Sea Freeze of America, Inc.

 
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- Remote Compressor Installation Guide -

Many people are curious about how and where our remote compressors are installed.  Here is a walk-through to make you more comfortable with the process.

The basic steps:

Location: The first and most important step is to choose a location for the remote compressor.  There are three main things that determine a good location: proper ventilation, distance from the refrigerator, and distance from electrical power.  If your compressor is water-cooled only, ignore the ventilation guidelines.

One universal requirement is that the compressor must be securely mounted on a horizontal plane.  The compressor will not operate on its side or upside down.  It can tolerate up to 30˚ of heel, but must be mounted initially level so that the boat can rock in any direction without disturbing the compressor.  See the mounting section for more details.

Ventilation
  A compressor emits heat during operation.  It must be located in a place that provides proper airflow to carry this heat away from the compressor.

A popular location for the remote compressor is the engine room.  This usually provides sufficient ventilation, and you don't need to worry about space around the compressor.  If your engine room regularly exceeds 100˚F and you cannot place the compressor elsewhere, a water-cooled system is recommended.

A smaller compartment must meet these minimum requirements:

  • 3" of clearance on all sides of the compressor (our standard remote unit is 12½" wide x 9" deep x 8" tall)
  • 6"x6" (or equivalent) air inlet, placed low in the compartment
  • 9"x9" (or equivalent) air outlet, placed high in the compartment

The compressor should be placed as low as possible in the compartment.  If it is up high, we recommend a duct be installed between the air inlet and the condenser fan. A duct can also be used to draw air from a cooler area of the boat, such as the bilge.  Please see our ventilation diagram for a visual representation of these requirements.

Distance from the Refrigerator
  Sea Freeze provides 15 feet of copper tubing to connect the refrigerator to the compressor.  A longer set of tubing can be provided if this is too short.  The copper tubing is permanently connected to the refrigerator, and screws to the compressor with quick-connect couplings.  As the tubing typically makes a few twists and turns on its way to the compressor, you probably won't get a full 15 feet of "straight-line" distance to the compressor.

Sharp bends in the tubing must be avoided.  Keep this in mind when planning your route.  A tubing bender can provide smaller bends than can be done by hand.  Excess tubing can be coiled up at any convenient point in the run.

Distance from Electrical Power
  Our units come in both AC and DC models.

AC models come with a standard 6-foot cord.  A regular AC outlet must be located close enough for the unit to plug into.  The AC circuit must be protected by a 10 Amp circuit breaker or fuse.

DC models have a terminal block instead.  The wire is connected directly to this block.  The thickness of wire is dependent on distance, and 12v and 24v systems have different requirements.  Please reference the proper DC wiring table for your voltage.  The DC circuit must be protected by a 15 Amp breaker or fuse, and must not have anything other than the compressor connected to the circuit.

If you have an auto-switching AC/DC unit, there is an AC converter that must also be installed.  It comes with a standard 6 foot AC power cord.  The converter connects to both AC and DC power sources, and delivers DC to the compressor.  It does not need to be next to the compressor; a common location is the electrical compartment.  The DC wiring to the converter and from converter to compressor must meet the minimum wire gauge requirements.  Please reference our AC/DC wiring diagram for more information.

Wiring: The next step is to install the electrical wiring, if any is needed, for your compressor.  This is a standard wiring task and we will not go into more detail here.  Remember to turn the breaker off before beginning any electrical work!

Compressor Mounting:  The remote compressor comes on a powder-coated aluminum "sled" base, with a ⅜" mounting hole in each corner.  The sled itself is 11⅝" wide, 9" deep, and ⅝" tall.  For mounting to a wooden platform, we recommend 1¼" #10 stainless steel wood screws, to be driven down through the four mounting holes into the platform.  For other base types, use ¼" stainless steel bolts of appropriate length.  Do not use other types of metal fasteners, as they will eventually rust through.  Remember that the compressor must be level for correct operation.

Tubing Run:  The tubing consists of a pair of 5/16" copper tubes with quick-connect couplers on the far ends, shipped coiled up.  The couplers are 1¼" in diameter.  For the tubing run, we recommend two people.  A 5/16" tubing bender is also useful, to avoid accidentally kinking the tubes.  If the tubing is to pass through any walls or bulkheads, use a 1¾" hole.  One person works the tubing through its route, and the other slides the refrigerator and manages their end of the tubing.  Once the tubing is in place, remove the caps from the quick-connect couplers and screw them to their mates on the compressor sled.  We recommend a #10 crescent wrench or channel-lock pliers.

Refrigerator Mounting: This is another task that is better with two people.  Our upright refrigerators come with a flange around the face for mounting.  We provide mounting screws, but our flanges are not pre-drilled.  You will need to bore pilot holes in the flange as well as the surface you are mounting to.  Once the holes are bored, one person lifts the refrigerator into place and the other drives in the screws.

Terminal
Blocks

Electrical Connection: Now that all the pieces are securely mounted and tightened, it is time to hook up the electricity.  Turn the breaker(s) off if you have not already done so.  Plug in any AC cords, and connect any DC wires to the appropriate terminal blocks.  Your unit will come with a detailed wiring diagram to follow, and the terminal blocks are clearly labeled as well.  Set the thermostat to the middle position, and turn on the breaker(s).  The compressor should start up right away and begin cooling.

If things are still not working, move on to our troubleshooting section.