Any Opinion's compact "thermoelectric" refrigerators ?

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Any opinions on how well they work ? Are they really Dangerous ?


http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/245812/158/WUSA9-Probe-Compact-Fridges-At-Dangerous-Temps


WASHINGTON (WUSA9) - A WUSA9 investigation has found popular compact refrigerators using "thermoelectric" cooling are highly vulnerable to room temperature and, in our test, some were unable to maintain "safe" food holding even at average room temperatures - which experts say could turn your food into poison.

"When you eat that food, it can make you sick. It can put you in the hospital and it can kill you," said food microbiologist Jennifer McEntire with the Institute of Food Technologists. "That is clearly unacceptable that is clearly too warm and clearly too dangerous."

Editor's note: Investigative Reporter Russ Ptacek began investigating compact refrigerators when the one in his own office failed to cool at 40 degrees.

For the latest on our ongoing WUSA9 investigations, follow @russptacek on Twitter or Facebook.

The models tested by WUSA9 differ from traditional compact refrigerators because thermoelectric models do not use compressors.
In our test, we raised the room temperature in increments and by the time we had reached 75 degrees, three of the six compact refrigerators tested failed to cool at the federally established maximum safe food storage temperature of 40 degrees.

At 80 degrees, two of the refrigerators tested were cooling above 50 degrees inside.

By 85 degrees all had failed to maintain temperatures at 40 or below.

In response to our findings, both Sears and HH Gregg are taking products off the shelf, and one manufacturer has rewritten its owners' manual to acknowledge, dependent upon room temperature, its refrigerator would be too warm to meet food safety standards.

"In an average home with an ambient temperature of 75° the mini-fridge or wine cooler's adjustable range is 44°-53° F," DPI, manufacturer of Culinair, now says in its updated manual.

Besides the models we purchased at HH Gregg and Sears, the thermoelectric units we tested are sold nationally in stores and online at sites like Best Buy, and Amazon advertised as "refrigerators" or "fridges," but on the owners' many manuals caution cooling is reliant on ambient room temperature.

Some recommend temperatures as low as 70, while one warns not to use at temperatures above 80.


In our test, we controlled room temperature by adjusting fans and electric heaters.

Experts advised us to measure ambient temperature by sampling water bottles at room temperature and refrigerator temperature by sampling the water bottle inside.

At 66.5 degrees, Koolatron was the first to exceed internal cooling of 40 degrees in our test, followed by Danby at a 70.5 room temperature, Culinair at 75, Haier and Black & Decker went above 40 when our room temperature hit 80 degrees and Avanti's internal cooling exceeded 40 when the room was at 85 degrees.

Room Brand Internal temp

66.5 Koolatron > 40
70.5 Danby >40
75 Culinair >40
80 Haier >40
80 Black & Decker >40
85 Avanti >40


We asked food microbiologist Jennifer McEntire to observe our make-shift laboratory and she used her own equipment to verify our findings of temperatures in the danger zone.

"They were above that generally speaking and some of them were substantially above that," McEntire said. "I am definitely concerned about the temperatures."

Online comments on thermoelectric models show a history of complaints from "never kept anything cold," to "not cool enough to keep the food," to "never got below 50 degrees," and one reporting the refrigerated temperature never getting below "59 degrees."

McEntire was especially concerned because many manufactures show their refrigerators using pictures of milk, eggs, and cheese.

"That is very surprising and somewhat concerning," McEntire said. "Once you get above 40 it's kind of a slippery slope."

A spokeswoman with the Consumer Product Safety Commission says refrigerator cooling standards are voluntary.

Experts say refrigerators may have escaped scrutiny, until now, because doctors don't routinely ask food poisoning victims to put a thermometer in their refrigerator - which would show when refrigerators can't cool to the safe 40 degrees.

"If it just can't get there...then it's not a safe product as designed," said Center for Science in the Public Interest attorney Sarah Klein. "It seems clear that these products should either be recalled or some legal action against the producers."

Sears and HH Gregg pulled the units we tested from shelves when we contacted them with our findings.

Amazon, and Best Buy have not responded to repeated requests for comment.

