Under Bench Larder (Fermenting) Fridge ?

[Scooby]

Just about to build a Kegerator, couple of questions about the TC10 or maybe just clarification.

If putting the TC10 in a seperate box with trailing sockects for heating and cooling, if your going to use a seperate fridge/freezer for fermenting and cooling, do you have to swap the TC10 Thermostat from one to the other, or can you wire up two thermostats, one for each fridge?

I can't answer that with any certainty but as the unit has one power supply and two inbuilt thermostats I would guess you would have to modify it to have 2 power supplies running off 2 TC-10 to set differing temps for the fridge and freezer.

Second question, as explained earlier that you can leave the thermostat in the fridge, and set to coolest, then get the TC10 to switch the power on and off, I guess this wouldn't work if converting a chest freezer to a kegerator, as max cooling would be too cold?

If I've missed the point and the questions are daft - sorry

The TC-10 overides the built in thermostat, you only set the max cooling so that when the TC-10 calls for cooling the compressor will run. ie if the internal thermostat is set to 10c and the TC-10 to 5c the internal thermostat thinks it's cold enough so will prevent cooling lower than 10C. but if the internal is set to -18c the TC-10 will switch to activate cooling and keep it at 5C

[casbar]

Ok all a bit clearer now. So if using two seperate units, ie a chest freezer for a kegerator and a small fridge for a fermentor, they would both have seperate power supplies, therefore they could both be run off a single TC10. But that would still leave the question of the thermostat from the TC10, presumably there is only one, therefore it would have to be in one of the appliances at a time, unless the TC10 can run two thermostats.

[Jaz_Allen]

The TC-10 can't run 2 thermostats, you would need 2 TC-10s

[DC]

Hi all, Just thought I would post an update on my brewing fridge, swithced it on last night and put the digital thermometer inside and I could see the temprature steadily droping from about 19 degrees down to about 9degrees, so I left it switched on over night and when I checked the temprature this morning with my digital thermometer said it was 19.3 degrees inside the fridge and that was without opening the door It seemed to be working ok last night but by this morning it doesnt seem to be running right and its not very cold inside the fridge When I 1st got it I did switch it on for a split second after it had been laid down to see if the interior light worked (but it had been stood up right for at least a couple of hours prior to switching in on and off for a split second) have I broken it I have switched it off this morning and will try it again later. Whats the best way to test if its working properly ? Do I leave the door open and turn the thermostat up to max and see if the fridge kicks into life I hope I aint killed me fridge only had it 2 days, and it took me months to source the right type

Cheers DC

[loffler]

Same thing happened to me. Got a free fridge from freecycle and packed up soon after and am now on my second free fridge. Its a bit newer so will hopefully last longer. I guess people get rid of them for a reason!

If the ambient is too hot, Im sure the compressor works harder than in normal use so. The constant switching on and off cant do the fridge much good.

On the other end of the scale, I also blew a heating element last winter as this was on constantly when the fridge was in the garage trying to ferment at 18° and ambient was near freezing.

[DC]

Hi all, Just to update you on my fridge progress, I switched it on again yesterday when I got home from work and it came on fine set to max and temp was dropping but when I checked it again this morning the temp inside was around 16degrees again what I cant understand is that there is some ice forming on the white plate at the back of the fridge so how can the temprature be so high but still have ice on the inside I will have to check again this afternoon and see what the temp is I dont want to shell out the 30 odd quid for TC10 if my fridge is kaput

Cheers DC

[the_great_okapi]

That is a shame. Have you hoovered the coils at the back? Is it auto-defrost? There are several reasons it may be icing but not cooling, maybe this is helpful?

http://www.appliance-repair-it.com/refr ... oling.html

I guess it may be going back on freecycle if this doesn't work.

All the best o luck.

[edit1now]

Good link to diagnosing fridge problems!

It is remotely possible that there is compressor oil blocking the jet in the evaporator - this is why it's so important to leave the fridge to settle for some hours after it has been lying down for transport, so any disturbed oil flows back down out of the pipework. That doesn't explain why you get some cooling though.

The only sure-fire way to make an old fridge stop playing-up is to get another one. Once it feels threatened it will probably work for a while. I had this with a second-hand fridge-freezer some years ago.

Cut the hassle and save up for a new one?