Never Own a black car coz they will cook ya, :Y:

 

[user 7268]

Come on John ..................... jeeezus mate 33+ that's overnight temps in FNQ

 

[Ridge Runner]

Come on John ..................... jeeezus mate 33+ that's overnight temps in FNQ

Yeah I remember a few nights when it hit the low to mid 40's at night in SEQ. don't think I could deal with that nower days, It got up around 38/40* here a while back so it does have it's moments, but most times you can get all four seasons in one day,

J.

 

[condor22]

I thought you were an ozi over there lol.

The reason I asked is that 289 quid is about A$509 and for little more than that you can get a similar sized compressor fridge here albeit not an Engel lol.

Last time I was over there, I had the local pub keep a constant 6 pack of Heineken in the coldest fridge they had. The Poms thought I was weird.

I left when I was 16 yrs old and with trips back, 30 is a bloody heatwave. The thing I found funny was that when "hot" in local terms, they open up the bloody windows and let all the warm air in..........

 

[Ridge Runner]

Yeah you gotta keep the Beer properly chilled, I set my ARB to 2*c, It's temp Dial is within 0.1*+/- , @ 1* every thing is good at 00*c it starts to get frost on the element inside, So 2* is about spot on 1* is Ok too but for safety reason (keeping the Beer Safe) 2* is it :Y:

26* to 27* here and I still wear a fleece jacket, makes me laugh when it gets up around the late 30s everyone complains, geeze they would not like it out the bush, :Y:

 

[condor22]

I just got back from a few weeks in the GT. 2 days ago I was in shirt sleeves mid arvo, not bad for June

 

[Ridge Runner]

I just got back from a few weeks in the GT. 2 days ago I was in shirt sleeves mid arvo, not bad for June

Cool, I was wondering where you were, How did ya go ? any good ?

 

[condor22]

Yes n No, lol

I swung the new 2300 most of the trip and have now got used to it. Got plenty of lead pellets. Gave the 5000 a holiday.

Yes I got 27 pieces of yella, but, No not a lot in weight - just under 3gr.

BTW lead - about 2 oz lol

 

[Ridge Runner]

Yes n No, lol

I swung the new 2300 most of the trip and have now got used to it. Got plenty of lead pellets. Gave the 5000 a holiday.

Yes I got 27 pieces of yella, but, No not a lot in weight - just under 3gr.

BTW lead - about 2 oz lol

Well done, 27 bits is awesome with the new machine and learning the settings that work best,,

finding lead is a good sign that no one has been there before you even though it is a curse, :Y:

 

[Ridge Runner]

Well I have been putting this Cooler through it's paces and it's not too bad seeing as it is not a fridge freezer, I think if the weather really heats up I could always keep a few of those blue freezer blocks in the ARB just to help the cooler on hot days, for temps in the teens and up to the early 30's it is fine but I am not sure if it would cool enough in the mid 30's and up.

I see it useful around a camp site in a shady spot or in a house for someone who lives off grid if they live in Aus, It would be fine for us in most countries that don't get over 30/32* that often,

The Good points are:-

1) The price is not too bad,
2) I like the fact that it shuts of and cycles like a normal fridge,
3) It's power consumption is lower than any 4x4 fridge on the market regardless of the brand, because it goes in to Eco Mode. They Claim it uses 77Kwh per year, that works out to be 8.78 watts and Hour.
4) One of the most impressive features is how quiet this cooler runs during it's normal cycle mode once it's down to temp, It is that quiet that you can sleep within 3 or 4 feet from it when it's in the same room.
5) The weight is around 10.4 - 10.6kgs so it's very light to move around,
6) with both leads connected it has AC power priority,
7) It cools down very fast when it has a few things in there. Like a fridge does in Turbo Mode.

Things I don't like:-

1) There is a very Bright "Electric Blue" LED when it's in the Cooling mode on the front panel that is really hard on the eyes when indoors during the day time, Out in the bright sun I guess it would ok but at night in the dark it would nigh on blind you,
2) There is "NO" temperature dial readout so I had to use my indoor outdoor Thermometer,
3) There is no Low Voltage shut off, so you have to buy a lead that has one built in from Dometic that shuts it down at 11.6 volts and powers back up again when the voltage reaches 12.8 volts the moment the engine is started.
4) The lack of accessories like a cover of some sort, although they make a vehicle mounting kit it looks like a POS and it is about $100 and there is nothing to it, Very very basic,
5) That Black band that covers the seam where the Grey meets the Black is made of Rubber and it is pinned to the cooler not Bonded to the body of the cooler.

Anyway that's about it, It is very useful and it would get you out of trouble and would work well in NSW and Tassie Climates or any other part of Aus where the weather stayed below the low 30's, Or used as a normal fridge if you want to use your Engel or Waeco etc as a freezer while you travelling, Chuck in a couple of Blue Ice bricks would give it the edge to deal with most conditions, Perfect for Aussie winters and spring time or at the end of summer out in the bush when it cools down a bit,

I think this is the best Cooler on the market, It's not a fridge but under normal conditions it behaves like one and If I had not bought the ARB then I would have been more than happy to use it every day, And if this is the kind of Tech coolers are being made of then we are going to see some Awesome Fridge/Freezers hit the market some time soon,

J.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Just a quick update on my testing of this Cooler, On it's highest setting it will power up when it's internal temp gets up too about 1.4*c and run for 59.59 minutes until it's temp drops to -0.4 to -0.5 and then switches to it's ECO Mode for 128 minutes and then it repeats the cycle again,

I got the biggest surprize with this Cooler when I finished the above test and disconnected it from the power and removed about 30 cans of Coke and then added a few Blue Ice Bricks with just 8 cans of Coke inside and the temp dropped down to -1.0*c and 34 hours later the cans temp is still at 3.5/3.6*c being more than cold enough to drink and some of the Ice bricks were still frozen Solid, The thermal Value of this Cooler is very impressive, The internal space is 33 Litres so with just 8 cans of Coke in there by rights it should of only stayed cool for 6 to 8 hours at the most, Thermally it is about as good as it gets, If they fitted a Compressor to this cooler it would be the best fridge/freezer on the market,

I think if I kept a few Ice bricks in the ARB to put in the cooler just to help it along on really hot days it should be able to handle almost any weather,

When you compare it's internal and external measurements they give the impression that it is about 50mm thick, Well they might be at the widest parts but in general for the most part I would say it is 43/44mm wide. So I haven't a clue why it is so thermally efficient,

When I first got my hands on it I had pretty much the same views as everyone else, It's almost like the word Cooler is a dirty word, And all Coolers are $&iT but not this one, No it's "Not" as good as a Fridge Freezer but it's not far off the mark and as coolers go it might seem pricey but there again no Cooler behaves like this one and it is on par with any 3 way fridge that you find in caravan/campers, On it's low and mid settings it will easily match a fridge freezer when it comes to power usage using as little as 8.78 Watts with a Maximum Draw of 3.371 when you first plug it in on the highest setting and then it shuts off for just over 2 hours and repeats the cycle, On the other settings it will either switch on and then turn off after a 4 to 5 minute run time using it's ECO mode or on one of the higher settings once it has cooled down it will just run it's ECO mode all the time So the Temperature only varies about 3/4's of a degree either side of the setting. In the ECO mode it uses between 1.34 to 1.37 Amps, But using it in the first 3 or 4 settings it turns off completely so it uses about half that in an Hour.

Yes it's a Cooler, But it does so much more.

J