Portable AC Unit-what can I do with it?

[gr84x4]

Got this free from work. Was used for a few days to cool a server room, so it is in great shape. Can I make a fermentation chamber with it? I have only seen folks use the window units or a mini fridge.

Any ideas?

 

[TopherM]

Yeah, fermentation chamber. You basically just build an insulated box big enough to fit your fermentors, leave a hole where the outflow from your unit can flow, and dial it in to keep the inside of the box at proper fermentation temps. It'll cost you $40-50 at home depot and about 2-3 hours of your time.

 

[Catt22]

Got this free from work. Was used for a few days to cool a server room, so it is in great shape. Can I make a fermentation chamber with it? I have only seen folks use the window units or a mini fridge.

Any ideas?

No. The reason you got it for free after they used it for only a few days in an attempt to cool the server room is that the in-room type air conditioners don't work very well. They draw air from the room/chamber and exhaust it externally. IOW, they suck cold air out of the room you are trying to cool. The exhausted air is replaced by the warmer surrounding air infiltrating any way it can. This will be particularly problematic if trying to cool a well sealed chamber. A typical window type air conditioner uses the outside air to cool the condenser coils. There are a very rare few in-room AC units that have two ducts to the outside. One for incoming air and one for exhaust. These are rare, but they do exist.