Modifications to Haier Kegerator

[downpantera]

So I have a Haier Kegerator from way back in 2003. The thermostat had become very weak, only getting down to 50°F at it's coldest setting. I had read that you can adjust it by turning the screw on the thermostat, so I did that. Long story short, I busted the probe so had to buy a new one. Problem is I bought a freezer thermostat, so now I am registering 20°F at it's warmest setting. So I plan to wire this into a Ranco and set it digitally. The question comes on placing the temperature probe in the fridge. I plan to drill a hole in the back, since the coils are mounted on the back and the inside, I know where they are. I assume there are not more in the walls. Any comment on that? Also, any good experience on finding a grommet to handle the probe w/o much cooling loss? most of the ones I've seen so far don't look to be thick enough to hold the wall of the fridge.

Thanks!

 

[downpantera]

Bueller? Bueller?

 

[SweetSounds]

If you have the same one I have, you can run the probe through the drain hole under the condenser coils, out the back.
It's a bitch, but that's how I ran the power cord to the fan I installed in mine.

Also, look out for frost in that kegerator. When mine frosts over, it won't go under 50 degrees, even with a fan installed! I have had much better stability after adding a fan blowing on the coils.
Basically what happens, is the condenser gets well below freezing, to chill the air in the kegerator. The moisture in the air freezes to the condenser and insulates it. But, when the compressor is off, it's really above freezing inside. So the fan "de-frosts" the coils between every cycle.

 

[kshuler]

Did you end up drilling at all? I have a Haier HBF05EBSS kegerator, which has coils on the outside and a cold pate on the inside. I would THINK that this means there are no refrigerant lines anywhere else on the kegerator, as all the cooling I would think would come from the cooling plate. I was thinking of running some power lines in for a fan to cool the tower and one to blow air over the cooling plate. But I am afraid to drill unless I can confirm I have nothing to worry about.

Also, interesting about the fan and how it melts the ice AFTER the compressor has shut off. I was thinking of having the fan blowing across the cooling plate only when the compressor was running and having some sort of dehumidification in there as well. Sounds like the fan actually works better when the compressor is turned OFF, is that right? Would you just let it run all the time, then?

Klaus

 

[downpantera]

I haven't done anything with fans, but I did drill a few holes for CO2 lines and a temperature probe, using rubber grommets to seal the excess space.
I thought the idea of a fan was to circulate air up into the tower, so that the 2 oz or so in the lines were not warm. This seems especially the case in the summer. I never heard of anyone running a fan to prevent condensation on the cooling plate. If you do it, let me know how it works for you.