# Ideas for an off grid freezer?



## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

And I'm not just talking about a small chest, I want a walk in so I can process animals. I'm way out there, as far as power lines and civilization goes, and in prime hunting country. I would like to be able to process deer and hog, and maybe make some money while I'm at it, so a walk in would be the best bet. I have heard of kerosene freezers, but can
t seem to find any freezer units available in the US. Found a supplier in Africa of all places, but they never bothered to respond to my emails. Ideas?


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## Travis in Louisiana (May 14, 2002)

Try this site: http://www.warehouseappliance.com/freezers_propane_gas.htm

I haven't found any walk-in types yet, so you may hve to convert, make one from an electric walk-in freezer.


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

The actual walls and insulation are the easy part... it's the chill that is the hard part. I'd like to add, I only want the actual cooling unit, or two, if need be.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

A walk in Freezer would be a real waste of power....you sacrifice all the space for "walk in" area. You'd be better off with a couple of chest freezers. I can get two entire processed hogs in a 14cuft freezer easy, once they are worked up into actual meat.

What IS handy is a walk in COOLER.....something to chill the carcass down to 33-34 degrees, and hold it there giving you time to cut it up, and put in the chest freezer(s) as packaged meat.....and once you get the meat boned out, excess fat/skin removed, it takes a WHOLE lot less space, making a walk in freezer even less of a choice to go with.

That is what I built, and run off a 10,000BTU window AC unit, and a Coolbot control ( Goggle CoolBot ). The AC unit takes about 3kw/hrs a day to keep a 7'x7' walk in cooler at mid-30 degrees. A 1500w solar power system will do 6-7 kw/hrs/day here in east TN. The advantage of the solar over other forms of power is you'd have it to do other things when you're done with the cooler ( I use mine maybe 12-15 days in a year ), whereas a kerosene cooler would be good for one thing only.










Commercial door, foam board walls with white fiberglass board on inside, Samsung 10,000BTU AC mounted in back wall, tile floor with center drain.


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

Right now, we are minimally getting by with a 45 watt solar kit, and a 4500 watt genny. So, I was trying to avoid electric. Any upgrades to the power, are going to be small, and devoted to other things besides the freezer. That is a real nice cooler you built though.

Also, to give you a better idea of of what I had in mind, was a 10x 12 cold room, The back section would be freezer, with shelves for meats and chickens, and enough room to roll in a cart. I like extra room and organization, and have been very lacking both for the last 2 years out here. There would be a wall with maybe two coolers with shelves for milk, eggs, butter, stuff that doesn't need to be frozen, On the other side, of those, I would like to have a regular cold room with sinks and butcher table. I don't mind cleaning chickens and game, unless I'm forced to do it outside in the heat and flies, or a very small kitchen with no room. So, it may be a bit large, but I want to give a good go at producing and processing, and you know there are pretty high standards for the health inspectors. I just have to meet them without grid power, and a hefty sum of cash.


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## Blu3duk (Jun 2, 2002)

well you might try the wrecking yards for a refer unit that is still decent.... runs on diesel and you can use off road in them.... and if you wanna git into it, then you can grow, harvest and squeeze yer own oil from oil seed plants.....

William
Idaho


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

Lehmans.com sells propane freezers, but no walk in units. 

Guess you are a little too far south to harvest ice in the winter to use in the summer for a cooler.


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

I would second what Blueduk said. I've thought about getting an old reefer set up myself.


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## beachcomber (Dec 2, 2008)

propane and kero freezers are really only good at keeping frozen food frozen .if you need a walkin your going to need a diesel generator and an electric walk in and plan on running it 4 hours or so a day.that said i have a frostek propane chest freezer thats been running for 10 years without fail,burs about 100#every 3 months.


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

Blu3duk said:


> well you might try the wrecking yards for a refer unit that is still decent.... runs on diesel and you can use off road in them.... and if you wanna git into it, then you can grow, harvest and squeeze yer own oil from oil seed plants.....
> 
> William
> Idaho


I had that thought too, but haven't found a salvage yard bargain yet. What I found online was still very pricey.



Windy in Kansas said:


> Lehmans.com sells propane freezers, but no walk in units.
> 
> Guess you are a little too far south to harvest ice in the winter to use in the summer for a cooler.


I saw Lehman's, but want just the cooling units, not the chests. Haven't found a supplier on them. As far as being too far south... that is a matter of opinion  I am originally a Florida Cracker, and this snow stuff still tears me up


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## Blu3duk (Jun 2, 2002)

ifin yer gonna build a unit anyway, you can insulate it really well, and use the guts out of a bigger freezer, and convert everything to a 12 volt motor to drive the pump..... ya might not be able to build it as big as ya desire though unless you can find an old walkin being torn down and use those guts. Surplus Center has decent prices on DC motors, and ive been doing business with them since about 1988-9 on and off......

IF ya have a hillside the diggin into it and building a root cellar type building but using block inside of logs might be a way to keep a decent temperature, although that will be spendy it will also be efficient and sort of hidden. such a building can also be done on top the ground and mound earth around it too but not as perty. 

if you are really handy and want to experiment you could try to re-invent the icy-ball fridge but take it another step and make it big enough to freeze..... the original only froze an ice cube tray but from what i understand there is a company trying to use the technology to bring airconditioning to parts of the world where there is iffy 'lectricity. not sure anyone could get much more than a cooler out it but the thought has crossed through my brain a few times on how it moight be accomplished ever since i seen a video of a fella freezing a pail of water a few years back using a fresnel lens focusing the sun on that pail.... yeah i know heat to cold and it seems totally the wrong direction......

William
Idaho


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