Varieties of ice packs
There are three main types of car cooler batteries, which differ in their fillings:
- Gel ice pack. The most popular option among car enthusiasts. Advantages: does not leak out of the bag or box in case of damage, can not only lower but also raise the temperature inside the thermal bag, as it works in both directions.
- Silicone variant. Use only for lowering the temperature. Manages its function very effectively. This type of product is able to keep the temperature of the thermal bag from.3 to 0 for seven days!
- Saline. Designed for more serious freezing (down to.10), but can provide such a temperature only for a day. The main disadvantage. the liquid easily leaks if damaged. Naturally, this can destroy the products being transported.
It turns out that the first option is universal, the second is ideal for long car trips, the third is perfect for short trips.
When choosing a cold battery in the store, you need to pay attention to several points. This will affect how well the device performs when used.
Design
Cold storage batteries can be delivered in a hard plastic case or in a soft plastic bag. Models are equal in capacity. But plastic batteries have a large margin of safety and absolute tightness, it is very difficult to damage them.
Soft accumulators are convenient to stow in a refrigerator bag, if it is tightly filled with food. It can be bent to press it tightly against semi-finished products that need to be cooled. This soft device is capable of accidentally tearing, and then the filler will leak onto the food.
The color of the filler in the accumulator of ice has no impact on any quality characteristics
Volume
The volume of cold accumulators is on average from 250 to 800 ml. For a standard refrigerator bag, it is better to buy several compact batteries and put them inside the container in the quantity corresponding to the needs. Large devices are less convenient to handle. They are purchased primarily for spacious cold containers designed for stationary use.
Filler
The inside of the cold pack can be filled with gel, silicone or saline. The latest models are considered the most powerful. they can maintain a temperature of about.10°C for up to 24 hours.
What battery is better. gel or salt?
If you need serious freezing for use in a thermal bag, it is better to purchase a saline device. Frozen solution inside the battery is very slow to melt. If you put a few products in the bag, even in hot weather, semi-finished products will remain cold for up to a day.
Gel devices can maintain sub-zero temperatures in an isothermal container for about 16 hours. They are considered less powerful than the salt ones, but they have an important advantage. If the gel leaks onto the food when the container is damaged, it will not harm the food as the filler is perfectly safe. But the salt solution will change the taste of semi-finished products for the worse, and they will have to be thrown away.
Warning! Gel devices are suitable, including for keeping warm. If you preheat them in the microwave, they can maintain a high temperature in the thermal bag for a long time.
Which is better: a gel or acid cold battery
Acid refrigeration batteries are not commercially available. This type of filler is not used in cooling batteries. Acid is poured only into conventional batteries that provide power to appliances.
As for cold batteries, the filler may be salt, gel or silicone. Devices of the latter type are not designed for very powerful cooling. usually they maintain a temperature of about 0 ° C in the thermal bag. But they can cope with their tasks for up to a week.
BATTERIES: How Many To Store And How To Organize Them?
What cold batteries are made of
The device consists of two main components:
The solution, in addition to, actually, water and the already mentioned carboxymethylcellulose substance, may include:
All such chemical compounds help to increase the heat capacity of water. The temperature of the solution drops below zero degrees Celsius, and thus it is possible to preserve drinking and foodstuffs. In fact, first there is an accumulation of cold, and then it affects the food and other cooled objects.
Should You Keep Batteries in the Fridge?
The accumulator of cold
Several thousand years ago, our ancestors stored food in glaciers in order to preserve its freshness longer. And this solution is still in demand today.
In developed countries, we no longer keep food in cabinets filled with crushed ice, but their successors are often taken on picnics. We’re talking about cooler bags that allow drinks to stay cold even on the hottest summer day. And they do it thanks to one or more accumulators of cold, located inside. So what is a cold storage battery?
This is a soft or hard container filled with a special substance with a high heat capacity. Cold storage batteries for refrigerator bags can be divided into three groups, each of which has certain advantages and disadvantages.
Gel batteries. Today’s most popular choice. Made of a strong film and filled with a special gel, usually carboxymethylcellulose-based. Even if it leaks, it’s safe. So safe, in fact, that it’s used for transporting medicines. But what makes this type of cold storage battery the most popular is that it can also be used as a heater. They not only hold a low but also a high temperature very well. 2. Silicone rechargeable batteries. Superficially very similar to gel bags, the same thick bags, but with silicone filler inside. These accumulators have a very small temperature range from 0 to 2 degrees, but they can hold it really long up to 7 days. 3. The last type is the salt ice accumulators. These are plastic containers filled with a water-salt solution. They hold their temperature for much less time than silicone ones, up to one day. But the range is very wide from.20 to 8 degrees.
