Edgestar Fridge Modifications Thread
- Thread starter 02TahoeMD
- Start date
BCzuk
Observer
Thought I would share my low budget fridge story and mods. I bought a Koldfront 43 quart fridge last month that didnt work out of the box. After talking to Openboxdirect they weren't interested in fixing it and refunded my money allowing me to dispose of the fridge myself. After some trouble shooting it was discovered the controller was faulty. The Edgestar/Koldfront fridges use a copy of the popular DanFross setup but instead of an all in one controller it uses a separate power supply going to the controller. A friend hooked me up with the DanFross controller that ARB uses for their fridges
http://www.novakool.com/support/documents/ElectronicUnit101N0500Instructions.pdf
And it was plug and play onto the Edgestar compressor including the same mounting bracket on the compressor. This means you can do away with the separate power supply which frees up a lot of room in the compartment and you can also take advantage of the extra features such as power to LED lighting etc if you choose. My fridge now worked but quickly found out the thermostat was not accurate and the fridge would only act as a freezer (KoldFront does not have digital display only a mechanical dial)
After some google searching I found that people with the older Engels have been upgrading to digital temp sensors and there are some kits out there but there are quite a few cheaper options and I ended up going for this one (cheaper options for the same unit but I like Amazons support if there's an issue)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B011VGAPOC/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It hooked up easily via 2 wires and there is a small hole plugged by a plastic plug above where the controller sits that I drilled thru into the fridge for the probe. A little silicone and good to go. So far it's working flawlessly and I have it set to turn off at 34 degrees. It will allow temp to climb a few degrees and then cool it back down. You can program it to do what you'd like.
Installed picture
Probe sits in the corner of the upper compartment
I also made up some simple tie down brackets using 11 gauge steel with some small dimple died holes for style points
http://www.novakool.com/support/documents/ElectronicUnit101N0500Instructions.pdf
And it was plug and play onto the Edgestar compressor including the same mounting bracket on the compressor. This means you can do away with the separate power supply which frees up a lot of room in the compartment and you can also take advantage of the extra features such as power to LED lighting etc if you choose. My fridge now worked but quickly found out the thermostat was not accurate and the fridge would only act as a freezer (KoldFront does not have digital display only a mechanical dial)
After some google searching I found that people with the older Engels have been upgrading to digital temp sensors and there are some kits out there but there are quite a few cheaper options and I ended up going for this one (cheaper options for the same unit but I like Amazons support if there's an issue)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B011VGAPOC/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It hooked up easily via 2 wires and there is a small hole plugged by a plastic plug above where the controller sits that I drilled thru into the fridge for the probe. A little silicone and good to go. So far it's working flawlessly and I have it set to turn off at 34 degrees. It will allow temp to climb a few degrees and then cool it back down. You can program it to do what you'd like.
Installed picture
Probe sits in the corner of the upper compartment
I also made up some simple tie down brackets using 11 gauge steel with some small dimple died holes for style points
Overland_Brandon
Observer
Nice work BCzuk.
lqdchkn
:)
Thought I would share my low budget fridge story and mods. I bought a Koldfront 43 quart fridge last month that didnt work out of the box. After talking to Openboxdirect they weren't interested in fixing it and refunded my money allowing me to dispose of the fridge myself. After some trouble shooting it was discovered the controller was faulty. The Edgestar/Koldfront fridges use a copy of the popular DanFross setup but instead of an all in one controller it uses a separate power supply going to the controller. A friend hooked me up with the DanFross controller that ARB uses for their fridges
http://www.novakool.com/support/documents/ElectronicUnit101N0500Instructions.pdf
And it was plug and play onto the Edgestar compressor including the same mounting bracket on the compressor. This means you can do away with the separate power supply which frees up a lot of room in the compartment and you can also take advantage of the extra features such as power to LED lighting etc if you choose. My fridge now worked but quickly found out the thermostat was not accurate and the fridge would only act as a freezer (KoldFront does not have digital display only a mechanical dial)
After some google searching I found that people with the older Engels have been upgrading to digital temp sensors and there are some kits out there but there are quite a few cheaper options and I ended up going for this one (cheaper options for the same unit but I like Amazons support if there's an issue)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B011VGAPOC/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It hooked up easily via 2 wires and there is a small hole plugged by a plastic plug above where the controller sits that I drilled thru into the fridge for the probe. A little silicone and good to go. So far it's working flawlessly and I have it set to turn off at 34 degrees. It will allow temp to climb a few degrees and then cool it back down. You can program it to do what you'd like.
