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ThreeTaps
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This is going to sound stupid, but what is this cap you all speak of?
A/C unit for ferm chamber - no cold air.
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This is going to sound stupid, but what is this cap you all speak of?
My only consern about completely by passing the PCB is if the Compressor is over heating. If you totally bypass the controls and force it on, it might keep getting hotter till something melts or worse.
Remember a GFCI only detects Ground faults, not over loads or thermal meltdowns. so the GFCI might not trip till the wiring has melted and shorted, at that could be too late.
Remember a GFCI only detects Ground faults, not over loads or thermal meltdowns. so the GFCI might not trip till the wiring has melted and shorted, at that could be too late.
We are too Lazy to type "Capacitor". sad part is even when i read Capacitor, i say Cap in my head.
I was reading over how you coneccted the fan. DO NOT CONNECT THE YELLOW WIRE TO WHITE.
The fan has 2 speeds. 1 speed is the black wire and the other speed should be the yellow wire. safe off the yellow wire. Cant say for sure with out being there to test it. BE CAREFULL!
The fan has 2 speeds. 1 speed is the black wire and the other speed should be the yellow wire. safe off the yellow wire. Cant say for sure with out being there to test it. BE CAREFULL!
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ThreeTaps
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Is that the only change you'd recommend?
shortyjacobs
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but then the compressor runs when the fan doesn't...that can't be good...
I'm with lazybean on the other thing though....either connect the yellow wire or the black wire to the BLACK, connect neither to the white, since you will short it out.
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ThreeTaps
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Wouldn't the compressor always be on then, as long as the unit is on? If I can get away with not having the compressor on every minute of the day (to save utility costs), and only kick on during a thermal event (such as high temp detected), that would be preferable.
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ThreeTaps
Well-Known Member
Well, the fan is -always- on with this model, so the only issue would be that utility bills would be higher by $15 - $20 per month.
I'll connect the yellow or black to the black wires and see how that affects it. Possibly how I have it now is why the fan is sluggish on starting.
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ThreeTaps
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Yeah, that was it. With both the blue and the yellow wires disconnected from everything, it turns on perfect and the fan is nice and powerful.
Now to the issue that lazy mentioned about the compressor possibly overheating or something? Do you think that's really an issue here, or with an external tstat would that be mitigated since the unit would only be on <10 min every hour?
Sawdustguy
Well-Known Member
Why not wire in your own temperature controller that would control the compressor? One of those Johnson Controls Analog Temperature Controllers would work perfectly. It's the same controller that lots of guys use in their keezers. A compressor, is a compressor, is a compressor.
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ThreeTaps
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I actually just ordered this:
http://www.chicompany.net/freezer-conversion-thermostat-remote-bulb-933.html
I'll probably hook up a small fan inside the chamber too to keep air in constant motion, since the A/C unit will only be on during short intervals.
SmallFloorBrewing
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ThreeTaps
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Update:
The A/C unit is working great and keeping the chamber a good temp. Until the external tstat gets here, I'm manually turning it on every hour or so for a few min, but it's working.
Question though. This is the only window A/C unit I've ever had, and before now it was in a window. I'm now noticing that there is a splashing water sound when it turns on and off, which I know is normal since the fan blades are throwing the water against the condenser to cool it down, but how often should I empty out the water on average? I've never even seen water in it, and I assume it would drain itself when in the window, but now that it's on top of my chamber...it could get messy if not cared for.
Anybody else with a similar set up able to give some advice on how often to check it?
The A/C unit is working great and keeping the chamber a good temp. Until the external tstat gets here, I'm manually turning it on every hour or so for a few min, but it's working.
Question though. This is the only window A/C unit I've ever had, and before now it was in a window. I'm now noticing that there is a splashing water sound when it turns on and off, which I know is normal since the fan blades are throwing the water against the condenser to cool it down, but how often should I empty out the water on average? I've never even seen water in it, and I assume it would drain itself when in the window, but now that it's on top of my chamber...it could get messy if not cared for.
Anybody else with a similar set up able to give some advice on how often to check it?
