refridgeration

[bill harrell]

I see a lot of people on here who talk about losing refrigeration and their food spoiling, there are alternatives to electricity. Most RVs have refrigerators that run on propane. We used to have a freezer that ran on kerosene or diesel. It had an alladin lamp burner that heated a ball with ammonia in it to compress the gas and valves to let it expand back out to cool the freezer.you could probably modify any rv refrigerator to work with a heat source. Has anyone ever performed a mod like this?

 

[kcdevildog]

Great idea. Have not heard of that being done.

 

[bill harrell]

I think I'll go find us an old refrigerator tomorrow and try to modify it. I'll try to take pictures and post them and tell you what worked and what not to do. Its always easier looking back. So if anyone has any experience save me some time please

 

[bubbadreier]

This is a great idea as I just lost all the food in my fridge and both deep freezes! (Well lost is a strong word, I grilled all the meat for the First responders in the area. They ate pretty darn well last night) Please keep us updated.

 

[bill harrell]

Looks like we found our first victim . I'll have to wait till next week to start the sacrificial procession. I have a pretty busy week ,( plus I'm hoping someone with experience chimes in before I cut her throat. I think I'll call her DPF CRYOGENIE 2013. For those that want to place orders early.

 

[bill harrell]

She don't exactly look like a lamb without blemish...but for our intentions she's beautiful....huuu ...I'm in love

 

[rudyc]

what about keeping frozen bottles of water in the freezer? it will keep it cold a lot longer. especially if you dont open the fridge as much.

 

[old_anorak]

That's true rudy, but they will eventually melt.

Bill, I'm looking forward to seeing how this works. I know I could do anything like that, I'd end up blowing myself up.

Bubba, how long did you not have power?

 

[Dani]

I see a lot of people on here who talk about losing refrigeration and their food spoiling, there are alternatives to electricity. Most RVs have refrigerators that run on propane. We used to have a freezer that ran on kerosene or diesel. It had an alladin lamp burner that heated a ball with ammonia in it to compress the gas and valves to let it expand back out to cool the freezer.you could probably modify any rv refrigerator to work with a heat source. Has anyone ever performed a mod like this?

The only problem I see is that even diesel and propane will eventually run out. You could make your own biodiesel with vegetable oil with transesterification. I would think, for some, the best option for a long term storage would be either a root cellar or maybe even a spring house. Unfortunately, that can only be accomplished in the upper part of the states. If it does come down to it, the southern states will have to learn to preserve everything, with either drying, canning, or curing.

 

[bill harrell]

That's why y'all need to come to the meet.....I had y'all pegged to run a mean smokehouse. That would be a great skill for y'all to teach everyone. Besides every Texan has a truck with the bed converted to a smoker...But iM gonna go out on a limb and try to run the DPF CRYOGENIE 2013 on lard and if I can't make it work I'll use wood. So fuel issues are solved. But my youngest son is getting married this week and I'm pretty busy , so the cryogenie is downstream

 

[Shenandoah]

My folks live in the very rural Appalachian Mountains. Twice this past winter they're power was off for an extended period of time, once for 11 days and another for 9 days. Their back-up plan worked like a charm....they have an upright freezer and a deep chest freezer. In one of them they keep 4 gallon jugs of water frozen. When the power went off, they put the jugs in the refrigerator effectively turning it into an ice box. They hooked their freezers up to their emergency solar system (4 batteries, a 3500 watt inverter and (2) 100 watt solar panels) By rotating the freezers into the charging system they were able to keep them both perfectly frozen and they rotated 4 frozen jugs into the freezer--freezing 4 jugs while 4 others maintained the refrigerator as as ice box. This little solar system also kept the fan running on their fireplace insert, keeping their bums nice and toasty warm! A separate battery and small inverter also powered my brother's CPAP machine without a hitch!

Blessings,
Shenandoah

 

[mommymouse]

Depending on where you are there are different things you could do. I am way up in canada, so in the winter I can put a lot of things outside, but some things I won;t want too cold, so in the same room as my wood stove I want to put a zeer pot,

 

[bill harrell]

How does that work. I couldn't tell from the picture

 

[mommymouse]

How does that work. I couldn't tell from the picture

it is a video, explaining how it works.

Basically the evaporation from the sand causes the middle to cool down.

 

[old_anorak]

I've seen those used and use something similar to keep things cold at the farmer's market. People tend to stop at the booth when they see something different, they talk, ask questions and then spend money. Works for me.

I couldn't tell you how it works Bill, I only know that it does. All that science-y stuff is past me. If it works, I'm a happy camper.

How was the wedding?

 

[bill harrell]

It was great Anorak. Finally finished raising kids, although I've been coasting for years. I've finally busted my last dinner plate

 

[Chicknladee]

busted my last dinner plate

? I'm not familiar with this tradition.

 

[WILD MAN]

? I'm not familiar with this tradition.

When a kid is grown and moves out of the house you break their dinner plate so they won't come back.

 

[old_anorak]

I still have one to go, but I'm not in a big hurry... yet. Now you just have to get ready to start spoiling the grandbabies.

 

[bill harrell]

That's my speciality

 

[Chicknladee]

My kids are only 22 and 24...no grandbabies in sight anywhere yet.

 

[bill harrell]

They attack in swarms chick, like killer bees.

 

[Mike Quinn]

Whats that Bill , you old softie lol

 

[old_anorak]

I doubt I'll see any grandkids from my oldest girl and not sure about the youngest. Fries might have kids she says, but it will have to be when she's older because she wants to dance professionally or be a veterinarian. Who knows, for now, I spoil the grand dogs.

 

[Mike Quinn]

WOW a dancing vet that should be something to see lol

 

[old_anorak]

She'll need those dancing skills, she wants to go into large animal practice. Whenever our vet comes out on a farm call, she's stuck to him like glue and he's encouraging her to pursue it. She's learned how to palpate a mare to check on an unborn foal, how to turn a kid who is presented backwards, how to put in stitches, irrigation of wounds and all sorts of other stuff. When the boys at school bother her, she reminds them that she does know how to castrate animals way bigger than they are.

She doesn't take after her mama at all, now does she?

 

[Mike Quinn]

hehehe ,no not at all sis, a quiet little thing like you wouldn't do any such thing lol

 

[old_anorak]

I'm just an innocent little delicate flower.

 

[TicoGringo]

While refrigeration is nice when you can get it (and we have it for now) we eat fresh almost everyday whether it's fish, beef, pork, chicken or vegetables, milk etc. - the advantage of a Friends and Family compound and living in the tropics.