In response to our investigation, Culinair is printing a new owner's manual identifying safe temperatures and acknowledging at times, its product can't meet them.

Haier, which also manufactures Black and Decker, says it has pulled the models we tested, as did Danby.

Koolatron, which warmed up fastest in our test, questioned our methods - which were not scientific - saying Koolatron internal tests show the units consistently cool 40 degrees below room temperature.

Avanti, which kept its cool longest, said our test proved its product works as promised - saying it is designed to keep food cool to room temperatures of 80 degrees.

Experts say it is very difficult to tell the difference between items cooled at a potentially dangerous 50 degrees and a safe 40 degrees using touch and recommend consumers use a thermometer to test all refrigerators.

[Socal Tom]

I think the data is correct. I expect about a 30 degree temp difference with mine. If I'm using mine I always include a some frozen bottles of water to help hold the temperature.
Tom

[GuitarPhotog]

I believe the data is correct. Most thermo-electric coolers are rated at "40F below ambient max" which on a hot day puts your food in the danger zone.

Not to mention that they suck juice like crazy getting there.

<Chas>

[eamarquardt]

Dangerous is a relative term. They won't blow up but they will poison you if you're not careful.

Spend your money on a Norcold or Engle ac/dc chest. I've picked up 4 of em off of Craigslist for about the same price as one new one.

Cheers,

Gus

[jonw]

Recently bought a Coleman for an upcoming 2 mos. trip across country to go to the Dam Gathering. Given this will be a spring trip and I'm not expecting a lot of heat this should be fine. In the summertime I'd be careful about storing meats and dairy in it for any period of time

Ran it last night with only a thermometer in it and it got down to 38 degrees in a 70 degree room.

On the road it will be plugged into my cig. lighter plug in the car, and when camping with electricity I'll use the 120v converter it came with. When boondocking it will become a cooler I wont open much.

[GerryS]

I've kept sodas cold using one at work....froze them solid. But the office ambient is 72. Get ambient of 90 and you are well above the safe temp of 40 degrees. So if you plan on cooling water or soda they are fine...I wouldn't store milk or meat that is for sure...

[Hiflyer]

I did a lot of research and personally I wouldn't waste the money on one. Maybe they'll drop 25 off ambient, some people only saying 20 tho.

I ran a small bar fridge in my CT conversion last year and it was quite handy, but a resource hog! Had to run the generator twice daily and I have a 240AH bank of batteries...

This year I picked up a 50qt ARB chest fridge / freezer and after using it for a week it rocks!

Quiet and super power efficient! Nominal 1.8 amps per hour at 12V !!!

Also, it WILL do a 50 degree difference based on ambient which means ice cream at 40 degrees C out

Unfortunately no real cheap solutions if you want portable... The cheap thermoelectric's just can't cut it...

Otherwise you can't beat a compact walmart fridge/freezer special if you have constant 110v

Honestly a fridge is the one appliance in my CT i would spend $$ on. Everything else doesn't matter quite so much

[dustboy]

They are okay in a constantly 72 deg environment with grid power, but otherwise avoid them. Super inefficient, I ran a tiny little cooler sized one in my work van overnight and killed the starter battery. You'll also see the "Superconductor" ones on Amazon, etc, they are the same thing.

I've wanted an Engel for a long time, but for the money, I'll stick with a Coleman Xtreme cooler and a block of homemade ice until I win the lottery...These coolers will go for 5 days, which is about twice as long as I can go before I have to make a beer run anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-62-Quart-Xtreme-Wheeled-Cooler/dp/B000G68GP4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1362151657&sr=8-3&keywords=coleman+extreme+coolers

[pmowers]

The Peltier devices used in these refrigerators are only capable of lowering/raising the temp a max of 35-40 degrees from ambient. The problem with the compact thermoelectrics reviewed in the article is that they also do not have very good insulation or air flow around the heat exchangers. A small fan would really help. Additionally, you really need to put your stuff inside pre-chilled, there is just not enough "ooomph'' there to really cool anything down. A 500 ml bottle of soft drink requires a minimum of 15,000 btu to cool it down from 70 degrees to 40 degrees. And that assumes 100% efficiency of heat transfer, not including the container it is in. (1 btu changes the temp of 1 ml of H2O one degree F).

