My New Fermentation Cabinets

[John Beere]

I've written this up as an article for the next edition of Zymurgy. It is the same edition that BrewPastor will be in for his jacketed Conicals... Anyway, I took another picture of the love controller and thought I'd share. This is the newer Love controller. I have used a 3-conductor wire to run to the love controller. The white wire is used for the common, the black wire is used as the hot in from the source, and the green wire is used as the hot out to the compressor. Pretty simple...

 

[jcdillin]

Awesome stuff man, I can only dream of the day I need a conical

I actually just finished my keezer this weekend i'm just waiting on my love controller to come in the mail. I was going to mount in the collar but i'm afraid of the damp and cold conditions leading the unit to an early demise. Have you noticed any issues with this?

 

[korndog]

I've written this up as an article for the next edition of Zymurgy. It is the same edition that BrewPastor will be in for his jacketed Conicals... Anyway, I took another picture of the love controller and thought I'd share. This is the newer Love controller. I have used a 3-conductor wire to run to the love controller. The white wire is used for the common, the black wire is used as the hot in from the source, and the green wire is used as the hot out to the compressor. Pretty simple...

Looking forward to reading the article. Great stuff JB. I have spare Love that I need to wire into my freezer which is a slightly larger version of your Frigidaire.

KD

 

[brauhausjoe]

I've written this up as an article for the next edition of Zymurgy. It is the same edition that BrewPastor will be in for his jacketed Conicals... Anyway, I took another picture of the love controller and thought I'd share. This is the newer Love controller. I have used a 3-conductor wire to run to the love controller. The white wire is used for the common, the black wire is used as the hot in from the source, and the green wire is used as the hot out to the compressor. Pretty simple...

Would that be the November/December issue?

 

[John Beere]

Would that be the November/December issue?

I believe it is going to be in the following issue at the first of the year... that seems to be their yearly "gadget" issue.

 

[brauhausjoe]

I believe it is going to be in the following issue at the first of the year... that seems to be their yearly "gadget" issue.

Thanks! Looking forward to getting it!

 

[John Beere]

I received the Jan/Feb edition of Zymurgy today - my article is on pages 22-25. I think I did the project justice...

 

[McKBrew]

I received the Jan/Feb edition of Zymurgy today - my article is on pages 22-25. I think I did the project justice...

Just got my Zymurgy today, recognized the cabinets and who made them even before I saw your name. Congrats.

 

[dunleav1]

Got one of the fermentation cabinets finished this evening. I replaced the inner door with textured sheeting like in my walk-in cooler. That stuff is $30 per sheet and the freezer door is too large to cut two solid door panels out of one sheet - so I had to improvise and piece it together at the bottom.


John,
Where did you get the textured sheeting you refer to above?
Thanks,
JD

 

[John Beere]

John,
Where did you get the textured sheeting you refer to above?
Thanks,
JD

Both Lowes and Home Depot have it. I got it at Home Depot on the trim aisle...

 

[dunleav1]

I found the sheeting today - thanks.

On the outlet you wired in the fridge, why didn't you use a GFCI outlet?

 

[jpc]

I found the sheeting today - thanks.

On the outlet you wired in the fridge, why didn't you use a GFCI outlet?

The compressor motor, when it starts, can draw enough current to trip the GFCI. This is why the refrigerator outlet is exempted from being connected to a GFCI in the NEC (In fact, I think it can't be a GFCI, but I am not an expert).

 

[John Beere]

I believe he is talking about the outlet I used inside the freezer... no, I didn't even think about using a GFCI outlet but I don't think it would have fit as there wasn't much room in there to allow for it. The outlet has actually become pretty handly...

 

[dunleav1]

I believe he is talking about the outlet I used inside the freezer... no, I didn't even think about using a GFCI outlet but I don't think it would have fit as there wasn't much room in there to allow for it. The outlet has actually become pretty handly...

Yes - inside the freezer.

