Ok everyone I need your help! This is my first time kegging, just bought a Kenmore 7.2 chest freezer and Johnson A419 temp controller. My issue is that I've tried several ways of setting the chest freezer temp and the temp controller setup and am getting either too cold or too warm of a temp. Right now the freezer temp setting is at the factory setting (mid way), the temp controller settings are (cooling setting) SP=40 DIFF=2 ASd=1 OFS=0 SF=1 What am I doing wrong? I've also tried the heating setting on the temp controller and it warmed up too much. I'm trying to set the kegerator at 40 degrees for now.
Need help with new Kegerator setup
- Thread starter Beardog
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I don't have the A419 specifically, but I'll try to help. You should put your freezer temperature control as low as it will go. When set up properly, the controller should completely cut power to the fridge when the set temperature is reached. If your freezer temperature is set higher than what you have on your controller, your controller would be providing power to the freezer but the freezer itself would keep the compressor off.
The SP, DIFF, ASd, OFS, and SF settings look right. What are your jumper settings? And some info on your wiring would be helpful too.
The SP, DIFF, ASd, OFS, and SF settings look right. What are your jumper settings? And some info on your wiring would be helpful too.
terrapinj
Well-Known Member
unrelated but i'd set your ASD higher - this is the anti-short cycle delay - mine is set for 15 I believe - this will keep your freezer from stopping and restarting too quickly which can kill your compressor
how is your probe mounted? if you have it just hanging in there it will generally cool below your set point because the walls of the freezer will continue to lower the temp after it cuts the power off. how low is your temp going?
i keep mine strapped to the side of the keg with a ice pack - others use bubble wrap etc but you want to do something other than have it just read the ambient air temp
how is your probe mounted? if you have it just hanging in there it will generally cool below your set point because the walls of the freezer will continue to lower the temp after it cuts the power off. how low is your temp going?
i keep mine strapped to the side of the keg with a ice pack - others use bubble wrap etc but you want to do something other than have it just read the ambient air temp
I bought it from Morebeer so it was pre wired with male/female plugs to plug the controller into the freezer and house recepticle. The jumper setting is factory default (cooling mode)
The probe at this time is hanging in the middle of the freezer and not against the keg. The freezer temp is going from 36 to 44 degrees. I can see that even though the diff is setup to 2 the temp goes another 2 degrees one way or the other. It doesn't seem to be stopping and starting too often but i'll have to watch it. I'm cuious if any of these settings need to be changed or maybe it's just the temp probe.
On several keezer threads I was stalking for a while, I saw those in the know using a vessel of water (like a 20 oz plastic bottle) to hang the probe in, as it would give you a more accurate reading of the temp of liquids in the freezer. I would try to keep such a bottle away from direct contact with the walls so it doesn't cool too much faster than the kegs will. Prop it up on a wire rack, between kegs if at all possible so it's only being cooled by the ambient air.
Though not specifically stated, I'd imagine your temp swings so high because you either still have the freezer completely empty, or you have kegs in there that don't the kegs that are in there completely chilled yet.
If there are kegs, the middle may still have some heat in it. Your compressor shuts off, and that heat is still trying to equalize to the walls of the keg and the freezer. It will eventually equalize with your existing setup, but it might take ages.
A vessel of water surrounding the probe will keep your temp controller running a little longer while it drops that energy. The kegs are larger, so it won't be instant, but it should make the process a bit more efficient.
Though not specifically stated, I'd imagine your temp swings so high because you either still have the freezer completely empty, or you have kegs in there that don't the kegs that are in there completely chilled yet.
If there are kegs, the middle may still have some heat in it. Your compressor shuts off, and that heat is still trying to equalize to the walls of the keg and the freezer. It will eventually equalize with your existing setup, but it might take ages.
A vessel of water surrounding the probe will keep your temp controller running a little longer while it drops that energy. The kegs are larger, so it won't be instant, but it should make the process a bit more efficient.
