converting an upright freezer: easy and cheap?

[cooperplace]

my Haier 148 litre upright freezer has packed up: faulty thermostat. It turns out than on removing the RHS grille (2 screws, 10 seconds) the control panel can be popped out the front and the thermostat is out in about a minute flat. I can get a universal fridge thermostat to slot straight in for $12.

So I'm replacing a -15 to -22C unit with a +4 to +8 unit.

This seems to be the cheapest and easiest way to convert one of these. Has anyone done this?

 

[adryargument]

Whats wrong with the thermo?
If its dead, its dead...

However if it can get to 0'C then use an STC-1000 ($20?? ebay it) so that the temp is controllable by you. Then you can have +0-18 depending on your preferences.

In reality +4 to +8 is quite worthless in brewing, cant cold chill, cant ferment, can only store kegs.
And thats 4-8'C at optimum. If something is gimpy your looking at 8-14, which is useless for everything. (i bought a cheap 2-8'C one and it worked at 5-12)

 

[DU99]

i put one of these ones in my beer fridge works well.

 

[cooperplace]

v interesting, thanks

 

[cooperplace]

I got a Ranco VB7, $8 + postage, took 5 min to swap it in. Freezer now holds 4C.

 

[woodwormm]

+1 for STC 1000

My first keezer I replaced the thermostat with a fridge therm... was a PITA to maintain temp.. STC is digital, easy and able to be calibrated. simply the best option to control a freezer at any temp from freezer (xmas time when SWMBO commandeers extra food space), keg/bottle keeping at 4 C or ferment temp at 18C when needed.

 

[cooperplace]

yeah, I've got a spare STC1000 and thought about using it. We'll see how the fridge thermostat goes. Swapping thermostats is dead easy, the new one goes straight in where the old one was. With an STC1000 I'd need to drill into the freezer chamber or dangle the probe into it somehow, and make a box to hold the STC 1000. maybe I could take the probe up thru the drain hole.

If you can advise of the easiest way to add in the STC1000, I'd be grateful.

 

[Elliot A]

I've been looking at building a Keezer aswell and have seen this model on Gumtree a bit. How many kegs do you think it would fit?

 

[Gregos]

I use a STC 1000 on my freezer, it's plugged into the wall and the freezer is plugged into it, just put tape and insulate the probe to the side of the fermenter, the probe wire is just put over the edge of the seal and lid closed no holes drilled, been doing it this way for 3 years without any problems, freezer is seals good and works great.

 

[pat_00]

I just scored one of these 148l Haiers on gumtree with 18month warranty for $150.

So far I am really impressed, it chilled 2 kegs from 24degrees to 1 degree in a few hours. My last chest freezer would need a day and a half to do that.

 

[Doug2232]

i thought it was as easy as plugging your fridge power into the STC-1000 and sticking the probe into the door.

whats with the wiring??

 

[seamad]

I just scored one of these 148l Haiers on gumtree with 18month warranty for $150.

So far I am really impressed, it chilled 2 kegs from 24degrees to 1 degree in a few hours. My last chest freezer would need a day and a half to do that.

Pat, what's the internal depth and width of these freezers, would like to squeeze a ss conical in one ?
cheers
sean

 

[pat_00]

will check measurements later when I get home. They're not very deep, corny kegs fit with only a couple of inches to spare. I doubt a conical would fit.