Temperature controllers

About to make a keezer/ferm cooler from a 7.2 cu ft frigidaire freezer. Which is the best bang for my buck?

I've been looking at the love controllers, but can't tell the difference between the models.

Are there other brands that are cheaper that work just as well?

I went with the Johnson analog one. Not the fanciest but it gets the job done.

http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/Temperature-Controller-Analog-86p970.htm

I too use it in a 7.2 freezer.

BugAC said:

About to make a keezer/ferm cooler from a 7.2 cu ft frigidaire freezer. Which is the best bang for my buck?

I've been looking at the love controllers, but can't tell the difference between the models.

Are there other brands that are cheaper that work just as well?

Click to expand...

The main differences among the Love controllers is the type of power source (AC, DC voltages etc)and options for *F or *C. It's not as hard to decipher the specifications as it first appears. The Johnson & Ranco controllers work very well for controlling fridges and freezers and they aren't panel mount, so they don't require a separate panel or enclosure as the Love controllers do. I think it's the TS/TCS series Love controllers that most use. The TCS units feature alarm options that the TS doesn't have:

http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Product/T...eSwitches/DigitalPanelMount/SeriesTS/Ordering

BendBrewer said:

I went with the Johnson analog one. Not the fanciest but it gets the job done.

http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/Temperature-Controller-Analog-86p970.htm

I too use it in a 7.2 freezer.

Click to expand...

I use the same... except without the fancy cord.

I took a $1 harbor freight extension cord and cut it in half. Male end goes to wall, female end gets the freezer's wall plug. This way, I didn't have to cut the freezer's cord.

If you want inexpensive, there are some line voltage thermostats out there that will control to 40°F. If you want a lower temp, you'll have to use a temp controller like the above Johnson model.

If you _really_ want to get cheap, you could rig up a thermostat from a junked fridge.

Best bang for your buck is the ebay aquarium controller. Handles both heat/cool and is cheaper than a Johnson, Love, or Ranco which only handles one or the other at a time.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ebay-aquarium-temp-controller-build-163849/

Controller - $25 shipped
Cord - $0-7 Radio Shack/Walmart/Laying around the house
Project box - $6 radio shack
Outlet - $1-3 Lowes

Total - $32 - $41 depending on the parts you get.