To drain or not to drain? Another ice chest question.

I dump the water from time to time when I use a cooler, mainly because I don't like waterlogged butter and cheese and stuff. It probably works out to about once or twice a day (with a little personal cooler), which often corresponds to about when it needs some more ice.

Golfcart wrote:

I usually add salt to the mix to keep it colder longer. Not sure if it actually works, but ive always heard it does lol

Salt wouldn't keep it colder longer, but would keep it at a lower temperature for a somewhat shorter time. If you use enough salt, you could keep frozen things frozen. (Think of the old-fashioned ice cream freezers). The reason is that salt, like most things dissolved in water, lower the freezing point. It's the basic reason why antifreeze works in vehicle radiators, too, to prevent freezing, and why the electrolyte in (charged) lead-acid batteries does not freeze in typical winter temperatures.

The ice wouldn't last as long precisely because the temperature is lower, and hence there's a greater heat transfer from the environment to the interior of the cooler due to the greater temperature differential.

I don't drain. No need. We have an electric cooler. Runs on 12 volt DC. Plug into cigarette adapter.

X2 on the Salt - I remember dad using that when making hand crank ice cream. Seems to me it was something special however for the salt - Rock Salt comes to mind - Not table salt...

My job way back then was to sit on top of ice cream maker while Dad and the older boys would crank away...

Roy Ken

Bobbo wrote:
I only drain when there is too much water to use the cooler efficiently.

Yep.

I usually add salt to the mix to keep it colder longer. Not sure if it actually works, but ive always heard it does lol

if I have mostly cans, bottles etc that aren't affected by water, leave the water in. Studies have shown that is the best to do.

Now if you are trying to keep things perishable dry, well, then I'd drain.

~DJ~ wrote:
So do you drain or not? I do not. It seems to me the ice lasts longer in ice water than exposed to air. I have not tested it tho as I don't have 2 identical ice chests and doing one way at a time would not be accurate due to temperature changes. I only drain them when packing up to leave. Just wondering about your experiences.

I drain when the bag or block of ice has melted. Not draining could cause some contents to get soaked and ruined. Not sure have never read about any test research measuring the temp of an ice chest with melted water vs minimal water.

I only drain when there is too much water to use the cooler efficiently.