Ferm chamber fridge - poss. issue?

[shepditch]

So I picked up this fridge from CL recently:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MVOZF8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Only to learn that it's really a "cooler" and that the reviews are a mixture of complaints about cooling power. I though I was clever for getting a fridge with a built-in fan and no freezer compartment to worry about, now I'm concerned that it won't be enough to cool the fermenting chamber I have planned.

The plan is to use this to cool a 36Lx18Wx30H (interior space) box insulated with 2 1/2" of foil-covered Styrofoam and skinned with 1/4 ply. Enough room for 3 carboys or two carboys and two Kegs.

It will live in my garage which is insulated but subject to North Carolina summer heat. If I can stay 20 degrees below ambient I should be fine - no intent to lager in this thing.

Should I move forward or chalk this up as a $30 mistake, put the door back on it, fill it with bottles and get another source of cold? I've already altered my plans to allow for a switch should it be necessary, but I don't want to build this thing twice.

Thoughts and opinions always welcome.

Steve

 

[Bearclaw215]

You could try it but i wouldn't get your hopes up. Reading some of the reviews said it only cools 25 degrees cooler than ambient temp. So unless your garage is insulated well enough to prevent temp swings from the heat down there and holds a decent temp when it does. I don't like the idea of it not being able to keep a constant guaranteed temp if it would get real hot in there. Id be happy you only spent 30 on it and give it to someone you don't like.

Id head back to cl and maybe pick up a fridge or chest freezer you can attach a temp controller to. Good luck man!

 

[shepditch]

<sigh> Thanks for the response. Pretty much what I feared and assumed to be true. Was hoping for better news. Back to the drawing board.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[klaggy]

Sorry for your revelation here is what got on CL upright freezer and controller. $175 total


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[klaggy]

I watched for a few weeks a found exactly what I was looking for



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[Bearclaw215]

Thats a pretty nice setup you got klaggy. A upright freezer is great use of space if you can pick one up. Make sure you can remove the shelving, some have the cooling permanently built in the shelves so they cant move at all and if they break the whole freezer is done unless professionally repaired.
Also you can post in CL wanted section i've got incredible deals that way, granted i post of half of pa to get them but definitely worth it and the people find you instead of looking through god know how many posts.

 

[Smellyglove]

I've recently converted a big upright fridge to a lagering-fridge and learnt that if the cooling is unstable (that's why they gave it away for free) then it's the thermostat, and not the actual part doing the cooling which is the culprit.

So, my guess is that you can mod it with an stc-1000, and getting the temps to you want. Bypassing the internal thermostad and giving control to the STC which you set for whatever temp you're after, and the compressor (coolingpart) will follow those orders instead of the built in thermostat.

*edit: I've just re-read your post and that you want to make an extension to it. It might seem a bit hard to drive a small cooler like that for that kind of space. But you can try. Unless the compressor takes damage in being run more often than intended than I guess you're good to go with modding it. With good enough insulation and some internal airflow it's all up to what the compressor can handle.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I picked up a kegerator with a similar Peltier cooling device, it works well at my hunt club in December.

Not sure it could handle a garage in NC after an increase in volume.

Make a nice basement kegerator where the ambient temps are cooler.

 

[klaggy]

Thats a pretty nice setup you got klaggy. A upright freezer is great use of space if you can pick one up. Make sure you can remove the shelving, some have the cooling permanently built in the shelves so they cant move at all and if they break the whole freezer is done unless professionally repaired.
Also you can post in CL wanted section i've got incredible deals that way, granted i post of half of pa to get them but definitely worth it and the people find you instead of looking through god know how many posts.

Thanks it was a good deal got the guy to bring to me..... Haha. Also picked up a smeller beverage fridge for fermentation chamber and upright is a lager chamber..... So far works great..... Very stable temps at last..... Lagers are most def in my future .... Total spent 350 bucks. In my opinion sound investment




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