# Does anyone use an old-fashioned icebox?



## firegirl969 (Nov 3, 2008)

My electric refrigerator is about to die. I cannot afford a propane one at this time. I am considering an old-fashioned icebox. I have found one for $350. I am trying to get away from electric as much as possible due to the exorbant rates they are charging. We are going to solar as we can afford it as well, but plan to stay tied to the grid. I have a large freezer, so I can make the blocks of ice as long as electricity holds out. I can also get ice from the fire department where DH and I volunteer. I would like to know your experiences with using an icebox if you will share them. Thanks, firegirl


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## YoYoDog (Sep 3, 2007)

I don't have any first hand experience however I've heard of people getting a old chest freezer off the curb on trash day and burying it in a shaded area up to the lid. Just allow some type of tubing out the side for the drain when it all melts. Also, be sure to disable the latches and lock it so no kids will get stuck inside. You could use a regular upright but the drain will be in the wrong place.

Just an idea,

Dan

ETA: Bury it with a slight slant towards the drain hole.


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## Watcher48 (Aug 30, 2007)

Ice boxes do not get as cold as a refrigerator. Wont be as even all over. Consequently you may have to search out the colder areas. Much like you do when you take an ice chest camping. Also food will not keep as long so you may have to alter your meal planning. Generally an ice box has one area for ice. But you can supplement that by freezing water bottle and two liters and inserting them around. Its will be a daily maintenance chore so you just cant drive off for the week . Maybe a day or two 

Maybe try liing out of ice cooler for a few days and see how you like that. And there are certainly a lot of cheap fridges out there. 25.00 and up. Some are sold just casue they don't match the latest fad interior


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## tinda (Jun 11, 2005)

Have you considered a propane fridge?
They work the same as a regular electric run fridge and are made for off grid.
Just be sure to place it away from drafts (every time someone opens the window or kitchen door the pilot light goes out.)
How do I know this??


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

I cannot for any reason justify spending $350 for an icebox, when used refrigerators are nearly free, have insulation that is as good, and can always be powered up if you have to leave for a few days or run out of ice.

There is another factor that you may not be taking into account. A refrigerator will keep items a lot longer than an icebox. If you normally keep your refrigerator full, you will likely lose more in spoiled produce than save in power costs.


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## ladybug (Aug 18, 2002)

Check out your local Freecycle for your area in Yahoo groups- I was given a side by side fridge after ours went out after Katrina, totally free. That fridge is still going strong years later. It's a great way to find stuff you need and to get rid of stuff that you don't and since it's all free it works out well for everyone. Check out http://www.freecycle.org for more information on it. =) I have actually seen a propane fridge and stove on mine before so you may even get lucky. Hope this helps!


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

since you have a freezer for easy ice, "technically" you would save a lot of money(put that towards something else) and probably have a lot more capacity if you bought a big cooler. You can buy a really good insulated huge cooler with separate little doors for around 100 bucks--which are supposed to keep ice ice for a week(all depends on how often you open it up of course). Or you can get pretty good sized cheaper simple coolers for 40-50$. 

I've been camping using coolers for up to almost two weeks, and with my cheap coolers we replenished the ice every 3 days or so. I separate stuff according to how cold it needs to be, for instance condiments and vegatables and fruits and cheese don't need to be so cold, so they go together in one--of course some produce can just sit out, but I'm keeping the ANTS away! THen there's the milk/eggs/lunchmeat thawing-raw-meat cooler with more ice, then there's the beer cooler with the most ice. I have a bunch of those ice packs(bigger lasts longer, they are about 9x9x1.5") which if we're out in the trailer I rotate through the freezer. They are easier to tuck in around food for more even cooling than milk jugs--which I do use also, I freeze water in those for dog water on trips.

BUt just saying if it were me I'd save the money, and I bet you'd have better function with coolers than an icebox.

THe camper we had when I was a kid was a small icebox--I remember stopping to get those big ice blocks, I like the sound of it crashing out of the machine  Again, no big deal, worked great. The colder you want stuff the closer it goes to the ice, pretty simple.

So if you want cheap and have a convienient way to make ice go with coolers. They just don't accessorize the kitchen as pretty as an icebox. THough you can get those old fashioned metal Coleman coolers for a 50's cabin vibe.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

PS< youcan make a great SMOKER from your' old fridge, don't toss it!


