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The origin of the "Defrost Assist" feature


Ice build-up on an evaporator is a common problem in the marine refrigeration industry. For some boats it is clearly more of an issue than others.

The average boat needs to defrost their refrigeration system every 30 days, others are weekly and some are only twice in a season. The quality of the insulation surrounding their refrigerated space can determine how much moisture adheres to the evaporator. Also, the quality of the gaskets around the openings and even the humidity inside the boat are all factors to some degree.

For years, the most seasoned salty sailors have determined when and how to defrost their refrigerator. For others, they are still learning. For those still learning who have a solid block of ice and their refrigeration is running continuously, they think it is time to defrost or call a service company. But for the seasoned sailor, he knows to defrost it sooner because more then 1/4 inch of frost will begin to act as insulation. He will turn the unit off just before going to sleep and turn it on first thing in the morning. This system works well in most cases, on most boats and in most conditions.

Turning the refrigerator off at night has its advantages. It is much cooler at night and no one is opening and closing it. These two reasons mean the temperature inside will not spike and the frost will melt while still keeping the interior cool. This is what the SmartMate marine refrigeration thermostat replicates, but with an additional safe guard. The SmartMate continues to monitor temperature while limiting the time the refrigerator is off. So once the defrost button is pressed, there is no need to worry about turning it back on.

For the sailor that has not quite figured out what to do with a block of ice; he may use a hair dryer to speed up the process of melting or dump hot water on the ice, not realizing in both cases moisture is entering the compartment only to build up the ice even more. In either case, it is possible to damage the evaporator.

When you see 1/4 inch of frost, it is time to let The SmartMate be your seasoned salty sailor.

Thank you,

SmartTstat


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