Heat up my fridge so I can cool it off?

[NAVET]

I have a frig in my garage I will be using for fermentation. I have a Johnson controller on it, but the problem is, it is still too cold outside/in the garage for the fridge to get up to the temp setting of the controller. I could do a lager but that would tie up my fridge for a couple months minimum. Two months would be too far into summer brewing season for me to not have temp controlled fermentation.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to raise the temp in the fridge so the temp controller will work. I realize it is counter-productive but.....

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes, a 25 watt light bulb.

 

[NAVET]

So buy a cheapo lamp and use a 25 watt lamp?
Is light 24-7 during fermentation a problem?

 

[RegionalChaos]

If its kickin out UV then probably, but I don't think so otherwise.

 

[Catt22]

A small space heater would also work and that's what I use. You could easily shield the bulb with something like a coffee can to minimize light exposure. I don't know how damaging an incandescent bulb might potentially be, but I prefer to avoid as much light exposure as possible.

I have only single stage controllers and all but one are the analog Johnson type. I heat the fridge only when the average temps in my garage are below my target fermentation temp and only cool with refrigeration when the average temps run higher than my target. There is usually a period of several weeks where I don't need to heat or cool it and also several weeks where I only need to toss in a two liter PET bottle either frozen or filled with hot tap water in order to maintain the desired temp within a few degrees.

If you have only a Johnson analog controller, you can easily change it from cooling to heating mode by switching the lead on the internal double throw switch. This takes about two minutes to do.

I don't like the heating in order to cool idea. That just seems like a waste of energy to me.

 

[pilotdane]

I use an old style heating pad that does not have the auto off feature. My fermentation fridge is located in an unheated garage and the heating pad is able to keep a large side-by-side fridge at whatever temp I desire when the garge get's into the low 40's. I have a dual output Love controller and the heating pad is turned on as needed but I suppose you could just leave the heating pad on all the time if you only have a single output controller.

 

[AnOldUR]

I use an old style heating pad that does not have the auto off feature.

I use this method also. No controller on the pad, just leave it on its lowest setting. Not exactly energy efficient, but this is in my basement and is only necessary when it really cold outside.

 

[bctdi]

I use a hair dryer....comes with it`s own gfci built in and it recirculates the air...works great.