Installed picture
Probe sits in the corner of the upper compartment
I also made up some simple tie down brackets using 11 gauge steel with some small dimple died holes for style points
Any pics of how you mounted that behind the cover?
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I accidentally dropped one of my baskets in and it put a nice ding in the "aluminum foil" bottom and I'm worried that this may happen again or become worse as time goes on.
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Is there anything anyone is using to reinforce or repair the thin aluminum inside?
Herbie
Rendezvous Conspirator
Here is how everything fit inside. You can see where some tin was cut away from the top edge to make room for the temp sensor
Lots of empty space besides the controller now.
I love it. Did you wire the controller in to take the place of the thermostat on the C/T terminals, or are you just using it to switch the whole 12v supply on and off? (I'm assuming it's the former...)
43 qt changes?
Hey all, just snagged a 43qt s/d and posted some pics of the different configuration of the lid on the big edgestar thread.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...p-Fridge-lt-400-shipped?p=2165833#post2165833
jm
Hey all, just snagged a 43qt s/d and posted some pics of the different configuration of the lid on the big edgestar thread.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...p-Fridge-lt-400-shipped?p=2165833#post2165833
jm
Fett
New member
New 43qt not cooling very well
I bought the 43qt cooler about a month ago, and realized its not cooling very well. I have it filled with water bottles and such on our trips, but after an hour of driving, the temp displays 31º, when I have it set to -8º. I thought it would work better than this. I have it set that low, because I wanted the water bottles chilled faster. That might very well be a complete noob statement, but I'm new to all this. I think I've read that one or some of you have installed fans on the inside to circulate the cold air...which helps? I just bought my 4Runner, so I'm trying to get all this figured out before attaching it to my vehicle lol. Any input is much appreciated.
I bought the 43qt cooler about a month ago, and realized its not cooling very well. I have it filled with water bottles and such on our trips, but after an hour of driving, the temp displays 31º, when I have it set to -8º. I thought it would work better than this. I have it set that low, because I wanted the water bottles chilled faster. That might very well be a complete noob statement, but I'm new to all this. I think I've read that one or some of you have installed fans on the inside to circulate the cold air...which helps? I just bought my 4Runner, so I'm trying to get all this figured out before attaching it to my vehicle lol. Any input is much appreciated.
4x4junkie
Explorer
The temp may appear to stop dropping right about that temperature. That is the water giving off latent heat as it turns to ice. After enough time when the ice solidifies, the temp will start to drop again, but it won't be for awhile if there's a lot of liquid in there (and setting the temp to -8° won't make it cool any faster than if it were set at say, 30°).
Like said, pre-chill the stuff in your home fridge first. It should then have no problem maintaining temp once it's cold.
RubiconGeoff
Adventurer
What do you think happens when you fill your home freezer with a bunch of warm water bottles? It takes a lot of time and energy to cool all that water. Your fridge isn't failing you; you're asking more of it than any freezer/fridge could possibly accomplish. Either start with pre-chilled bottles or plan for more time for the Edgestar to do its thing. A small fridge fan to circulate the air will help, but patience is key.
4x4x4doors
Explorer
Also note there is a Fast Freeze (FF) button which I believe will force the unit to run continuously rather than cycle.
As already mentioned, the phase change (liquid to solid) is a significant amount of heat to be removed.
Pre-cooling x 3
As already mentioned, the phase change (liquid to solid) is a significant amount of heat to be removed.
Pre-cooling x 3
Herbie
Rendezvous Conspirator
Also, how are you powering the fridge?
The initial cool-down is what uses the most power, which is why people say to put in cold items and pre-cool on A/C power at home. If you don't have a good power connection, it will take much longer. Using the cig-lighter jack almost never gives you peak performance, for example.