Cool box operation - Page 2

Vulcan190+ · 18th August 2009, 08:21

I bought a 20l coolbox from Halfords a couple of years ago. Being the Peltier design it can also heat but having used it a few times I've come to realise that it's heating or cooling effect isn't that great and I now tend to use it as I would a Thermos flask.

It will quite sucessfully maintain the temperature of food/drink...
ie. if it's cold to start with then it will stay reasonably cold as long as it runs and the switch is set to cold, but I wouldn't expect it to cool down anything put in there to any appreciable degree.

Plus as has been said the ambient temperature of where you have it stood will markedly effect how cool it is in the box, it can only cool as much as the air temperature being pulled into the cooling vents. If it is put in the boot I have found that as the thing tries to do it's job the air temp in the boot will rise and therefore it's pulling warm air back in.

Having a tourer I have found that if I leave the load cover off it works much better than with it closed, obviously not a solution if you have the saloon and it would probably function better on the back seat.

18th August 2009, 08:21	#11
Vulcan190+ Regular poster Trophy Blue MG ZT-T 190+ 2002 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Posts: 84 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I bought a 20l coolbox from Halfords a couple of years ago. Being the Peltier design it can also heat but having used it a few times I've come to realise that it's heating or cooling effect isn't that great and I now tend to use it as I would a Thermos flask. It will quite sucessfully maintain the temperature of food/drink... ie. if it's cold to start with then it will stay reasonably cold as long as it runs and the switch is set to cold, but I wouldn't expect it to cool down anything put in there to any appreciable degree. Plus as has been said the ambient temperature of where you have it stood will markedly effect how cool it is in the box, it can only cool as much as the air temperature being pulled into the cooling vents. If it is put in the boot I have found that as the thing tries to do it's job the air temp in the boot will rise and therefore it's pulling warm air back in. Having a tourer I have found that if I leave the load cover off it works much better than with it closed, obviously not a solution if you have the saloon and it would probably function better on the back seat.