Author Topic: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44  (Read 3420 times)

ancanc

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Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« on: September 19 2023, 12:21 »
Hi,
has anyone moved the compressor/condensing unit from under the fridge-box to somewhere else? It is very loud and running in the night too, so I have to close the door in the aft cabin where I sleep and the space gets too small then.
I saw some extension pipes for the fridge gas with the usual quick couplers, I could move the whole "cold machine" into the space behind the aft cabin.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Andras

Yngmar

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #1 on: September 19 2023, 15:03 »
Disconnect the fans for a test and see if the noise that bothers you is just the fans or the actual compressor. If it's the fans, replace with good quality (ball bearing) fans.
(formerly) Sailing Songbird  ⛵️ Bavaria 40 Ocean (2001)

ancanc

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #2 on: September 19 2023, 19:00 »
Thanks, already done, both the compressor and the fan are loud... OK, the fan is louder...
Still I think they put the cooling unit there to spare the EUR 100 for the gas-pipe expansion kit.

tiger79

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #3 on: September 19 2023, 19:07 »
Could you add anti-vibration mounts to the compressor, and add some sound insulation to its surroundings?

ancanc

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #4 on: September 19 2023, 23:47 »
Probably yes, but besides the noise it also makes the salon warmer...

tiger79

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #5 on: September 20 2023, 10:14 »
Probably yes, but besides the noise it also makes the salon warmer...

You could duct the warm air out of the boat.

SYJetzt

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #6 on: September 21 2023, 14:49 »
I replaced the air-cooled condenser with a self pumping water cooled condenser from indel webasto. No heat in saloon from fridge anymore, compartment beneath the fridge stays cooler, hence lower warming of fridge box over the compartment, less runtime of compressor and less energy consumption (estimated -40%). Only the price was on the negative side (800€ for the fitting) and 250€ for work of fridge technician to weld the tubes ( the quick couplings of dometic ans indel webasto aren't compatible)and regards the system.

ancanc

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #7 on: September 24 2023, 23:13 »
I thought you have both condenser, the original one and the SP installed. That is what I understood from here:
https://bavariayacht.org/forum/index.php/topic,3811.msg24595.html#msg24595

SYJetzt

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #8 on: September 25 2023, 09:24 »
Last season i had both in place, but this spring the system was without refrigerant gas. We found the leak in the pipe next to the air cooler but were not sure if the aircooler itself had a internal leak too. Due to cost of each refrigerant gas filling we decided to remove it and work with the sp fitting only. But both systems worked fine at their time.

ancanc

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #9 on: September 25 2023, 09:33 »
Thanks, a question again: did you have any troubles with fouling going into the fine tubes of the sp fitting?

SYJetzt

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #10 on: September 25 2023, 13:02 »
There are no fine tubes in the SP- fitting. Fitting has a inner Diameter of approx. 40mm, containing  the coil of refrigerant tube (6mm), leaving a free inner diameter of 25mm. At the moment neither signs of fouling nor galvanic corrosion of the anode at all. If there should be fouling in the fitting, you could clean it up using a pressure washer ( presuming you close the seacock first  🤣). Frigoboat keel cooler could also be a viable solution, but i don't have expierience with it .

ancanc

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Re: Moving the compressor unit on a Bavaria 44
« Reply #11 on: September 25 2023, 14:02 »
Thanks, it is good to know!