I have my freezer running with a Love two stage controller.
The reason I ask is I'm thinking about wiring two outlets inside the freezer.
Outlet one will be hot all the time (for stir plate) and Outlet two will be hot when my second stage controller turns it on (for heater).

I'll have to see if a GFCI outlet will fit there otherwise I might mount a box on the back side wall inside the freezer.

JD

 

[kitemanks]

Has anyone tried to do this now that these freezers have a computer pannel on the front? The problem I'm noticing is the auto defrost and the thermostat are altogether now on a computer mother type board. If you wire the love controller in after this board and leave everything else alone it will work. However the freezer goes into auto defrost after a designated run time on the compressor. by wiring the love in after the stock computer pannel the freezer's computer will think the compressor is on longer than it actually is and go into auto defrost mode much more frequently affecting the temperature. Any thoughts???

 

[Refry]

Has anyone tried to do this now that these freezers have a computer pannel on the front? The problem I'm noticing is the auto defrost and the thermostat are altogether now on a computer mother type board. If you wire the love controller in after this board and leave everything else alone it will work. However the freezer goes into auto defrost after a designated run time on the compressor. by wiring the love in after the stock computer pannel the freezer's computer will think the compressor is on longer than it actually is and go into auto defrost mode much more frequently affecting the temperature. Any thoughts???

I was researching a similar question (adding a love temperature controller to modern freezer with thermistor, high temp. alerts, and defrost that interacts with its own electronic temperature control), and ran into your question. I have a Kenmore (Frigidaire) model with the following schematic.

The defrost cycle does kick on based on compressor run time, but it also appears to have a thermostat that opens the heater circuit once the evaporator temp reaches 40 degrees F. I'm hoping that means the defrost will still work, but will not really heat the freezer much at all.

Anybody see a problem with hooking the love controller switch on the yellow (C) wire, in between the freezer controller and the compressor? The high temp alert will always be on (unless the temp gets down to 23 F), but shouldn't everything else work like the ones done by John Beere?

 

[kitemanks]

Thats look like the wiring diagram for the 13.7 fridgidare I was looking at, at Lowes. I was going to hook it up that way, and thats what prompted my question. I think using "A" to power the unit. Then cutting "C" and wiring it to go to the compressor from the new controler is the way to go. If you can't disable the "to warm alarm" I was thinking of disabling "D", but this would in essence remove the defrost feature..... but I'm not that worried about that. Sure I will cold crash the temp. to clear the beer but the majority of the time I should be in the 50 degree range.

Keep me informed on any progress you make I'm very interested and I'm sure others will be too.

 

[mikew2003]

I've been following this thread and thought i would ask for some help. I'm modifying a Frigidaire refrigerator and i'm confused about the red wire. I'm connecting the Love TS 13010 Can anyone help? This is a single door refrigerator that looks just like the freezer that John Beere has modified with the exception of the red wire. This unit has an external thermostat with a heater to operate the fridge when the ambient temperature falls below freezing. I hope the electrical diagram shows up on this post.

 

[kitemanks]

Well my Lowes had the frigidare 13.7 on close out so I got it about 100 bucks cheaper than it usually is. I was wondering about your progress. I have the plastic sheeting installed with the lower section of the door so the light goes on and off. I'm thinking about taking it off and digging into the foam near the bottom by the hinge. Hopefully this will allow me to splice into the wiring where it goes out of the bottom of the door to acess power, and the yellow compressor wire. What did you end up doing??

 

[Refry]

Well my Lowes had the frigidare 13.7 on close out so I got it about 100 bucks cheaper than it usually is. I was wondering about your progress. I have the plastic sheeting installed with the lower section of the door so the light goes on and off. I'm thinking about taking it off and digging into the foam near the bottom by the hinge. Hopefully this will allow me to splice into the wiring where it goes out of the bottom of the door to acess power, and the yellow compressor wire. What did you end up doing??

