Why does the Ice Box suck

Lobo said:
Anyone know why my refrigerator (Eagle model) when running on propane freezes everything? Usually this happens at night when I'm parked.
Jim
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This is a common problem with the 3 way fridges. They do not control interior temperature but cool to a number of degrees below ambient. If you have it adjusted to maintain the proper temperature during the day it may freeze when the ambient temperature drops at night. The cure is to adjust the control to a lower setting at night.
 
A cool thing I saw on a video was to make frozen salt water bottles. Take a plastic container and fill with water, add 1/4 cup salt per 1/2 gallon, leave room for expansion and freeze. The salt causes the water to freeze at a lower temperature which keeps things colder longer :)
 
I've always wondered of the validity of that. Yes, saltwater freezes at a lower temperature, which means it thaws at a lower temp too. If fresh water was frozen to the same temp as salt water, wouldn't it actually stay ice longer? Or is there some reaction required to change salt water ice back to water that absorbs more of the ambient energy?
 
Well I don't know much about the thermodynamics but I would think if you start colder it would stay colder longer. Has anyone done this? I may have to run a test now :)
 
Once water is frozen it can get as cold as you you have refrigeration to cool it. Frozen salt water is as cold as frozen pure water subject to the same external temperature, salt water just melts faster. You can get water colder before freezing by adding salt, but not ice itself.
 
So does the latent heat of fusion use up the heating calories at a lower temperature, thereby keeping the temperature in the ice box lower for longer? Bill ;-)
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Stalking Light said:
I would say for all practical purposes, no, but YMMV. ;)
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+1
Latent heat of fusion for pure water and ice water is essentially the same but the temperature at which salt water freezes is lower by a few degrees.

Paul
 
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