Guest ChrisB Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 I have owned a "Camping Gaz" coolbox for about 10 years. It's the 12v thermo-electric variety which has a cooling fan built into the lid. Useful for cooling bulky items such as drinks and fruit and normally left running in the awning (with a 230Vac-12Vdc adaptor). Still works OK. It was never the quietest in operation, but over the past few years the fan has become very noisy - impossible to sleep with it running overnight and even risk disturbing the neighbours. A bit taken aback by replacement costs (£80-£120 for a similar size - I'm pretty sure we only paid around £40 - but that's inflation), but happy to pay if the replacement is quiet. The last thing I want is to take it away and discover it is as noisy. Can anyone recommend a quiet make/model? Chris PS I know I could buy an "absorption" multi-fuel type. In fact used to have one, but found it was bulky and heavy with much reduced storage space compared to overall size Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 We have a Halfords one that is 10+y.o. and is rebranded Waeco, resonably quiet, but don't think you can get one now. but check out Halfords, Towsure and Go Outdoors, all have them for well under £100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebishbus Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Hi. Why not try to reduce the noise from the fan? If you can access it in the lid, it may be the fan blades catching on something, or just that the fan bearings require lubrication. Brian B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 There are lots of these types of cool boxes around, here are some which might fit the bill: http://www.garden4less.co.uk/coleman-cool-box.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Be very careful if you start mucking about under the lid as, from bitter experience they rarely work afterwards. Also, if you read the instructions supplied with most of them it states you should not run them continously, although many people do. After mishaps with 2 of them at 60 euros a pop ( out of Carrefour) I gave up and bought a Zanussi table top fridge from John Lewis for £120. AS it is a compressor model it works far better and has more storage space Plus, I get a 3 year warranty from JL. More capacity and colder beers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ChrisB Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Thanks for all the replies and advice. I'm not going to open up the cooling mechanism - my DIY skills will almost certainly result in some spectacular flashes and bangs. I'll put it on Ebay (with noise noted). I think the best bet is to buy at a show and either hear it running or test asap on the showground - I just hate background noise when trying to sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Without opening it have you tried firstly vacuuming the fan in case there is dust and dirt and then giving it a squirt of wd40 and see if it quietens down. The mechanism is only 12 volt so you will not get bangs and flashes. The heat exchanger assembly is a metal block with the electrical bit attached with heat glue. If you ever separate these parts it will never work again. Plus the exchanger bit is very fragile and will break with slightest touch. I speak from bitter experience sitting on a hot campsite trying to get the damn thing to work. The fan worked fine, but it would never cool again. Ended up in the site skip. They are all probably made in China anyway with cheap materials. Sorry, but again as a paid failure with these things I decided a machine with a compressor was the only way to go. Coolboxes only knock off about 15-20 degrees from ambient which is fine in cool UK, but in 30 plus degrees means the beer is still warmish. Plus the wife insists on ice cubes in her tonic, so as a loyal servant........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ChrisB Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Well, as I had little to lose have just dismantled the Camping Gaz coolbox. Given the innerds a good vacuum/clean and a spray with WD40. I think the noise problem was a piece of expanded polystyrene foam which had come adrift around the fan and was catching as it span. Anyway re-seated, cut around a little more to give a bit more room. Reassembly was the real pain and took twice as long as dismantling and cleaning. Have a screw and a couple of other minor bits and pieces left over - but as anyone knows this is obligatory and the sign of an expert DIYer. Now the noise is about on par with a laptop on a warm day - so not too bad. Will give it another go this summer - if nothing else it makes a reasonable coolbox! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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