Why Marine Refrigeration Doesn't Defrost

As mentioned in a previous post, marine refrigeration has yet to develop in certain areas; and defrosting is one of them.

Defrosting doesn't exist because it is cost prohibited. In other words, it is just not worth it from the manufacturers point of view. It is easier and cheaper for the manufacturers to suggest defrosting your refrigerator as needed.

Another reason is lack of equipment. Although it can be done with what is available, it would not be an easy "add on" to the existing refrigeration equipment, because what is available isn't quite suited for such small systems. An example of this would be the electrical defrost elements commonly used in household refrigeration. These elements are bulky, clumsy and would be exposed and most likely become damaged. To simulate your home refrigerator, these heating elements would need to be accompanied by sensors and a timer in order to know how much frost is present and when to defrost. The elements would also have to be adapted to run on battery power through an inverter. All of this would increase the cost exponentially.

What might be the biggest reason defrosting doesn't exist, is the power consumption needed to melt the frost or ice build up on your evaporator. After adding all the necessary equipment, you then have to supply power. The battery power needed to defrost would outweigh the need for convenience. An example of this is a 500 watt defrost element would use approximately 41 amps DC.

The SmartMate solves all off these issues by using an "Off Cycle". It turns the unit off while continuing to monitor temperature.

Problem solved.

SmartTstat