Possible to wire only one side of a fridge to temp controller?

[heywolfie1015]

Hi all. I recently saw a great fridge that is a side-by-side fridge and freezer. Given family needs, it would be great to have an extra freezer around. However, I also want my fermentation chamber. I'm wondering if there is a way to kill two birds with one stone and wire only the fridge side with a temp controller while leaving the freezer, as is? Anybody done this before?

 

[broadbill]

Theoretically yes. Has anyone done it? Don't know.

I think the refrigerator temperature is regulated by pushing cold air into that compartment from the freezer compartment. If you could figure out how to wire that circuit (I think its a flap and a fan) to the temp controller, the temp controller could operate that instead of the refrigerator thermostat.

But I'm just guessing. Subscribed.

 

[heywolfie1015]

I've been doing some searches since making the OP and it seems (a) that you're right about how the fridge side works, and (b) some people have done this, except have taken it one step further and installed a temperature controller on the freezer side as well so they could make it a combo keezer and ferm chamber. Since I just want to control the fridge side, it does seem that all I would have to do is wire the fan? If so, seems straightforward enough.

 

[UWBernie]

Broadbill is right, almost all side by side fridges have one compressor (one cooling system) and regulate temp in the fridge by exchanging air with the air in the freezer compartment.

Its tough but technically possible. It gets easier if that side by side happens to be a Sub-Zero Side by Side, they use separate compressors for each compartment, generally overkill but cool.

My 2 cents would be to buy a freezer and and external thermostat, use it for a ferm chamber when you need it and when you need extra freezer capacity you just need to change the set point. I've got a big keezer and I can't tell you how often my wife has used it for keeping bulky things cool (like cakes, party platters, etc)