My plan has been to get another freezer to use as my real freezer and free up the 13.7 cu. ft. upright (the current "real" freezer) for conversion. Unfortunately, I've been traveling for the past several weeks and haven't been able to get the replacement freezer until this weekend.

I'm going to approach the wiring job from the bottom, back of the freezer since I should be able to tie into the main power and yellow switched power to the compressor without messing with the door. If everything works, I'll put the controller in the door (like the OP). Hopefully, I'll get some work done on it this week.

 

[kitemanks]

Just an FYI. I tied into the wiring just below the computer panel which worked great. I then tried to mount the Love controler in centered above the stock panel. Do NOT do this. Mount the Love left justifed with the left side of the stock pannel, or the contoler will hit the left side of the freezer's wall. By left justified I mean the outer shell of the Love controller that you see which is 96mm wide, not the inserted guts that is 71mm wide. This is still extremely close. In my case I had to enlarge the hole I put in the outside and then make a beauty gasket out of 1/4" black PVC.

 

[Refry]

Just an FYI. I tied into the wiring just below the computer panel which worked great. I then tried to mount the Love controler in centered above the stock panel. Do NOT do this. Mount the Love left justifed with the left side of the stock pannel, or the contoler will hit the left side of the freezer's wall. By left justified I mean the outer shell of the Love controller that you see which is 96mm wide, not the inserted guts that is 71mm wide. This is still extremely close. In my case I had to enlarge the hole I put in the outside and then make a beauty gasket out of 1/4" black PVC.

That's great news! Sorry you had the problem with mounting the controller. I'll probably mount mine on the door hinge side like the OP (I'm concerned about temp probe wire).

So, you were able to supply power to the love controller by hooking to the black and white wires coming out of the freezer control - and then you cut the yellow wire coming out of the freezer control and put the love controller switch in line? If that's how you did it, do you have a constant high temp alarm, or can you cancel it?

I realize you could completely cut out the freezer control, but then the door light and defrost wouldn't work.

 

[kitemanks]

I did tie into all the wiring just like you said. Black hot, white common, Yellow to compressor.
I was going to do that exact thing your thinking about and tie into the wiring at the bottom hinge where the wiring comes into the door, and this is what you will have to do. From where it enters the door the wiring (in individual strands) wonders around in a nondesignated way to the control pannel. I would say they throw the wiring in and then inject the foam. So there is no definite path to the control pannel to intercept. You either get it near the hinge or near the control pannel.

When I first started I had even torn into the foam near the hinge but I wanted to get my wife involved and asked her where the love would look better. Her answer was near the stock pannel. She was right and I thought shisnit I'll just tie into the wiring on the stock pannel. I simply started cutting before looking real close. Later I tested the set up with the seal off only for a minute but it worked. Currently I'm expando foaming, and caulking the set up and although I'm sure the alarm light will be on, I cant remember 100% if it was. The alarm only sounds 3 beeps and then nothing.... so no big deal. No matter how you tie into the wiring I think it's a good idea to do it where you know the wiring is coming from the door, before it splits and goes into the freezer and then comes out again. When the yellow wire goes into the freezer it is activating the freezer fan motor, which circulates the air. You want the compressor and that fan motor on at the same time.

 

[kitemanks]

Refry,

One more thing, by doing the wiring in the door you can run the Love controller while you have the stock controller turned off. Although this elliminates the defrost feature on the stock pannel, it also eliminates the warm alarm. You can then take advantage of the Love controller's defrost feature if you want to.

 

[Refry]

Refry,

One more thing, by doing the wiring in the door you can run the Love controller while you have the stock controller turned off. Although this elliminates the defrost feature on the stock pannel, it also eliminates the warm alarm. You can then take advantage of the Love controller's defrost feature if you want to.