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Another thought, if you make your own ice in your freezer for your icebox, you won't save on your electric bill. All you would be doing is moving the cooling process from the refrigerator to the freezer. In order to cool to the same temperature, the same amount of energy would be used.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

I'm not sure it's an even transfer of cost--the freezer will be be freezing the milk jug(say a cubic foot) as part of the area it's already freezing. The fridge will freeze the milk jug, plus the capacity of the freezer, plus making the reefer cold. 

She can freeze a milk jug in the freezer and use the milk jug to keep a cooler cold enough(or use two)--that still comes out in my head as cheapper electricity wise (though I realize freezing a milk jug in a freezer or reefer would be about the same. I'm thinking since the freezer is a bigger mass of frozenness it might be less effort to freeze the milk jug however. ANd freezer should be kept full anyways--she's going to be rotating using stuff so making ice isn't going to be "extra" work in the freezer(at least to my rationalizing)

On the other hand if they bring home ice from work the ice is basically "free".

SO she certainly will save on her electric bill by not having a reefer. Haha, dont' foget she can turn her reefer into a smoker hahahahaha dont' inhale


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

just use your existing (dieing) fridge as the icebox, using ice from your freezer. no cost, and you can try it out yourself to see how it works for you personally. 

you will have to change your life a bit to deal with the difference between ice and fridge tho.

sharon astyk, who has a blog (http://sharonastyk.com/), and also sometimes posts here as "Sharon in NY", has given up her fridge, and uses ice from her freezer to put in the fridge. can't find the particular posts, but search her blog for fridge, refrigerator, freezer, etc, and you should be able to find several posts on the topic.

also, "greenpa" has lived without a fridge at all for 30 years or so. he's had 2-3 posts about doing without a fridge. According to him, many things don't need to go in the fridge at all, and some things last longer in the fridge but will do fine for several days, just not as long as in the fridge, so you'll need to eat it faster. heres a link to the search results for "fridge", which should give you a running start.

--sgl


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

firegirl969 said:


> My electric refrigerator is about to die. I cannot afford a propane one at this time. I am considering an old-fashioned icebox. I have found one for $350. I am trying to get away from electric as much as possible due to the exorbant rates they are charging. We are going to solar as we can afford it as well, but plan to stay tied to the grid. I have a large freezer, so I can make the blocks of ice as long as electricity holds out. I can also get ice from the fire department where DH and I volunteer. I would like to know your experiences with using an icebox if you will share them. Thanks, firegirl


I got a got an electric fridge at Home Depot for $350 over a year ago. The idea was that I wanted something that would draw low current to operate off-grid. I found a Magic Chef that only draws 130 watts while it's running (~400 startup surge). I figured I could stand 130 watts, even on solar panels.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...89&N=1224+90401&marketID=401&locStoreNum=8125

I got it in the fake stainless finish (same price). By the way, it runs fine on a modified sine-wave inverter.


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## snakeshooter1 (Mar 8, 2009)

but how many amps does it draw when the heat strips for the auto defrost come on?


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

sgl42 said:


> just use your existing (dieing) fridge as the icebox, using ice from your freezer. no cost, and you can try it out yourself to see how it works for you personally.
> 
> 
> --sgl


ha, yeah I thought later doh she can just use her dead fridge as an icebox :0)


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

snakeshooter1 said:


> but how many amps does it draw when the heat strips for the auto defrost come on?


No idea, it doesn't say.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

A couple years ago my frig died. I was not in any condition to buy a new one so I bought one of those 5 day ice chests to use. It was tough at first and I felt so helpless not having a frig. It didn't take long for me to get used to it. I froze 2 liter bottles in the chest freezer to keep the cooler cold (that way I didn't have to drain water from the bottom and the cheese didn't get soggy  ). About all I put in it was dairy products and a few leftovers until we ate them up. 

It was about 2 or 3 months before I got a new frig. I was so happy to have the new frig, but for the longest time it was almost empty. I had changed my eating style and didn't fill it up like I used to. After a few months, my style changed back and now I can never find room to stuff another leftover in there. Once a week I pull out all the leftovers and toss them. I waste a lot more food now that I have the frig instead of the little ice chest! 

You might use an ice chest for a few weeks to try out the idea. You may discover that you do just fine with it and won't want another frig.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

I lived almost a year with just a camping ice chest when I built my cabin. We didn't have any kind of a kitchen that first year, just the ice chest and a 2-burner propane camp stove I got at Walmart. A bookshelf served as a pantry. We have a refrigerator and a regulation range now, but it was a hardship before we got them.

