Ice Box Redeemed vs Fridge

[dylanear]

Originally Posted by sparky1

There are 0 Dry Ice suppliers in my area code 434

there are NONE in the entire state of virginia

Looks like there's a few Airgas dealers in VA, that's who I've gotten dry ice from in the past in California. Worth a phone call or two.

Airgas - Dry Ice

The Airgas location finder on their site seems useless, so I tried google maps.

virginia, airgas - Google Maps

Unless there's some legal reason they can't sell dry ice in VA I'd be shocked if none of those Airgas locations had it.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

You can still get dry ice. Here's a web site that might help.

Don't use dry ice without venting the icebox to outside. CO2 is heavier than air and if enough sublimes to gas form it can reach toxic levels in your trailer. By my calculation 2lbs of it could reach the toxic level of 5% in a 13 foot trailer.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Has anyone tried using expanding foam such as Great Stuff? I'm not too thrilled about my ability to pull the icebox out and securely replace it after insulating it. I'm thinking of a fridge as I just saw one the exact size (within 1/2 inch) of my opening. I'd have to vent a fridge, though, wouldn't I?

[D Davis]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

Has anyone tried using expanding foam such as Great Stuff? I'm not too thrilled about my ability to pull the icebox out and securely replace it after insulating it. I'm thinking of a fridge as I just saw one the exact size (within 1/2 inch) of my opening. I'd have to vent a fridge, though, wouldn't I?

I did not pull my ice box out. Just did a lot of measuring and manuvering thru the cabinets by hand. And yes you would have to vent a fridge.
It is still working Great!

[Pam Garlow]

I use my icebox for a pantry (breads, etc) so they don't get hot in the trailer on warm days. I use top load coolers outside for my food.

[Becky B]

Baskin & robbins Ice cream sold dry ice in the past. Other ice cream vendors may sell it as well.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Worth repeating: it isn't safe to have Dry Ice in an enclosed space.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

Worth repeating: it isn't safe to have Dry Ice in an enclosed space.

Dry ice (frozen CO2) is non-toxic. The melting dry ice will create pressure inside the ice box, which will vent around the door gasket. Door gaskets are NOT strong enough to hold the pressure back, therefore venting will happen without problems.

Since CO2 in NON-toxic it's not going to hurt you. The biggest concern would be replacing the O2 in the air, which takes a whole lot of CO2. Just to be safe when inside the trailer leave a window open a bit.

Bobbie, if you put a chunk of dry ice in a pop bottle and seal it will explode, no flame, just a bang. Look up explode.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Dry ice (frozen CO2) is non-toxic. The melting dry ice will create pressure inside the ice box, which will vent around the door gasket. Door gaskets are NOT strong enough to hold the pressure back, therefore venting will happen without problems.

Since CO2 in NON-toxic it's not going to hurt you. The biggest concern would be replacing the O2 in the air, which takes a whole lot of CO2. Just to be safe when inside the trailer leave a window open a bit.

Bobbie, if you put a chunk of dry ice in a pop bottle and seal it will explode, no flame, just a bang. Look up explode.

Dry Ice (or rather the resulting gaseous CO2) is not non-toxic. The risk has nothing to do with pressure building up. Dry Ice sublimes, as I am sure you know, into gaseous carbon dioxide. CO2 is heavier than nitrogen or oxygen, and settles into the trailer. I calculated the amount of gas produced by a pound of CO2. The short-term exposure limit is 1.5%. It doesn't simply suffocate though it can do that, too.

One pound of CO2 would give greater than a 2% concentration in a 13 foot trailer (assuming it was completely empty, dimensions 10x6x6 feet.) More Dry Ice or more stuff in the trailer raises the concentration. 1.5% = 15,000 ppm (OSHA limti is actually only 5000.)

Ventilating has limited effect due to the tendency of CO2 to sink to the floor (leaving the door open would help more but who does that all night?)

Toxicity info: http://www.continentalcarbonic.com/pdf/MSDS_Dry_Ice.pdf

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by D Davis

I did not pull my ice box out. Just did a lot of measuring and manuvering thru the cabinets by hand. And yes you would have to vent a fridge.
It is still working Great!

I just reread your description; I don't think I have enough access in my Campster but I might be able to reach most of it by removing the microwave again temporarily. Not sure how I'll get to the top, though. I was thinking of using regular house insulation- I have about 3 inches on the sides of the icebox (sad to see when I actually looked at it!) Now I see why Steve Hilby pulled the whole icebox out and wrapped it in Reflectix. I'm still wary of doing it that way.
It sure comes un-insulated! I'm not sure how much space there actually is between the top of the icebox and the top of the trailer. I'll go over to the ipad app and post a picture and maybe somebody who has done it will have some advice.

[Raz]

I recall seeing a Nova where they followed the investigation of a large number of mysterious deaths in a village in Africa. The conclusion was the deaths were caused by an outgassing of CO2 from the local lake.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_nyos

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

I recall seeing a Nova where they followed the investigation of a large number of mysterious deaths in a village in Africa. The conclusion was the deaths were caused by an outgassing of CO2 from the local lake.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_nyos

Yes, but that was actually suffocation- the heavier CO2 displaced all of the oxygen. I don't know if they ever figured out why the lake suddenly "burped" CO2, which had collected at the bottom (maybe I should read the entry and find out!) It flowed down a hill (the gas, that is) and got trapped in a basin where the village was. You'd need more CO2 than a few pounds, I think, to suffocate you in a trailer- the actual toxicity of CO2 is more a concern in the trailer. The key to the Lake Nyos thing was that it was sudden.

[D Davis]

Hey guys, I was hoping this forum would help with insulating an Ice Box. I find it's enough to get it together to go camping in the first place, with preparing the food and freezing the blocks of ice with out having to go searching for dry Ice or worrying about it...Just a thought. Camping is a fun thing... However have learned a lot about Dry Ice.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I'm still working on insulating the ice box but I started a separate thread. It appears that insulation will help a LOT. The problem is getting to the icebox to do it.

[D Davis]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

I'm still working on insulating the ice box but I started a separate thread. It appears that insulation will help a LOT. The problem is getting to the icebox to do it.

You are right Bobby, my knuckles and hands got all scraped up. And Please do not use household fiberglass insulation...I had to remove a ton of that stuff from the PO, Even in traveling the stuff gets in the air and sticks to the raw fiberglass on the interior of the cabinets.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Originally Posted by D Davis

You are right Bobby, my knuckles and hands got all scraped up. And Please do not use household fiberglass insulation...I had to remove a ton of that stuff from the PO, Even in traveling the stuff gets in the air and sticks to the raw fiberglass on the interior of the cabinets.

Good to know, thanks. I do have styrofoam but I hate working with that stuff. I might still have the insides of some boat safety cushions that lost their covers- they'd stuff right up there, flexible and light. I have to be kind of careful as I don't want to damage the existing styrofoam on the icebox.