Refridgerator Tips

alienfry · Post by **alienfry** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:07 pm

so 2 years ago we ditched the concept of messy, instable coolers in favor of schlepping out a refridgerator.

we've never had a dome before, but this year it's been suggested. we'd use it for a kitchen and a multipurose room aka afternoon naps. i like the idea of a dome because it seems easier to keep a kitchen clean what with the wind not being as big of an issue.

the fridge. that shit's tall. i don't see pouring our camp money into this dome thing if we're going to have a giant appliance in the middle of it (because you can't very well push it up against a caving, curving wall).

SO

let me ask you. can a refridgerator be on it's side?

i've heard mixed things but NONE of them were grounded in fact or experience. your thoughts and tales based on direct experience will be appreciated!

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:32 pm

i like the idea of a dome because it seems easier to keep a kitchen clean what with the wind not being as big of an issue.

Uh... . I'd rethink that position. Seriously.

A refrigerator will run on its side. There are issues. Your shelving presumes uprightness, so you'll have no shelves inside, and stuff will be a jumbled mess. You'll need either to have the door open up where it will be hard to hold open and you'll have to stoop under it or to have it open down, where it will be in the dirt and you step on or around it. Either way, it will be in the way as you bend over, fumbling through the jumbled mess trying to find stuff. (Be sure all your containers seal, as they'll tip over but won't spill if shut tightly.)

The refrigerator will not work on its back, as the designers assume space between the back of the upright fridge and the wall for air flow which is necessary for cooling. You don't want to have the coils in the playa powder.

Good luck and have fun.

stargeezer · Post by **stargeezer** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:59 pm

Slow down on that one.

A refridgerator has both freon and oil in the sealed coolant system. If you turn the unit on the side, gravity no longer keeps the oil down in the compressor and instead pushed it into the area intended for freon only. If you have a unit that does not have oil in the system, it may work, but I seriously doubt it. Before you haul this out to the desert, I would suggest trying it at home.

I would also consider using a chest freezer with the thermostat turned up to a higher temperature. Physically, this matches your needs more, and keeps the unit in the position it was designed for.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:54 am

With your dome there are ways to get flat walls. The simplest might be to build a one frequency dome, which is more like a 5 sided tent. Another option would be to build one or two vertical sections below the dome. You'll end up with even more unneeded head room in the middle, but you'll get extra floor space.

Here is an example of adding vertical sections to your dome.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/geodome/f2.htm

Post by **mdmf007** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:44 pm

Cool beans -
I have been looking for a website (burner designed of course) It basically dives you a design for 1,2,3,4,5 and more frequency domes based on the values you input.

ANy links out there - New computer with no links in it.

later

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:02 pm

r e f r i g e r a t o r

no "d'

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:41 pm

A favorite dome site of mine and many others, often cited by fellow burners : http://www.desertdomes.com/

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 7:23 am

There are also smaller fridges which are propane powered. One of those may work better, they're made for RVs and the smaller size make work better, and you can always use two if you need more room.

Sounds like entirely more work than a few coolers. Of course, our coolers are primarily for drinks and beer, so it all depends on how many people in the group and what they eat. That, and we have Kooler Nazis keeping an eye on things. No one fucks with the Kooler Nazi and gets a cold beer later in the week.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:06 am

I'd second the vote for desertdomes.com. It's what we've been using to design domes.

Rocket75377 · Post by **Rocket75377** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:30 pm

How hard is it to put a dome together? I don't want something that seems like a good idea, but a month's pay later won't be feasible.

Post by **AntiM** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:36 pm

There are many good threads on domes, this is just one of them:

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... light=dome

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:59 pm

There are some hyper efficient fridge designs made for solar homes.
12 volt and propane are available.
You can get a kit to mount on your own box.
You can add insulation to a cooler or electric.
Some good australian units.
Sunfrost, Dometic, Norcold, etc.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:07 pm

Costco carports make good kitchens if you don't feel up to constructing a dome.

Look here for a space and energy efficient fridge:
http://mtbest.net/chest_fridge.html

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:26 am

in'06, our camp's kitchen was housed in a double carport that closed up completely. we brought a frig, which was great until the end of the week-seems folks felt they could leave their *extra* food for the tear down crew, guess we need a FRIG NAZI next time. The best thing about the kitchen was the SWAMP COOLER that used ALL of our filtered greywater-showers for 80, anyone?- and kept the space cool and moist. Domes are harder to build/use, by far.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:42 am

Whatever you use, be sure to get material that blocks light.

Light equals heat.

There are cheap materials that block light.
Shelter systems carries some.
Conduit shelter kits too.
The better epdm billboard material blocks light even in white.
Color doesn't matter at all untill you've blocked light.
Black plastic that blocks sunlight will be cooler than a light translucent color.
I found some true desert tents and they have three layers of material to provide a ventilation layer between material like an attic, on all sides.
Rather expensive, but produced in the middle east for sun.

The ideal material would be 100% aluminet which they stopped importing.
There was a dome of it in 2005.
Maybe if enough of us get together we could bring some in.
It is widely available elsewhere.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:45 pm

Why do you feel a need to shove your appliance against a wall? (unless it feels good) A fridge works more effiectiently if the coils are open to the air.

Post by **AntiM** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:43 pm

Historically, kitchens were free-standing buildings, mainly to reduce the fire/health hazards. Why not have a living dome and a carport kitchen? Assuming one has the transportation resources of course.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:56 pm

You know, it would be kind of cool to build a kitchen onto the handicapped lift on an old bus-- that way the kitchen could be outdoors most times, or indoors if the weather turns nasty....

Oh, sorry!

I was just daydreaming....

B.

Refridgerator Tips

Refridgerator Tips

Aluminet anyone? (Solid)