building a miniture coldroom

[Old_el_Paseo]

Hi !
I have a 6×6 closet that i want to convert into a coldroom to store my beer and fermentor.
I would insulate the walls,floor and door. Now the problem is cooling it. Temperature in the room holds around 25 to 30 (75-85) during the warm season.
I dont need that many btu's sincei only want to brint it down a few degrees to about 20 (68).
Im very good in projects diy and know i can build something good. Im just trying to find a small compressor to cool the small closet. A room ac is 5000btu minimum wich is way too much. I thought about a water coole compressor but i guess that would bee way too small ? Anybody can think of a 120v compressor thats in between the 2 ? I guess something around 500 to 1000 btu ?
Has this project ever been done ?

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[toadhall]

You might consider using Peltier coolers. They are not as efficient as mechanical refrigeration, but for small spaces they could be what you need. They move heat best with a modest differential, just what you have. They are all over ebay, as separate elements or as "kits" including fans and power supplies for less than $50US. Solid state reliability, but more energy to do the same cooling than compressor units..

A small mini fridge would probably be sized about right for the capacity you need, but I don't know how easy it would be to integrate it into your closet design; if you could afford the space, you could just remove the door and mount it sealed into the closet wall so the interior is open in your closet, and put a small fan inside. Take out the tray/separator between the freezer and fridge compartments to expose the absorber plate to the air flow of your fan to bring the warm air past the absorber plate.

 

[helterscelter]

Hi !
I have a 6×6 closet that i want to convert into a coldroom to store my beer and fermentor.
I would insulate the walls,floor and door. Now the problem is cooling it. Temperature in the room holds around 25 to 30 (75-85) during the warm season.
I dont need that many btu's sincei only want to brint it down a few degrees to about 20 (68).
Im very good in projects diy and know i can build something good. Im just trying to find a small compressor to cool the small closet. A room ac is 5000btu minimum wich is way too much. I thought about a water coole compressor but i guess that would bee way too small ? Anybody can think of a 120v compressor thats in between the 2 ? I guess something around 500 to 1000 btu ?
Has this project ever been done ?

Any ideas? Thanks.

why not use a 5k window AC unit with a digital temp controller? having such a large excess of BTU capability available just means it'll run for shorter periods of time.

look into Coolbot (http://storeitcold.com/) or wire in an STC1000 yourself.. both are very easy options. (as long as you're comfortable working with electricity)

 

[toadhall]

If you are inclined to use a window air conditioner and something like the CoolBot, you might want to look at the project I have recently posted, a very inexpensive open source scheme for a "Non-Contact Air Conditioner Override Controller", (NCACOC ?) but that's not very memorable, so I'm calling it "ColdSnap". There is no line voltage connection, no high power control, since it just tricks the AC into thinking the room is warmer than it actually is - by gently heating the AC sensor as needed to keep it cooling until it reaches the chosen temperature (just like the Coolbot). This is for people who don't want to spend $300, are DIY types, and interested in learning a bit about Arduino control systems. You can check it out here: http://people.umass.edu/~dac/projects/ColdSnap/ColdSnap.html
The project is in it's infancy, a couple of units are out for field testing, still some changes happening. I'm not selling anything. It is a DIY project and I'm sharing any info I have on this. It is a framework people can take and customize with all the details (displays, settability, etc.) that they may want to add.

Cheers!

 

[Old_el_Paseo]

Its a small 6x6 closet. A 5000 btu a/c is overkill. It would just cycle shorty. Not running long enough to remove moisture (quebec,canada is very humid). If i could find a 2000 btu MAX a/c it could work. But i doubt i could finbd one.
I really like the peltier cooling idea. Noise free almost too ! Would be good since i spend some time in that room to study and work on projects (so many projects).

My original idea was to buy a used water cooler (i see many for sale around 40$). And put a water pump in the cold water resevoir. Run that water in a small transmision radiator in the closet and have a small fan blow air through it. But not sure the water cooler is strong enough...

Ill look at the peltier. Just crazy enough to work. Ill keep you updated on the results.

 

[BetterSense]

What about a dehumidifier? They are basically cooling coils. You would have to hack it to discharge the warm air out of the room with the cooling coils in the room.

 

[lschiavo]

What about a dehumidifier? They are basically cooling coils. You would have to hack it to discharge the warm air out of the room with the cooling coils in the room.

Good idea there. Maybe the guts of a mini fridge like many have done for ferm chambers also?

 

[Old_el_Paseo]

Yeah. And there are some tiny dehumidifiers... It could work ! Ill check it out today.
Thanks

 

[ajdelange]

There are quite a few 2000BTU and smaller air conditioners on the market.