I have an Igloo thermoelectric cooler that I use. If I "prime" it with frozen water bottles, then the stuff inside stays quite cold, and has been used as a freezer on occasion.

I also have a undercounter model Kenmore that I built into my CT conversion. I normally keep the freezer compartment full of Fuji water bottles that I have refilled- they have a square cross-section and just fit in the compartment. While the refrig is 110 V only, it kept things cold (only got up to 42 F) when unplugged for about 36 hours. I have an indoor/outdoor thermometer mounted in the trailer to monitor the refrig with (outdoor sensor inside refrig).

The difference in efficiency between the thermoelectric and compressor models is amazing. I have a little compressor driven icemaker that draws 120 W and is capable of producing 35 lbs of ice/day. It runs quite well off of a small 200W inverter.

[Gonefishin]

They are okay in a constantly 72 deg environment with grid power, but otherwise avoid them. Super inefficient, I ran a tiny little cooler sized one in my work van overnight and killed the starter battery. You'll also see the "Superconductor" ones on Amazon, etc, they are the same thing.

I've wanted an Engel for a long time, but for the money, I'll stick with a Coleman Xtreme cooler and a block of homemade ice until I win the lottery...These coolers will go for 5 days, which is about twice as long as I can go before I have to make a beer run anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-62-Quart-Xtreme-Wheeled-Cooler/dp/B000G68GP4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1362151657&sr=8-3&keywords=coleman+extreme+coolers

I love my Coleman Extreme. Holds ice for days. Will actually freeze some items if they're below the ice!

[Socal Tom]

T A 500 ml bottle of soft drink requires a minimum of 15,000 btu to cool it down from 70 degrees to 40 degrees. And that assumes 100% efficiency of heat transfer, not including the container it is in. (1 btu changes the temp of 1 ml of H2O one degree F).

You've crossed your conversion units a bit, 1btu is the energy to change the temp of 1pound of water 1 degree F). a 500mL soda is 1.1lb, so it would take 33btu to cool it 30 degrees.
Tom

[jeff0520]

I'm a truck driver for a living, and I've had several of them. The best one I ever owned was a koolatron. I only ever used them for drinks. I wouldn't trust one for anything that would spoil. I keep my truck in the upper 60's most of the time, so it worked ok for cold drinks. I never had a problem with it running the battery down, but at the time I was using one, I hardly ever shut the truck down. I ran it overnight a few times, and the truck still started in the morning, but a semi carrys a stack of four truly impressively sized batteries. I'm a flatbedder now, and the space that is supposed to be for a cooler is used up by my "bag of tricks," full of useful odds and ends that help with securing cargo. I don't miss it much.
For camping, I'd say they are pretty much useless. They draw too much power, and don't get cool enough for the watts you are spending. If you have shore power, or generator power available, just get a dorm room mini-fridge from the big box store.

[jonw]

Recently bought a Coleman for an upcoming 2 mos. trip across country to go to the Dam Gathering. Given this will be a spring trip and I'm not expecting a lot of heat this should be fine. In the summertime I'd be careful about storing meats and dairy in it for any period of time

Ran it last night with only a thermometer in it and it got down to 38 degrees in a 70 degree room.

On the road it will be plugged into my cig. lighter plug in the car, and when camping with electricity I'll use the 120v converter it came with. When boondocking it will become a cooler I wont open much.

After 2 1/2 weeks on the road headed to the Dam Gathering the Coleman thermoelectric cooler we bought for this trip is doing just fine. We love it.

While travelling it sits on the back seat plugged in, and at night when we have 120v electricity it sits outside on the ground or on the picnic bench plugged into the 120v AC in the back of the TD (using the adapter).

Just had lunch and pulled out a can of V8. 65 and sunny out and the V8 was so slushy had to eat it with a spoon.

[nevadatear]

Recently bought a Coleman for an upcoming 2 mos. trip across country to go to the Dam Gathering. Given this will be a spring trip and I'm not expecting a lot of heat this should be fine. .

Fyi,current weather predictions have thr Dam at 85-90 degrees highs and 60 degree lows for the duration of the event . Gonna be more summer than spring like.