Regardless of the type, each refrigerator bag cooler works according to the same scheme. It must be placed in the freezer for a few hours before use to build up cold (the gel accumulator can be warmed up first in the microwave oven to build up heat, if necessary). The device is then placed in the refrigerator bag and significantly (up to several times) increases its efficiency. To achieve maximum efficiency, you can use several accumulators, placing them between the products. With this arrangement, it is more convenient to use gel or silicone ones, as they are quite pliable. Hard salts are more convenient to put on the bottom or on the sides.
But even if you do not plan to go on a picnic, it does not mean that your cooler bag accumulator will lie idle. It will also be very useful for the home refrigerator. For example, having several cold storage batteries in the freezer compartment allows you to smooth out temperature fluctuations when you open the freezer and load new food. This minimises the need to restart the compressor, thus extending the life of your refrigerator. Do not neglect the possibility of a power outage: in such conditions, the batteries will keep the cold for a long time, up to a day or even more, depending on their type, quantity and model of the refrigerator.
As already mentioned, the different types of cold accumulators have their pros and cons, related primarily to the range of temperature and time of its maintenance. Therefore, the first thing you need to determine when choosing a battery, what work it must perform. If it has to work autonomously for several days, a silicone one will do. If you want cold water in the thermal bag in summer and hot sandwiches in winter, a gel one will do the trick. You also need to consider the volume: on average, manufacturers recommend taking accumulators at the rate of 1 liter per 10 liters of volume of the thermowell.
With care the shelf life of ice packs is almost unlimited, and the ability to use them not only for picnics but also to improve the work of the home refrigerator makes them a really useful item in the household.
How to choose a cold storage battery for a cooler bag
An isothermal container or cooler bag is a great solution for transporting food and drinks in hot weather. The most efficient thermoboxes will work if you use Camping World IceBlock Ice Accumulators.
What is a rechargeable ice pack??
To begin with, let’s understand what a cool bag and an insulated container are. Both devices have essentially the same design. an inner and outer shell, with a layer of thermal insulation between them. The only difference is in the materials from which the shells are made. Polyester is used for the bags and plastic is used for the containers. The purpose of both types of boxes is to keep your food and beverages fresh and cool.
In order to have the longest possible life, we recommend the use of cold batteries. They are a sealed plastic container filled with a harmless, environmentally friendly heat-carrying solution. Simply put, it is a cooling element that keeps the inside of the box at a low temperature.
What to choose: the factory or homemade cold cells?
Some of you may think: why do I need to buy a refrigerator when I can make it myself?? Indeed, the easiest way is to freeze a plastic or glass bottle with water, adding a little alcohol or salt. However, this refrigerant has significant disadvantages. First, the ice will melt quickly, so the low temperature in the bag or container will not last long. Secondly, imagine how much heavier your refrigerated case would be if you put a couple of two-liter bottles in addition to your food.
Factory cold batteries last much longer and work more efficiently because the formula has been thought out by experts. IceBlock cold storage units use a water-salt solution, which is absolutely harmless to humans, animals and the environment. Ice makers can maintain a low temperature in insulated bags and containers for anywhere from 7 to 72 hours.
How to Use Refrigerated Batteries?
The amount of refrigerant you need to put in the thermocontainer or bag depends on what you intend to use it for and how long it is needed. It is also necessary to take into account the state of food, frozen or refrigerated. So, if you are transporting frozen meat or fish from Moscow to your country house, you may not need batteries at all. And if you need to deliver the catch in the car from Astrakhan to St. Petersburg, you can’t do without batteries.
How To Store Batteries Safely
Cold storage batteries are very simple to use: put them in the freezer of a domestic refrigerator for 6-8 hours, and then put them on top of chilled food or drinks.
Camping World IceBlock accumulators are available in three versions for different cooling volumes:
The required number of cooling elements is calculated accordingly. For example, if you’re using the Campingaz Fold’n Cool 5L cooler bag, one 200g accumulator is enough. And for the Icetime Plus 38L container, four 200g or one 200g and one 750g.
The temperature range of the accumulators is from.18° to 40° C. There is no expiration date.
After use, clean condensation from the refrigerator element dry. If you do not use the accumulator for a long time, store it in a cool place or freezer.
