Heating A Big Fridge

[jameson]

Hi all I have a commercial fridge it goes good and I have it on a timer which has served me well over summer. But Know that winter is coming in it is time to get it ready for some cold night's ahead. This past week I have had a kettle on a timer but this only holds my fermenter at 16. I have a stc 1000 coming but my question is would a heat belt hold a large fridge around 18? Or does anyone have some other ideas?
Thanks Jameson
IMAG0181.jpg (613.31K)

 

[QldKev]

There is a few threads with ideas for heating. Up here I haven't needed heating but if I did I think I would just hang my heating belt in the fridge. Have a search there are a lot of other ideas posted.

 

[bigfridge]

Topic says "Heating A Big Fridge"

I wondered how I had become 'too cool' :icon_cheers:

Hi all I have a commercial fridge it goes good and I have it on a timer which has served me well over summer. But Know that winter is coming in it is time to get it ready for some cold night's ahead. This past week I have had a kettle on a timer but this only holds my fermenter at 16. I have a stc 1000 coming but my question is would a heat belt hold a large fridge around 18? Or does anyone have some other ideas?
Thanks Jameson
IMAG0181.jpg (613.31K)

These usually have a mechanical termostat that has the temperature set to turn off at 4 Deg C and to get a colder temperature, the adjustment reduces the range to give the desired minimum.

eg to get 0 Deg C, the rqange is set to 4 degrees so the comressor turns on at 4 Degrees and off when it hits 0. This ensures that there is always a time where it is above freezing so any ice that forms on the evaporator coils is melted off.

So this makes it difficult to replace the existing conroller, but I have used an external controller without any problems.

The size of the fridge doesn't matter in controlling the temperature, only the time that it takes to get there aka the termal mass.

HTH
Dave (aka Big fridge)

 

[jameson]

No worries a heat belt it is. Just wasn't sure if it would heat a big fridge. Does the stc not just have the plug wired into it? I will search so I do it right.
Thanks again

 

[jameson]

Sorry big fridge quick question do you have any tips on how to quite it down a bit?

 

[tones0606]

Searching ebay at the moment and found these.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/500W-220V-120-x-12...=item337737391c

Would these be to powerful?

 

[Spork]

I'd be shielding my FV's from them.
I use a reptile heating belt in a medium size 'fridge. About 30w. Holds the temp nicely even with the 'fridge outside in a Tassie winter.

 

[christmas]

i'm looking at picking up something like this..

i know a few people here use them and it seems really versatile as you can just run the cord around in whatever pattern you like.

http://www.ozpetshop.com.au/product_info.php/products_id/322

 

[tones0606]

i'm looking at picking up something like this..

i know a few people here use them and it seems really versatile as you can just run the cord around in whatever pattern you like.

http://www.ozpetshop.com.au/product_info.php/products_id/322

Yeah that looks the goods.
Would 50W be enough for a fridge holding 5 fermenters? (double glass door, pub style fridge)

 

[Amber Fluid]

The 25W would be enough.

I run 1 x 25w in a large fridge and 1 x 15w in a smaller fridge. Once you reach the required temp it doesn't take much at all to maintain the level programmed.

 

[Acasta]

winter is coming

Oh god no.

 

[Mattress]

QUOTE (jameson @ May 18 2012, 10:01 AM) winter is coming

Oh god no.

Hodor

 

[reVoxAHB]

Try my thread here.

I have room for 3 23L glass ferms + terracotta setup. Have since switched fridges to a large Westinghouse but the below pic gives you an idea.

Cheers
reVox

 

[christmas]

The 25W would be enough.

I run 1 x 25w in a large fridge and 1 x 15w in a smaller fridge. Once you reach the required temp it doesn't take much at all to maintain the level programmed.

I've seen mention elsewhere in the forum about these melting plastic.. does your 25W hit those kind of temps? do you need to hang it off hooks to keep it from contacting the fridge interior?

 

[Amber Fluid]

I've seen mention elsewhere in the forum about these melting plastic.. does your 25W hit those kind of temps? do you need to hang it off hooks to keep it from contacting the fridge interior?

I have a hole drilled in the back of the fridge. The cord enters there and just "dangles" down the back to reach the bottom of the fridge. Then I have the cord weaved/wrapped around one of the shelves which sits below my FV.

I don't reckon there would be any issues of these cords melting plastic. They just don't get hot enough and to date, the plastic coating on the shelf it is wrapped around is in the same condition as when I got it.