New ARB fridge... first use questions...

[off-roader]

Used the recently purchased ARB fridge for the first time the other day (purchased from 4wheel parts 1-2 months ago). It's been sitting in it's box unopened since I bought it and I finally got to use it.

Not off road, just for a party to keep soda's and bottled water cold. Turned it on a couple of hours prior to the party so it would have time to cool the drinks down. Set it at 35* (so I wouldn't accidentally freeze anything). Found the temp more like 40* so I lowered the temp even farther to ~27/29* (don't recall exact number) and found it wouldn't freeze the water in the water bottles even after leaving it on overnight.

So how accurate is the temp reading on this? What should my expectation be? This morning it read 27* yet the water was still magically liquid. Oh, I did have this in Fahrenheit not Celsius so that isn't the problem.

TIA.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

How full is the unit? 2-3 bottles or packed full?

 

[njtaco]

Not surprised at all...different brand bottled waters freeze at different temps. (As odd as that sounds...) Try a quality thermometer (or two) and check the fridge against that/those. Better yet, place a gallon or two of water in it for the test, to keep the air exchange down when opening.

 

[off-roader]

Its been set to 27* for 2 full days now. Water's not frozen. ARB is having UPS pick it up from me once I have it packed up for them. Probably ship it off next week once I get some time.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Not surprised at all...different brand bottled waters freeze at different temps. (As odd as that sounds...)

Really? How?

 

[CanuckMariner/Nomad]

This fridge like others and even the ones at home, need to be quite full to be at their best efficiency. As Cruiseroutfit, suggested get a reliable thermometer, fill the fridge with goods and let it work overnight. Temps should be very close, otherwise fridge thermometer needs calibrating.

 

[Stumpalump]

I plugged mine to the 120V AC wall outlet while empty this morning and set it at 36. The display says it's 29 inside the cooler but the thermostat still reads 36. It has only been on for 1.5 hours and that may cause the variation. My last trip I had it set to 34 on 12 volts and nothing froze but it felt almost froze or 34. FWIW I just put 1" glass of water straight out of the Upper Dawson Aquifer (aguably some of the best water in the world) in it. I'll fool with the settings and see where it freezes. I wonder if wall voltage vs 12v is a factor?

 

[muskyman]

Really? How?

dasani for example is filtered through Reverse osmosis as compared to most that are filtered through micro filtration because the RO process strips everything out of the water and it will then have less dissolved particles within the water and will change the freezing and melting point.

also some water companies put as much as 4-5 atmospheres of pressure into the thin plastic bottles so they hold thier shape when they are packaged and shrink wrapped so that change in pressure will then change the freezing point. this is why often a bottle wont be frozen until you take it out and open it and then it will turn right to slush.

 

[Stumpalump]

I never could get the water to freeze on 28 degrees overnight. The glass would frost over as soon as I took it out so I bet it was close to freezing. I would say mine is not sceintific grade accurate but for a cooler/fridge it's good on mine. I'll just keep the thing set on 32 if I don't want to freeze anything. Good thing is I just filled it and I'm fixin to use it in Montana. Woo-hoo.