With Camping World IceBlock ice packs you won’t have a problem to take your ice cream, compote and sandwiches to the picnic area in hot weather, and the barbeque meat will not spoil in a kilometer-long traffic jam on the way to your country house. Cold and fresh at all times!
Mode of operation
Cold. the temperature of the food is reduced to 4-5°C. This is the basic operation mode of the refrigerators and all models are able to work in it.
Freeze. products are reduced to negative values (in some models up to.18°C). In some refrigerators, the freezing mode can be used to produce ice in special compartments.
Heating. this mode increases the temperature of the food to a hot state. Especially useful during the cold season. Good for keeping food hot. Refrigerators with this mode have a fairly high price.
Depending on the need for the volume of the thermal chamber, the duration of storage and method of transportation choose a refrigerator bag:
The first difference between the products will be the way they keep warm. How to choose a freezer bag on the basis of the active agent used?
Scientific developments commissioned by the military complex are gradually being incorporated into everyday life. Isothermal bags look like the usual roomy soft containers. They have a layer of special cellular material sewn inside, a thermostat.
A portable cooler bag is not very lightweight. To preserve the internal temperature, it contains containers with cryogenic solution. Pre-cooked in the freezer, the solution gives the accumulated cold in the cavity of the bag. As a result, food stays fresh.
Car container for transporting refrigerated food has a special unit that runs on a battery. At the same time, some of the models have a 12, 24, 220 V connection. Such a coolbag is indispensable for long trips. It will also help in country life, if the owners are there for a visit.
Coolbag. Types and arrangement. Cold accumulator and choose
A cooler bag is a thermally insulated container designed to store and carry food and other substances that need reduced temperatures during storage.
How a cooler bag works
An isothermal bag is a container made of a heat-reflecting material directed inward, which prevents the temperature of the object placed inside from changing. In addition, to ensure its cooling properties, it has a special accumulator of cold. It is a plastic briquette with a heat-containing solution. The battery is initially kept in the freezer for about 12 hours to accumulate cold, which helps to further cool the food stored in the coolbag.
In the event that the accumulator of cold is not sustained inside the freezer, the cooling properties of the bag are absent. In this case it simply slows down the heating of the food placed inside. Foods and drinks placed in the chamber in this case will not heat up as quickly as in the open air, but they will still raise their temperature. The efficiency of the bag depends on the number of cold batteries used in it.
This bag can actually work like a thermos. In this case, the accumulator of cold need not be put in the freezer at all. Products you simply place inside the bag and it closes. The reflective surface is equally good at protecting against heat loss as it is at protecting against heat gain.
Basic criteria for choosing a thermal bag
Choosing a thermal bag, you can see that the range of these products on the market tremendously differs from each other. There are several important criteria to choose from to avoid disappointment:
- Capacity.
- The material.
- Wall thickness.
- The quality of the inner reflective layer.
- whether there are auxiliary modifications.
Capacity
It may vary. In the case of daily use of the bag, for example, to take refreshments with you, it is better to choose a small capacity of up to 10 liters. When you need to go to the countryside with a group, a bag with 25 liters or more comes in handy. Also on sale you can find products with a capacity of 100 liters, which is not the limit. It should be noted that large volumes require the use of stress-resistant materials, because if the bag holds hundreds of liters, it should not tear when trying to lift it full.
Materials
Thermo-insulating bags are made of artificial materials that do not let in ultraviolet radiation and are moisture-repellent. Usually PVC, polyester or nylon is used. These types of fabrics allow for cleaning from stains and dirt. Often it is enough to wipe the stained area with a wet cloth.
Wall thickness
The vast majority of bags are made waterproof and triple-layered. The front layer takes care of decorative effects and also provides rigidity. After that comes a layer of usually polyurethane. Often its thickness is 3 mm or more. It is followed by the last inner layer with a reflective effect. It helps reflect heat rays, preventing them from exiting and entering, which prevents external factors from affecting the contents of the bag.
Auxiliary accessories
The cooler bag may have various accessories that make it more functional or convenient to use. In an effort to improve their range, many manufacturers are coming up with lots of ways to make their products more interesting to customers. Wheels are put on big bags that are hard to lift, for example. You can also find containers with locks on sale. They are an effective deterrent to pets, particularly cats and dogs, who can easily learn to open regular bags.
