I'm shocked. Everywhere I go, I seem to be the only one unhappy with my evakool. Everyone else seems to think they are just the best....until this thread started. Its really the first bad comments I've heard on evakool as a brand. To be clear though, I'm only unhappy with its power consumption - 50Ah per day as a fridge - almost 2.5 times the power usage of any other I've tested in the same conditions. I believe its due to the physical size of the unit. It is very long and wide in comparison to its depth, and I believe its this length x width/height ratio that's the issue. Have a look at any other fridge on the market, they all have at least twice the depth verses its length/breadth. As convection makes hot air rise and cold air sink, its this depth that controls power verses temperature. It also stops hot air entering and cold air escaping a bent lid. It can only be due to the exposed surface area of length x breadth verses its depth.
Yes, the lid bend issue on the fm70 is well known. Easy fixed yourself by just adding some adhesive foam from clark rubber or the like. More cost effective, time efficient and less stress than trying a warranty claim.
I ran mine as a fridge freezer for a 6 week trip once. It worked well. But you have to root around a little before hand to get the temps right between each side. The gap under the divider is your temperature difference control and you need to experiment with that to get it where you want it. Noting it has only a half evaporator plate - as this design needs if you want to run it in dual zones.
I have 3 blog entries on fridges. An FM70 review and how I played with divider height to get my temps right. A comprehensive review on fridge power consumption (I hope to be able to add the kickass 89L dual zone soon) and another on how to mod your fridge with a fan. Unfortunately, they are all but useless at the moment due to photobucket and I cant get the time to correct them yet. But if you wish, I can link them, they have no pics only my waffle.
So, no matter what brand or model you choose, my recommendations on a ducks nuts fridge is below;
1. Variable speed motor. You just don't know how efficient these are until you have used one. I've tested 3 Waeco models, 2 ARB models and 1 techni-ice model with variable speed controllers and I'm sold.
2. If you want dual zones, get one with separate compartments and individual compartment controls. I'm not an advocate of running freezers as those that know me would know. So my additional advice is to think long and hard if you really need to run a freezer.
3. Full wrap around evaporator plate, which probably isn't an issue these days except for single compartment dual zones with a removable divider
4. Have a think about depth. While its great to be able to store high items like wine bottles, soft drink bottles etc, its also a damn pain in the arse having to remove everything to get to that item you placed in the bottom. My biggest issue with an engel 40 - that and the cheap arsed Shitty made in the back shed handles they still come with after more than 30 years of service.
5. And lastly, add a blower fan. You can add baskets to the top to help minimise the issue at #4 and the fan will keep both that and any dairy compartment you may have at uniform temperatures. In fact, its my opinion any dairy compartment is useless without one.
Hope that gives you some more to think about.
Cheers!