JesseRC
Well-Known Member
Well yeah, I thought you had that figured out, but usually there is a small pinhole for it to drain to the outside. Even the indoor units that have a dryer vent to send hot air outside have a reservoir that catches this buildup of water. You may have to rig up a drain tube to it. That water is coming from your evaporator coil. It cools the moist air in your cold room. Its gonna be impossible to not get moisture in the coldroom, and you wont want it to build up, because it could lead to freezing of the evaporator coils.
See my thread on my refrigeration unit if you'd like to know what happens when the condensation builds up... 
Yes, you need to get rid of the water. Most modern A/C units don't even have the pinhole drains anymore, as they expect evaporation to take care of it. That won't work in this case due to the odd cycle characteristics. In mine, I had to drill new drain holes in the casing, and mount the unit at a significant angle to prevent water buildup from becoming a problem. We're using these things wrong, so some modifications are in order to suit our needs.
If you don't solve the water problem before setting up the unit on an external thermostat with everything bypassed, the evaporator coil WILL freeze, and you'll have a bad time.
Good luck, feel free to ask questions!
Yes, you need to get rid of the water. Most modern A/C units don't even have the pinhole drains anymore, as they expect evaporation to take care of it. That won't work in this case due to the odd cycle characteristics. In mine, I had to drill new drain holes in the casing, and mount the unit at a significant angle to prevent water buildup from becoming a problem. We're using these things wrong, so some modifications are in order to suit our needs.
If you don't solve the water problem before setting up the unit on an external thermostat with everything bypassed, the evaporator coil WILL freeze, and you'll have a bad time.
Good luck, feel free to ask questions!
shortyjacobs
Well-Known Member
See here for Cscade's thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/big-huge-refrigerator-yes-please-139089/index3.html#post1603476
Also, you'll probably want some DampRid to help with moisture problems. DampRid is expensive, but consists of a SINGLE chemical, commonly found in pool supply stores as Calcium Chloride....much cheaper this way. You can also buy Calcium Chloride as ice melter from a home depot, (though I doubt there is much demand for ice melter chemicals in San Diego).
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/big-huge-refrigerator-yes-please-139089/index3.html#post1603476
Also, you'll probably want some DampRid to help with moisture problems. DampRid is expensive, but consists of a SINGLE chemical, commonly found in pool supply stores as Calcium Chloride....much cheaper this way. You can also buy Calcium Chloride as ice melter from a home depot, (though I doubt there is much demand for ice melter chemicals in San Diego).
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ThreeTaps
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What areas would you recommend to put the calcium chloride?
As far as the water build up, before turning it on again I'll drill a small hole in the bottom where water would collect based on the angle and run a tube down to a trash can or something to catch it. Glad this inquiry was triggered sooner than later!
shortyjacobs
Well-Known Member
Just put some in a small bucket or something, (any container with wide opening on top....a tupperware container or something will work fine too), and stick it in one corner of your chamber, (shouldn't matter which shelf). It will absorb moisture, (preventing some of it from condensing on your coils, but not ALL of it), and slowly go from being solid calcium chloride flakes to a liquid solution of water and calcium chloride. When it's all liquid, just dump it down the drain and refill with fresh stuff.
Alternatively, you can "regenerate" it by lining a bowl with foil, pouring in the liquid, sticking it in the oven at like 150°F for a few hours, and evaporating off all the water, then smashing the recrystalized calcium chloride up with a hammer, but this is a buttload of work when it costs less than $1 a pound at a pool supply store. And you stand the chance of boiling it over in your oven and making a complete mess.
Alternatively, you can "regenerate" it by lining a bowl with foil, pouring in the liquid, sticking it in the oven at like 150°F for a few hours, and evaporating off all the water, then smashing the recrystalized calcium chloride up with a hammer, but this is a buttload of work when it costs less than $1 a pound at a pool supply store. And you stand the chance of boiling it over in your oven and making a complete mess.