Cold storage
Refrigerator bag works effectively due to the use of special removable cold accumulators in its design. They are provided with seats for fixing, which eliminates the dangling inside and hitting the placed products. Batteries are usually inserted into the lid of the bags, or secured with straps to the sides of the bags. They are easily removable since they require soaking in the freezer before each use.
Accumulators can be purchased separately, which improves the properties of an existing thermal bag. For example, if the container does not do a good job, it can always be upgraded with an additional cooling element. Refrigerant accumulators come in different configurations, particularly the refrigerant used, so you can switch from one type to another to change the cooling properties.
Generally speaking, all varieties of cold storage battery are plastic containers that resemble a briquette. When placed in reflective containers, they are capable of retaining their original temperature for 24 hours or more.
These products come in 3 configurations:
Gel ice pack is considered a universal. It is able to maintain not only low but also high temperature. Thus, with its use, you can not only keep food cold, but also hot. The simplest water-salt briquettes can hold temperatures from.20° C to 8° C. It all depends on exactly where they were pre-frozen. Silicone cold accumulators have thinner properties. They allow the temperature to be kept within a narrow range from.2 to 0°C. At the same time they lose cold for several days. A high quality refrigerator bag is able to stay cold with this kind of accumulator of cold for up to a week.
Gel battery is the most expensive and efficient. If you want to use additional cooling elements, they are placed on the sides or at the bottom of the bag. They can also be used as spacers for stacking between bottles. The weight of ice accumulators depends on their size and varies from 100 to 300 grams. When using coolers the rule must be followed. for every 3 liters of volume use one accumulator.
These products have an unlimited life span, so they can be frozen and defrosted indefinitely many times. This applies primarily to the substance that retains the cold. The practical eternity of the accumulators is questionable, because over the years there can be damage to the body of the briquettes, so there are leaks.
If the battery is to exude cold, it is placed in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. If it is necessary to keep the contents of the bag hot, the accumulator can be placed in hot water until it cools down, transferring heat. It is worth noting that the use of accumulators for keeping warm reduces their life span, which is associated with frequent damage to the bodies of briquettes in contact with excessively hot water.
As an alternative to specialized cold batteries, you can use ordinary bottles with a solution of kitchen salt. Mineral water bottles retain cold particularly well.
Cooling time
A cool bag can keep food cold for a certain amount of time, which depends primarily on the ambient temperature. An important factor that affects efficiency is the thickness of the walls, as well as the number of cold batteries. With high quality, the bag can keep food cold for 6 hours even without a battery, of course at normal ambient temperature. With a rechargeable battery, even in the heat of summer the cold is kept for 12-24 hours or longer.
Price point differences
Refrigerator bags can be priced differently, depending on the accessories they contain. The most budgetary are the usual thermal bags, which provide only the presence of the accumulator of cold. There are also appliances with an integrated compressor or fan. They provide a more uniform and efficient distribution of cold. This ensures that all the food placed inside has the same temperature. The air circulation makes it possible to adjust the temperature of the container. There can be a screen on which the set temperature is displayed. It is used to adjust the cooling parameters.
advanced devices with fans or compressors require a power supply. It is usually used as a car battery. Thermowells draw their power from the cigarette lighter. There are also units that require a high-capacity Power Bank. Electronic devices also have a backlight, which allows you to view the contents when you open the fridge at night.
expensive are bags that have the possibility to remove the lid and use it as a small table for a picnic. The cooler bag can also have its own set of utensils, compactly placed inside. It includes cutlery, as well as containers for storing different types of products.
Cold accumulators are special containers filled with a special substance with a high heat capacity. They can be divided into three groups according to the type of substance used. Each group has certain advantages and disadvantages.
Gel
This is probably the most common and popular type. They are made of a solid film and filled with a special gelatinous composition. It is usually based on carboxymethylcellulose. This substance is completely safe, even if leakage occurs, so it is allowed for use in the transportation of medicines. And it is worth saying that accumulators of this type can act in the role of not only cooling, but also heating elements. They are designed to keep all temperatures, low or high, at just the right temperature.
Silicone
Outwardly they can be confused with the gel, as they have the form of the same dense bags, but inside them there is a special silicone filler. Their peculiarity is that such accumulators have a small temperature range. from 0 to 2 °, but can hold it for a few days. up to 7 days.
Salt
These are small plastic containers which are filled with a water-salt solution. They can hold a temperature for a shorter period of time. about a day or so. But this type has a wider temperature range. from.20° to 8° C.