That's not a bad plan. So on the Love controller, you jumped the black (hot) to the NO input of the switch (with the COM side of the switch being the yellow wire going to the compressor and fan). I'd thought about powering the Love controller switch with the yellow coming out of the freezer controller (thinking it should stay hot as the temp will stay high and compressor circuit closed). I like your approach better, being able to turn off the freezer controller (interior light should still work if the controller has power).

I'll go ahead locate the wires in the door when I take the shelf panel off.

Regarding the defrost feature, my freezer claims to have a manual defrost feature. First you turn the freezer control to "0" (off) and then hit the down arrow four more times until a "d" is displayed and manual defrost is activated. To turn it off, you just hit the down arrow four more times ("0" is displayed again). That's sweet, if it actually works that way.

 

[kitemanks]

Not exactly on the wiring. Hot (black) on pin 7. Common (white) to pin 8. Jump hot (black) from pin 7 to com pin 10. NC output is not used. the compressor hot becomes pin 11 NO out put (yellow). I cut the yellow and tied it directly into the love, making sure to electrical tape the yellow end coming FROM the stock pannel which will still be hot sometimes. The black, and white connections I simply tied into the wires, allowing them to continue on to the stock pannel and run it appropriately. I left the other wires alone.

I think converting the newer freezers is better than the older version as you don't have any unsightly wires running around. Currently I'm cold crashing some beer at 30F and the cold alarm goes off at that temperature. I have yet to put an outlet in but I like that option too.

I'll have to check my instructions on the defrost feature.

 

[Refry]

Not exactly on the wiring. Hot (black) on pin 7. Common (white) to pin 8. Jump hot (black) from pin 7 to com pin 10. NC output is not used. the compressor hot becomes pin 11 NO out put (yellow). I cut the yellow and tied it directly into the love, making sure to electrical tape the yellow end coming FROM the stock pannel which will still be hot sometimes. The black, and white connections I simply tied into the wires, allowing them to continue on to the stock pannel and run it appropriately. I left the other wires alone.

I think that's the typical wiring, running the hot to the COM and line to the compressor on NO.

In order to take advantage of the SPDT output, I am going to connect the yellow from the freezer control to the NC pin 9. I'll jump a hot to the NO pin 11 and use the COM pin 10 for the yellow wire running to the compressor and fan.

This will allow the Love controller to pass through power from the NC to COM when the switch is closed (temp is below Love controller set point on cool setting). When I want (or need) to run the freezer with the defrost cycle using the freezer control, I'll have the freezer control on (so it runs the compressor).

When I want the Love controller to control the temperature (compressor and fan), I'll turn the freezer control off (set it to "0") - so the power to NC is off and the Love controller takes over providing power through the NO and COM.

I think converting the newer freezers is better than the older version as you don't have any unsightly wires running around. Currently I'm cold crashing some beer at 30F and the cold alarm goes off at that temperature. I have yet to put an outlet in but I like that option too.

I'll have to check my instructions on the defrost feature.

I agree on the newer freezer being better - I was initially concerned, but since the Love controller can pass power, you can have it work like a traditional freezer with a temp reading with no additional mods (just turn the freezer control on).

Also, you should be able to turn your freezer control off, eliminating the alarm. I have to hit the down arrow a few times for it to go from "1" to "0" (off).

 

[kitemanks]

Wow... that seems like a better solution. You retain the stock and the love features without having to rewire if you go back to the freezer being just a freezer... I know I can shut mine down or off... but still haven't checked on the manual defrost feature yet.. This is getting interesting...

 

[John Beere]

Looks like this thread took on a life of its own while I was away..

I just found out that one of my freezers didn't seem to make it through the flood.. the compressor won't kick on. Everything else seems fine, but its like the compressor just can't kick on. You can hear it trying, but no luck.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[lutinplunder]

check the relays and if it has a capacitive starter check that. Other than those your probably right that the compressor took a crap

here's a page that will help you troubleshoot the freezer compressor
http://www.davesrepair.com/DIYhelp/DIYcmprtest.htm