Manual for Minus 40 Freezer?

[Soggy Paws]

Hi All,

On our new-to-us St. Francis 44 Mk II, we have a 115L Minus 40 Freezer.  I am trying to round up manuals for all the stuff on the boat, and there's not much on the minus40.co.za site.  Does anyone have a manual for their freezer?  Anyone know what compressor is running it?  (Danfoss or something else?)  Got a block diagram or schematic for it?  What the normal current draw or daily amp hours is?  How to take the freezer compartment apart to look at the innards?

Was the Minus 40 "standard" on the Mk II's?  How have they performed over the years?

Thanks for whatever info you have.

We fly to take possession of the boat in Malaysia in a few days, just trying to do as much research as possible while I've got decent internet.

Sherry

s/v Soggy Paws

in Malaysia

[Clinton Lanier]

Our boat, hull 31, had a Danfoss unit that worked flawlessly for 13 years.

Clinton W. Lanier

Attorney at Law

Supreme Court of Florida

Certified Civil Mediator

772-532-1665

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[crashm...@yahoo.com]

Soggy Paws,

Previous owners ensured my new boat has many manuals to include the Minus 40.  I read through the manual and there is not much in the way of servicing of the unit.

Tom

Sand Dallor

[G P]

Sherry,

I don't think I ever had a freezer manual on Obelix. However, it is a very straight forward design.
I recall the thermostat being a Danfoss unit, which I replaced once. Other than that, I never even
put refrigerant into the unit in the 15 years I owned the boat. I looked up the schematic for the
thermostat on the internet using the model number. There is a small schematic on the thermostat
itself which will help you if you remove the unit so you can see it.

To get at the unit for any reason:
1. Remove the folding top cover of the unit.
2. Remove the 2 chrome vents at floor level.
3. Find the 12 volt electrical connections behind the vents and disconnect them.
4. Using the straps at the ends of the unit, lift the freezer vertically and set on top of the enclosure.
Note: This is a 2 person job.
5. All internals should be easily inspected. The heat exchanger will no doubt need a good vacuuming.
There is some ducting that can be dis-assembled for a more thorough cleaning.
6. Reverse this procedure to replace the freezer.
7. The thermostat supports a contact closure when the compressor runs. I installed several small
computer fans behind the chrome grills to facilitate the flow of cooling air. One set blew in, one
set blew out. Look at the ducting to figure out the flow, in at end, out at side as I remember.
The fans were wired to turn on when the compressor ran. This helped with the efficiency of the unit
and drew very little power for the benefit they provided. Note: Use high quality ball bearing fans,
try ebay for a vast listing of units. The fans were just a tight fit in the cutout for the grill, they were not permanently mounted.

Good Luck, I still deeply miss my Obelix, probably always will. Pursue your dreams while you are
still young enough to achieve them.

Pete

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Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2016 11:23:48 -0700
From: saintf...@googlegroups.com
To: saintf...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Saint Francis OG] Re: Manual for Minus 40 Freezer?

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[G P]

Sherry,

I had an additional thought for you. Since the freezers are a decade old or so,
you will not likely be able to service the refrigerant in the US. EPA regulations
and such have done away with the truly effective refrigerants here. You might
still be able to get the right stuff "down island". I don't know what the "right
stuff" is, but thought you should be aware.

Systems are designed for a particular refrigerant. Outlaw that refrigerant and....

Pete

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Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2016 11:23:48 -0700
From: saintf...@googlegroups.com
To: saintf...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Saint Francis OG] Re: Manual for Minus 40 Freezer?

[Soggy Paws]

Thanks everyone.  Tom, welcome to the group!  I think I did finally find a manual for our Minus 40, and I agree it was pretty useless.  (So I now have an electronic copy, if anyone wants one I'd be happy to share).  Fortunately, our unit is still running well, so that's one thing we haven't had to mess with.

Pete, thanks for the detailed steps to get the box open, I will save those, as I'm sure it will come in handy some time.  And for the advice about adding fans.  I will add it to Dave's "to do" list.

We actually have quite a bit of experience with (and spares and tools for) the Danfoss compressors, as we had two Frigoboat units on our last boat.  They are awesome little workhorses.

Pete, I feel your pain!  We just delivered our former boat to the new owner.  It is a very tough thing to do!  Even if, for us, we were moving on to a new boat.  I cried when I heard the familiar rumble of our Perkins engine, and knew she wasn't our baby anymore.  At least you know that Obelix is in the hands of good capable cruisers who are already cruising on her.  We saw her in Ft. Meyers in December and have been sharing "new owner" experiences by email with Don & Gwen.

Sherry