It's worth noting that I have a pail of Damp Rid in mine as well, and it's pretty much not doing squat. Dry as a bone, even though a ton of water (perhaps a cup or more, I have no idea where it's all coming from!) is condensed out by the A/C unit every day.
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ThreeTaps
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Are you getting all that condensation through your drain hole? If so, is the hole right where the water first coillects, or is it slightly off as to allow some water to collect and only drain excess of that?
shortyjacobs
Well-Known Member
Yeah, the AC coils are so much colder than the air in the chamber that they are crashing all that moisture out of the air. I'm willing to bet that the water is coming from you opening the door to peek inside, as well as the many gallons of fermenting (and offgassing), beer! The damprid should stop any condensation buildup inside the chamber itself, (since the walls of the inside of the chamber should be at the same temperature as the air inside the chamber), but when that air hits the coils, it's still gonna dump even more moisture...
Im not sure about yours, but ijust checked the window AC unit here at work. AS the water collects on the coils it drain down and through a little tube to the back of the unit were it collects. the cooling fan in the rear section hits this puddle of water and uses it to help cool the rear radiator. so I never see any water dripping from the AC unit since its all being evaporated of the rear (outside) radiator. IF yours is like this then you dont have to worry about humidity on the inside portion since the all the cooling coils is removed to the outside.
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ThreeTaps
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I believe that's how mine is, as I do hear the water sploshing against the sides and / or top when the fan starts up and stops. Furthermore, the sides have a slanted slate grill on each side that water would definitely come through if it were to be in the "main" area, yet no water is visible. Does this mean I should be fine, and won't run the chance of freezing my coils and causing the world to spin off it's access? :cross:
dontman
Well-Known Member
It really depends on how much moisture and how much the unit runs. My first AC froze up a lot because it took it more than 15 minutes on a cycle to cool the fridge before the tstat flipped it off. I ended up putting a bigger newer unit in. It takes the new unit only a few minutes to cool my fridge from 39 to 35. Now my unit never freezes up. But it does drip a little ouside the fridge. I keep a bucket underneathto catch the drips and it really is not much but you might want to keep something under the edge to catch it if it will be dripping somewhere where you don't want moisture.
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ThreeTaps
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Thanks for the replies. I can't put a bucket underneath, as the unit is sitting on top of the closet and is resting right on the roof of it.
I finally decided to call Daewoo Electronics though (something I should have done a while ago) and discussed this with them. They confirmed that the unit is designed to divert any condensation from the coils through a tube to the back, where the fan then throws said water around. He said there will not be any issues with the coils freezing up or any negative reactions due to the way it's being used, besides the possibility of water collecting in the main area from high humidity and possibly spilling out. If I'm able to control the humidity though, this won't be an issue, and even if it is it won't effect the operation of the unit. Luckily I have an outdoor temp/humidity sensor inside the chamber that sends readings to a receiver inside so that I can check the inside temps and whatnot without opening the door.
What humidity would you all think would be on the high side? 70% + ?
I finally decided to call Daewoo Electronics though (something I should have done a while ago) and discussed this with them. They confirmed that the unit is designed to divert any condensation from the coils through a tube to the back, where the fan then throws said water around. He said there will not be any issues with the coils freezing up or any negative reactions due to the way it's being used, besides the possibility of water collecting in the main area from high humidity and possibly spilling out. If I'm able to control the humidity though, this won't be an issue, and even if it is it won't effect the operation of the unit. Luckily I have an outdoor temp/humidity sensor inside the chamber that sends readings to a receiver inside so that I can check the inside temps and whatnot without opening the door.
What humidity would you all think would be on the high side? 70% + ?
I was collecting a lot of water in my a/c unit, and I'm 5 miles inland from PB, up in Clairemont .For you being so close to the ocean there is just a lot of moisture in the air it might be hard to fight the humidity.
I attached a hose from my drain outlet and ran it out side of my garage. I'm not sure if it helped it run, but it stopped the water from leaking out every where like it was.
I attached a hose from my drain outlet and ran it out side of my garage. I'm not sure if it helped it run, but it stopped the water from leaking out every where like it was.
