Marine Refrigerators & Freezers

Popular on large boats, icemakers produce far more ice in a day than a conventional refrigerator. Used for commercial fishing or entertainment purposes, these under-counter 110V or 220V AC units can produce over 20 pounds of ice daily, drawing a modest amount of current.

Marine refrigerators generally include five components: a compressor (essentially a pump), heat exchanger pipes outside the unit (the condenser), an expansion valve, heat exchanger pipes inside the box with your foot (evaporator) and refrigerant, such as R-134a. A thermostat controls the temperature.

Most marine refrigerators run on 12V or 24V DC, or 110V AC. Many electric front-loading refrigerators utilize a universal voltage and can switch between AC and DC power sources automatically. Most refrigerators draw around 5 amps when the compressor is on, with their thermostats cycling on and off depending on the refrigerator’s insulation efficiency and the ambient temperature.

The size of your boat marine refrigerator will obviously be limited to the space available on your boat. It’s important to carefully measure the width, depth and height of the spot where you want to put it, or replace your current refrigerator with one of the exact same size, or as close to the same size as possible.

Depends on your refrigeration needs - boat type, size, power capacity, and climate. If you will be out at sea for long periods of time, then a marine refrigerator will be your best option for keeping your perishables fresh and cool. Should you stay near the coast, or not be out for long periods of time, an ice-chest is affordable and sufficient for short-term storage.