Technical 'fridge question!!
Discussion
Hello fellow Lemans-goers
VERY serious question re: keeping beer cold. After 4 years where we have had cold beer for about an hour, then being reduced to drinking p1ss warm beer, I have decided to buy a generator and 'fridge. Small generators seem to be able to produce about 1Kw, is this enough to run a fridge???
VERY serious question re: keeping beer cold. After 4 years where we have had cold beer for about an hour, then being reduced to drinking p1ss warm beer, I have decided to buy a generator and 'fridge. Small generators seem to be able to produce about 1Kw, is this enough to run a fridge???
It depends what sort of fridge 
If it is a domestic fridge, then the compressor cuts in and out to maintain the temperature.
Most gennies will, when the draw on them is low, drop down to tickover to save fuel.
This gives the problem of the gennie being powerful enough to power the fridge, but once it is
upto (down to?) temperature, the gennie will stall once the compressor next kicks in.
If you are using the gennie to power lots of lights, music etc. then this will be less of a problem, as the gennie will be revving away.
The only decent solution seems to be getting a decent coolbox and buying ice every day from the fish stall at the new Super-U in the Arnage ZI Sud. (One Euro for a carrier bag full)
If it is a domestic fridge, then the compressor cuts in and out to maintain the temperature.
Most gennies will, when the draw on them is low, drop down to tickover to save fuel.
This gives the problem of the gennie being powerful enough to power the fridge, but once it is
upto (down to?) temperature, the gennie will stall once the compressor next kicks in.
If you are using the gennie to power lots of lights, music etc. then this will be less of a problem, as the gennie will be revving away.
The only decent solution seems to be getting a decent coolbox and buying ice every day from the fish stall at the new Super-U in the Arnage ZI Sud. (One Euro for a carrier bag full)
Also, another solution is to buy an ice maker from eBay, these run at a more constant rate so will work better with
a generator. The downside is that if the temperature is very hot then it melts as quick as it makes it.
If you do go down the coolbox route, pre-make huge blocks of ice at home using ice-cream tubs as moulds, they'll take a couple of days to melt.
a generator. The downside is that if the temperature is very hot then it melts as quick as it makes it.
If you do go down the coolbox route, pre-make huge blocks of ice at home using ice-cream tubs as moulds, they'll take a couple of days to melt.
we have a 2kva genny for this year.
we are taking a "disposable" (it's last request is to be left to die inside the course at Le Mans) fridge, kettle, and lights ... it copes adequately.
it's cool enough at night not to need the fridge on.
we have something like a tea chest lined with insulation to keep it quieter (don't forget inlet and exhaust holes)
don't forget a substantial chain and padlock, and to lock the thing in the car if you happen to be bothered with that sleep thing.
less than four months to go now.
d
we are taking a "disposable" (it's last request is to be left to die inside the course at Le Mans) fridge, kettle, and lights ... it copes adequately.
it's cool enough at night not to need the fridge on.
we have something like a tea chest lined with insulation to keep it quieter (don't forget inlet and exhaust holes)
don't forget a substantial chain and padlock, and to lock the thing in the car if you happen to be bothered with that sleep thing.
less than four months to go now.
d
UpTheIron said:
Ensure your group includes a nutter who is willing to dig a hole in the rock hard ground. Take a spade to entice him into the challenge. Dig hole. Put dustbin / inflatable beer cooler in hole. Fill with water / ice.
Will keep beers cold all weekend without too many top ups (of ice).
Will keep beers cold all weekend without too many top ups (of ice).
Sounds promising to me!
Just make sure youre not in one of those campsites with stony ground or tarmac!
williamp said:
We found that the 12v fridge cannot cope in the heat. Than kfully this year we are in Houx, with 240v power supply so a proper fridge works fine...
Am I allows to say that we are due a wet race? It normally happens every 5 years of so, and the last one was 2001...
Am I allows to say that we are due a wet race? It normally happens every 5 years of so, and the last one was 2001...
Most 12v coolboxes will only cool 15-20 degrees below ambient, 12 volt fridges as any other struggle, when the ambient is above 25 degrees.
We take a combicool works on 12v, 240v or gas so we chill stuff on the way down in the car and switch to gas once we are on camp site, we also take a good size cool box with lots of ice. Never had any warm beer problems…
As Happy Snapper says we have a 12v/mains/gas fridge which works well for LM and other events (and as an extra beer fridge at home!) . The problem is choosing beer or food over the weekend itself where we don't bother to go out for food for 3 days!! It takes up quite a lot of room and usually we travel with it full of kit rather than food to maximise available space.
Last year we also used a coldbox from the SuperU and bought a couple of bags of ice each day to top it up. It worked reasonably well in conjunction with the fridge - we'd cool the beer in the fridge and then switch it to the coldbox. A bit of faffing but it worked. IIRC there was no ice at the SuperU at some point (might have been Saturday?). We also did a deal with our neighbours on buying ice so we didn't have to go and buy it each day.
Frankly after the first few beers of the day I don't ever notice that it's not well chilled!!
Last year we also used a coldbox from the SuperU and bought a couple of bags of ice each day to top it up. It worked reasonably well in conjunction with the fridge - we'd cool the beer in the fridge and then switch it to the coldbox. A bit of faffing but it worked. IIRC there was no ice at the SuperU at some point (might have been Saturday?). We also did a deal with our neighbours on buying ice so we didn't have to go and buy it each day.
Frankly after the first few beers of the day I don't ever notice that it's not well chilled!!
Piglet said:
As Happy Snapper says we have a 12v/mains/gas fridge which works well for LM and other events (and as an extra beer fridge at home!) . The problem is choosing beer or food over the weekend itself where we don't bother to go out for food for 3 days!! It takes up quite a lot of room and usually we travel with it full of kit rather than food to maximise available space.
Last year we also used a coldbox from the SuperU and bought a couple of bags of ice each day to top it up. It worked reasonably well in conjunction with the fridge - we'd cool the beer in the fridge and then switch it to the coldbox. A bit of faffing but it worked. IIRC there was no ice at the SuperU at some point (might have been Saturday?). We also did a deal with our neighbours on buying ice so we didn't have to go and buy it each day.
Frankly after the first few beers of the day I don't ever notice that it's not well chilled!!
Last year we also used a coldbox from the SuperU and bought a couple of bags of ice each day to top it up. It worked reasonably well in conjunction with the fridge - we'd cool the beer in the fridge and then switch it to the coldbox. A bit of faffing but it worked. IIRC there was no ice at the SuperU at some point (might have been Saturday?). We also did a deal with our neighbours on buying ice so we didn't have to go and buy it each day.
Frankly after the first few beers of the day I don't ever notice that it's not well chilled!!
The beer v food debate is tough, but provising you enforce a strict "drink one, replace one" with the beer, you can keep a constant supply of cod beers...
williamp said:
The beer v food debate is tough, but provising you enforce a strict "drink one, replace one" with the beer, you can keep a constant supply of cod beers...
As long as you know the plaice where the warm ones live, you won't flounder. After all, it heals the sole to crack open a nicely chilled beer. You've never haddock so good.
randlemarcus said:
williamp said:
The beer v food debate is tough, but provising you enforce a strict "drink one, replace one" with the beer, you can keep a constant supply of cod beers...
As long as you know the plaice where the warm ones live, you won't flounder. After all, it heals the sole to crack open a nicely chilled beer. You've never haddock so good.
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