The ice was an ongoing expense to buy a bag of ice every other day, except in the winter. When it was really cold I would freeze 8 oz water bottles on the front porch. When it wasn't so cold I could still usually scoop-up enough snow to keep things cold. Fortunately we got the fridge the first spring.

I think you've got enough to worry about on a homestead without fooling with ice. I'm happy I don't have to worry about it anymore.


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

We didn't have a refrigerator for the first 6 month we lived here. I had two ice chests that we rotated 2 liter pop bottle through to keep cool. It worked great. I would freeze them in the deep freezer.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Nevada said:


> I think you've got enough to worry about on a homestead without fooling with ice. I'm happy I don't have to worry about it anymore.


Aw Nevada, she's got a freezer, how much toil it is to fill up a milk jug, put it in the freezer, take it out and put it in her icebox. She's a woman, she can handle it!:goodjob:


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

Another idea for ice, if a freezer isn't available, is to make your own in the winter. It would involve building an ice house or pit. But as long as you have a free source of water, sawdust & cold enough nights to freeze a tub of water solid, you could make several blocks a night. Just use heavy duty plasic tubs as large ice cube trays. When solid, store in your ice house for summer. 

With a vent to the outside, you would be able to keep your box cold in the winter months without a refrigerator.


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

I think it would also be helpful to read this chapter in Handy Fam Devices.  It may give you some ideas you hadn't considered.

For example - 



> *Homemade Refrigerator*
> 
> Take two large boxes, one 2 inches smaller than the other every way, and bore two 1-inch holes in the bottom of each box for drainage. Fill up 2 inches in the large box with powdered charcoal or coal ashes. Put the smaller box inside and fill the space all around with the charcoal or ashes. Fix the lids to both boxes to fit tightly. Put shelves on both sides of inner box. Leave a place in the center of the box for ice. A rack, made of lath, can be laid at the bottom for ice to rest on.


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## woodsman (Dec 8, 2008)

Any chest freezer with a separate thermostat switching main power source on and off will serve as a fridge and use way less energy to run than an upright. We actually purchased a chest freezer that was designed run in either mode.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

wyld thang said:


> Aw Nevada, she's got a freezer, how much toil it is to fill up a milk jug, put it in the freezer, take it out and put it in her icebox. She's a woman, she can handle it!:goodjob:


I guess having a freezer would take a lot of the fuss out of maintaining an ice chest.


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## njmama (Jan 4, 2006)

Pelenaka uses an icebox.

Links to her blog:

http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.com/2007/06/thoughly-modern-millie.html

http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.com/2007/06/you-have-what-why.html


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

I picked up an old oak ice box with the idea to install coils and such in it and use it instead of a frige.
Some how I couldn't get past the idea of cutting up the piece, so it now stores dog food, and canned goods. 
Beside there isn't much insulation other than the wood and tin.

Looks good though.

I don't think there would be much of a cost saving in buy one just to avoid buying a new frige. Not for $350 bucks.

Around here friges that work go from "free" to only a couple of hundred dollars, used.
And as was brought up, just unplug the one you have and try out the ice blocks before you spend the money on an "Ice box".


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

As njmama posted above, Palenka who posts on HT, has a freezer to make ice which she moves to her RE-Insulated ice box. Her husband and she increased the insulation; I don't think they have to change out the ice containers more than once/day. Sounds good to me. ldc


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## VERN in IL (Nov 30, 2008)

You see in Gas stations they fill up a large cylinder with Ice and put sodas in it up by the counter.(even tho they still got the sodas in the glass door freezers.)


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## Junkman (Dec 17, 2005)

firegirl969 said:


> My electric refrigerator is about to die. I cannot afford a propane one at this time. I am considering an old-fashioned icebox. I have found one for $350. I am trying to get away from electric as much as possible due to the exorbant rates they are charging. We are going to solar as we can afford it as well, but plan to stay tied to the grid. I have a large freezer, so I can make the blocks of ice as long as electricity holds out. I can also get ice from the fire department where DH and I volunteer. I would like to know your experiences with using an icebox if you will share them. Thanks, firegirl


Wished you lived close. I would give you one. We use 2. One we store our pop, beer, water in on the unheated porch. Never had a frozen can so far. Our friends drink the beer so not sure about that. The other one we use in the kitchen to store the house cat food and other things in. They are both small. Would recommend picking them up at sales if you find them cheap. Good for many things.


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