Koolatron's P-series, D-series, and W-series cooler/warmers cool to approximately 40°F (22°C) below ambient temperature and the P25 cooler to about 36°F (22°C) below ambient temperature.
The minimum temperature is -60C. Therfore, the maximum delta T is 380C. Using cold side Temperatures below 0C will yield lower and lower additional power gains as temperature decreases.
You can't use an ice chest as a freezer, you need an actual freezer for that. Any cooler will keep food cool at least a day, 2 at most in ideal environments. No cooler will keep ice without active cooling.
Can using ice damage my electric cooler? No, using ice will not damage your cooler, but it can create water that needs to be managed to avoid soggy food or potential mold growth.
Maximum temperature difference (DT) for a standard thermoelectric (TE) module operating in cooling mode is 73 K (based on a hot-side temperature of 300 K) [1]. That value can be increased to 107 K for a two-stage cascaded device and up to 130 K for a four-stage cascaded device.
The peltier plate in a standard portable thermoelectric cooler consumes 3-5 amps. It is capable of temperatures that are about 40 degrees Fahrenheit lower than ambient temperature. This means, for example, that if your cooler is sitting outside on an 80 degree day, the coldest it can get is 40 degrees.
Can my cooler freeze contents or make ice cubes? No, you can not generally freeze items in your thermoelectric cooler.
Most electric coolers use between 30 and 60 watts of energy. But it depends on the brand that you purchase and the type of cooling that it uses.
However, if you're using a cooler with less air space, like a Pelican Cooler with tightly packed ice, then salt can help to make the ice last longer. The science behind this has to do with the way that salt lowers the freezing point of water. When you add salt to ice, it causes the ice to melt.
Commercial TE coolers provide long operation lifetime in the range of 250,000 to 350,000 hours at normal conditions. It is the result of a highly developed technology of manufacturing and high-quality raw materials.
Yes, thermoelectric coolers often run continuously because they lack thermostats to control cycling. They tend to draw more power as a result.
If you need to keep food/drinks cold (but not frozen) for an extended period, like for camping or a road trip, dry ice can be used to convert a cooler into a refrigerator!
Cooler packing tips
Juices, meats, even milk, can be placed in the cooler in the frozen state to help keep the rest of the food cold. It will thaw in time for serving. Keep meat and poultry separate from foods that will be eaten raw. Use a separate cooler or place them in a leak proof container or bag.
The Drawbacks of Thermoelectric Cooling
TEC units quickly become costly when used in large spaces. This is because more ceramic plates are needed to cover a larger area, and in turn require higher input voltage to operate. In other words, the more ceramic plates needed, the more electricity needed to run the machine.
The coldest temperature ever measured was -126 Fahrenheit (-88 Celsius) at Vostok Station in Antarctica.
Keep your cooler out of direct sunlight when possible. Ice can last up to twice as long in the shade. Some pros even use tarps or towels to cover their coolers when they can't find a shaded spot.
Salt, baking soda, and sugar will all act to lower the freezing point of the ice, making it melt quicker than the untouched ice cube. Sand is another common substance that may be seen on the roadway. In fact, it is not used to melt ice, but rather for traction for shoes or cars.
A: It depends on the ambient temperature. If it's 90F then the contents are not going to stay cold more than 20-30 minutes. However, if it's cooler then your mileage will vary. When we camp, if overnight temps are cool (40's F) we'll turn it off and just leave the lid cracked.
Electric coolers don't require any ice. Not only will you save money and time by not having to stop to buy ice, but without ice, you can actually pack a lot more food and snacks for your next trip.
In refrigeration applications, thermoelectric junctions have about 1/4 the efficiency compared to conventional means (vapor compression refrigeration): they offer around 10–15% efficiency (COP of 1.0–1.5) of the ideal Carnot cycle refrigerator, compared with 40–60% achieved by conventional compression-cycle systems ( ...
The following guidelines will allow you to achieve extreme performance. Coleman recommends using 0.75 lbs. of ice per rated quart of the cooler. This equates to an approximate 2:1 ratio of ice to contents.
Thermoelectric coolers often double as warmers, but they can't freeze your food. Compressor coolers, on the other hand, can reach freezing temperatures, though they tend to be bulkier and heavier.