Fridge thermostat capillary placement

[Velnerj]

High great folks of HBT,

I need the hive mind expert advice.

Im using a mini fridge as a kegerator. In order to fit two kegs inside I had to remove the housing of the light that us mounted to the side. The thermostat is also located under this housing and the capilary is threaded into the side of the fridge. So for a long time I had the housing just dangling by the capillary and shoved to the back of the fridge. As you can probably guess, the capillary eventually sprung a leak and broke clean off.

So I'm going to replace the thermostat which doesn't appear to be that complicated. However I'd like to avoid the dangling thermostat if I can. I don't want to have to thread it back into the side of the fridge and have it dangling there. Would it be alright if I left the capillary coiled up inside the fridge? Would it still work properly this way?

Thanks for your input!

 

[IslandLizard]

[Misunderstood, edited]
If the capillary is from the old broken thermostat's, then yeah, you can safely remove any of that assembly, or leave the pieces where they're not in the way.

Are you going to use an external thermostat such as an Inkbird or STC-1000, bypassing the built-in one?
In that case, you may need to bridge the original thermostat wires so the fridge/freezer is on all the time. The external thermostat then takes over the temp control.

 

[Velnerj]

If the capillary is the thermostat's, then yeah, you can remove any of that assembly.
You've been using an external thermostat such as an Inkbird or STC-1000, bypassing the built-in one, right?

No I'm just using the factory thermostat that was built in. I do have an inkbird but didn't think I was savy enough to rig that up to bypass the fridge's thermostat and not cause a fire hazard.

 

[IslandLizard]

No I'm just using the factory thermostat that was built in. I do have an inkbird but didn't think I was savy enough to rig that up to bypass the fridge's thermostat and not cause a fire hazard.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I did edit my reply, but still missed your point.

So you're going to replace the factory thermostat with a brand new one? If you think that's the simplest solution, then yeah, do it.
But won't that involve rethreading the new capillary all the way back to the controller?

 

[Velnerj]

Sorry, I misunderstood. I did edit my reply, but still missed your point.

So you're going to replace the factory thermostat with a brand new one? If you think that's the simplest solution, then yeah, do it.
But won't that involve rethreading the new capillary all the way back to the controller?

I guess that is my question. Do I have to thread the capilary back down the little hole where it originally came from, or can I keep it coiled up in the back of the fridge?

 

[IslandLizard]

I guess that is my question. Do I have to thread the capilary back down the little hole where it originally came from, or can I keep it coiled up in the back of the fridge?

The old capillary can stay where it is, sure. Maybe when the new one is installed plug up any holes with some plumbers putty or caulk (silicone, rubber, whatever) to prevent moisture from seeping into the insulation and other areas.

I hope I understand your fridge/thermostat situation correctly this time.
Sometimes a simple picture can explain more than a 1000 words...

No I'm just using the factory thermostat that was built in.

But isn't that built-in factory thermostat broken (capillary snapped off)?

I do have an inkbird but didn't think I was savy enough to rig that up to bypass the fridge's thermostat and not cause a fire hazard.

Plugging in a fridge into an inkbird is very simple. Either bypass the factory built in thermostat, or set it to the max cooling. The inkbird overrides the built in one as it controls the fridge's power connection by turning your fridge on/off on the power cord.

 

[Velnerj]

The old capillary can stay where it is, sure. Maybe when the new one is installed plug up any holes with some plumbers putty or caulk (silicone, rubber, whatever) to prevent moisture from seeping into the insulation and other areas.

I hope I understand your fridge/thermostat situation correctly this time.
Sometimes a simple picture can explain more than a 1000 words...


But isn't that built-in factory thermostat broken (capillary snapped off)?


Plugging in a fridge into an inkbird is very simple. Either bypass the factory built in thermostat, or set it to the max cooling. The inkbird overrides the built in one as it controls the fridge's power connection by turning your fridge on/off on the power cord.

I went ahead and figured out how to bypass the thermostat and so now I am running the inkbird as the thermostat. Couple of practical questions:

1. What differential should I set on the inkbird so that it keeps the beer cool but also doesn't overwork the compressor?
2. Where should I place the temp probe?
   1. Is it best taped to the keg (like on the fermentation vessel)?
   2. Or is it best to just to measure the ambient temp (again thinking about how man cycles the compressor will have)?
3. Are circulation fans now necessary with this set up?

Thanks!

Justin

 

[Beer666]

I put the probe in a small bottle of water so the fridge doesn't turn on if I need to open it. Don't have fans and set the delay for about 5;minutes.

 

[IslandLizard]

1. Yes, 2 to 3°C (3-6°F) cooling differential should be a fine compromise between keeping your beer cold and your fridge (compressor) long lived.
Fuller kegs help hold temp better than mostly empty ones. So if you have nearly empty kegs in your fridge you will likely see more frequent on/off cycling.

2. I have mine taped (strapped actually) to a keg with a 4" square piece of 1/4" thick packing foam over it. It's located about 1/3 way up from the bottom of that keg. When that keg is getting empty I move the probe to a fuller keg.

As @Beer666 said, a small, lidded jar, (e.g., 250-500 ml) with 3-4 cm of water in it to cover the probe, works well too.

3. Is there a fan in the fridge already? If so, does it run when the fridge turns on?
In a small fridge a fan shouldn't be necessary, but it will help moving the inside (cold) air around.

Where's the evaporator ("cooling coil") located?

4. There's a "compressor delay" setting on your Inkbird. Set that to the maximum time, which is 10 minutes, IIRC.
It prevents your compressor from short cycling, (turning back on soon after it turned off) which would wear it out prematurely.

 

[Beermeister32]

Bungie cold and foam for temp probe on keg or carboy.