My Latest Project - Walk-in Cooler

[Miracletripper]

Just read this entire thread. Incredible write up John.

 

[itsjared]

Wow!!! What a roller coaster! This could almost be a movie! Just needs a hot chick. Anyway, I read the whole thing from cover to cover and the Tragedy is almost too much. My chest has tightened up a bit at the loss.

Rock on Gabe, rock on.

 

[Thefirebuilds]

OK, have some statistics... granted its without much of a load in the cooler. I actually think the unit will be somewhat more efficient with a heavy load... but could be wrong.

The unit has now been running for 24 hours at 33 degrees while plugged into the "Kill A Watt". It averaged .2 KWPH or 4.8 KW during the entire 24 hour period. I'm going to estimate $.10 per KW - meaning it cost $.48 to run. Remember it is the dead of August and is probably hardest at work this time of year. Tickle me pleased...

$15/month isn't too bad. good work on the insulation! Killawatt is one of my favorite toys. Refrigerators are the biggest offenders in the house... aside from hideous electric water heaters.

sorry about the flood. what a pain in the ass.

 

[Rivenin]

Thats what I thought but I didnt know if yours had the overload protector (thats where the brown wire is coming from).

Did your Diagram look like this?

http://franklinbrew.org/members/sj/walkin.html

this one?

 

[Bsbru]

Has anyone checked out the Coolbot? it is a controller that you can use with a Window ac unit and not have to rewire it.

 

[emribecky]

Only in Wisconsin...land of the cheese and the built-in fruit cellars in our basements...

That brings up a question I had.... Ive got one of those Built-in Cellars below my front porch; it is cement block all the way around. two walls adjacent to house, two are on the out-most perimeter.

How much additional Insulation am i going to need on those walls should I decide to run an A/C unit in it?

 

[CidahMastah]

Crap now I have to read 25 pages of this thread. I am planning on making a cold storage room to maintain ~45F or so in my basement. I was going to copy the similar designs I had read about using AC's. Likely a summer project!

 

[Thefirebuilds]

Old thread I know, but a friend and I were talking. being that I live in SE Wi the temps can drop below 0 for long periods of time. Something like this might work just fine to keep the temps correct, during the winter months:

http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=29&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=1

 

[btbonser]

I use a $30.00, 120v baseboard heater (http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2432742) connected to a $18.00 thermostat (http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1275378&cp=12189093.1260927) and it has worked great for me.

 

[BrewingChemist]

John Beere

first off - amazing write up. Just took the time to read through the whole thread and sorry to hear about the flood

you have for sure provided direction and inspiration for me - I am planning to create a cold room - but plan to keep it about 60F - and use an air conditioner to keep it that temperature during the summer months (my last beer got up to 80F and has a ton of off flavors. gotta do something about it and had a free tiny room in the basement and a free window AC to use). Thanks again for the write up and keep up the great work!

 

[EZCyclone]

Is there any information about a new walk in? Did you rebuild after the flood? Pics?

 

[John Beere]

Is there any information about a new walk in? Did you rebuild after the flood? Pics?

Sorry- just saw this. No, I still haven't build a new one but damn sure need one.. Perhaps I can come up with something this year. Have been thinking about a standalone design made out of cinder blocks insulated on the inside somehow..

 

[EZCyclone]

That sounds interesting, You better do it for the good of the community. You know, this one HBT. lol

 

[05m50dan]

Awesome thread!
I know I'm late to the party, but I have a few questions...

After reviewing this thread, and realizing how awesome it would be to have a walk in fridge in the house, and with my family of 6 (with a 7th in the planning) how convenient it would be for storing food/beverages (besides beer)...I got to thinking...

Would it be reasonable to make a larger chamber, and divide it in 2 sections...Here's what I'm thinking...
We are going to remodel a large room. Most of my brewing equipment will be moved there, and I was thinking about building a walkin fridge with attached cellar. My initial planning would be to split the room down the middle, both sides would have a door for entrance, wall down the middle with a vent in the wall. The air conditioner side would be the fridge, with it's own temp controller set in the mid 30*F's. I'd set fans in the upper vent on a separate temp controller to keep the cellar side at 50*F, with a vent in the lower wall feeding back into the fridge end.

What do you think about these plans, and what would be my concerns with a project like this?
thanks

 

[Wirehead]

05m50dan,

That is basically what I am doing with my walkin. I have my main space powered by the AC unit and then a lagering box that is maintained at whatever temp I want. If I need to cool the box, I run a fan from one chamber into the other. When I need to heat it, I have a reptile aquarium heating pad stuck to a piece of glass inside the box that turns on. The lager box is about 3'x3'x3' and the fridge is roughly 6'x4'x7'.

FYI, screw the CoolBot, use a small string of Christmas lights, a single small bulb heats up to 100*F and will trick the AC into turning on when put next to the AC's thermostat. I keep the AC plugged in all of the time and the Christmas lights are controlled by the Ranco temperature controller.

 

[menisale]

05m50dan,

That is basically what I am doing with my walkin. I have my main space powered by the AC unit and then a lagering box that is maintained at whatever temp I want. If I need to cool the box, I run a fan from one chamber into the other. When I need to heat it, I have a reptile aquarium heating pad stuck to a piece of glass inside the box that turns on. The lager box is about 3'x3'x3' and the fridge is roughly 6'x4'x7'.

FYI, screw the CoolBot, use a small string of Christmas lights, a single small bulb heats up to 100*F and will trick the AC into turning on when put next to the AC's thermostat. I keep the AC plugged in all of the time and the Christmas lights are controlled by the Ranco temperature controller.

Wirehead, I love the Christmas lights idea. I have the controller but was planning on the cool bot but no more. You just saved me 300 clams.

 

[Wirehead]

Glad to hear it. The one feature the CoolBot addresses that my workaround does not is the AC unit frosting up. I have never had a problem with my unit frosting up; I don't know if it is because I run the fridge indoors and the AC unit vents into the basement brewery, or because the walk-in is about half of the size space as rated for the AC unit based on the Cool-Bot's website recommendations.