Go Natural

[benbradford]

Here is an idea that i have been pushing around in my head for a couple of years, but havn't had any further actual progress.

The average temperature where I live are cold... It doesn't make sense that this town uses so much refrigeration when for about six months of the year the temperatures are likely to be below 35 for most of the day.

Here are the average temps... highs and lows...
Farenheit/Celsius Fahrenheit/Celsius
January 32/0 0/-18
February 35/2 2/-17
March 39/4 8/-13
April 48/9 17/-8
May 59/15 25/-4
June 69/21 31/-1
July 75/24 37/3
August 73/23 36/2
September 67/19 29/-2
October 56/13 20/-7
November 41/5 10/-12
December 34/1 3/-16

What I have always thought of is some kind of enclosed and refrigerated space, that had an exterior wall that could have temp controllers with fans and filters of some kind, that would blow natural cold air into the cooler when the controller told it the conditions outside were correct. Of course it would stop and switch to regular refrigeration methods when the temps outside were too high.

 

[hopsalot]

yeah lots of homebrewers do that, but your problem is being too cold

 

[benbradford]

I suppose blowing air that is 12 below could be too cold for the space? I wouldnt have to blow long i suppose.

 

[horseinmay]

This is a pretty great idea. You would just need to have a louver that opens and closes and has a fan to push the air in. Get it wired to a thermometer and off you go. I could see this running overnight and keeping your stash pretty cold even in the summer. what are those numbers? Hi/lo High and Hi/Lo low?

 

[randomsample]

I've thought of that too, it seems like a waste to heat air in a house to try to cool it back down again, especially as I think heating is more efficient.

 

[hopsalot]

I suppose blowing air that is 12 below could be too cold for the space? I wouldnt have to blow long i suppose.

it could be done, cool idea, goin green. This enclosed space would be within your house, right?

 

[benbradford]

what are those numbers? Hi/lo High and Hi/Lo low?

high farhenheit/celcius and low farhenheit/celcius

well, this idea came when working in restaurants and having three walk in coolers with an exterior wall. It would be 0 degrees outside, and we would still run the coolers around the clock. I understand that there are probably some kind of health code issues with what I proposed, but that doesn't mean that change should not take place.

Really this idea could be incorporatede to any kind of fermentation or refrigeration chamber, especially with the use of ac ducting.

Doesn't seem that complicated, i could imagine 2 controllers. First inline would determine if there was a need for any cooling in the fridge, and the second would examine the exterior temps and turn on a fan if it was necessary. The fridge itself would need a controller also, maybe set a couple of degrees higher, that would kick on when the exterior fan does not. A problem to me would be the closing of the vent when not in use. And, cold air escaping when temps are high in the summer. I suppose that a manual override for those warm months would not be an issue.

The cost wouldn't be that high if we are considering using the aquarium temp controllers that run $25 each delivered.