How To Heat A Fridge

[the_yobbo]

I presently have a 60W globe covered with half a softdrink carton box, controlled by the Tempmate.

I was (and still might) going to install something like one of these instead.

http://australia.rs-online.com/web/search/...t&R=2995843

Anyone familar with such a product. I beleive they are generally used for preventing condensation in electrical cabinets.

The problem I've had is not knowing which one I would need to buy. What temperature/how much heat does a light globe give off in degrees C.

 

[brocky_555]

I presently have a 60W globe covered with half a softdrink carton box, controlled by the Tempmate.

I was (and still might) going to install something like one of these instead.

http://australia.rs-online.com/web/search/...t&R=2995843

Anyone familar with such a product. I beleive they are generally used for preventing condensation in electrical cabinets.

The problem I've had is not knowing which one I would need to buy. What temperature/how much heat does a light globe give off in degrees C.

This element is equivalent to a 15W light globe and probably would't over heat your fridge but that depends on where you live and big your fridge is. I use a 60W light globe in the fridge hooked up to a temp mate and it is ony on for a few minutes at a time this element would run for longer periods of time and would probably burn out. $30 is a bit to fork out for something a 50c light globe would do better.

 

[beerbrewer76543]

Electric fan heaters are available from kmart, coles ect for about $15, wired up to a temp mate and you're set

 

[brocky_555]

elecric fan heater might be cheap but its a bit of overkill the little switch inside your temp mate will wear quicker if it has to switch a large load like a fan heater. Pretty much switching maximum load everytime it kicks the fan heater in

 

[Bongchitis]

I use a fridgemate and program it for a heating duty and plug an old electric frypan in, turn it waayyyy down and sit it in the bottom of the fridge. Works a treat!

 

[HoppingMad]

I just bung a heat pad in there on its side. You can set up a timer to turn it on and off so it is set-and-forget but it'll probably take a couple of brews worth of watching before you can work out which times work for you.

Tried Bum's solution when it started to get darn cold here in melb a month ago. Problem was the pad kept ramping the heat up a bit too much and I wound up with temps of 22-23 degrees by morning by doing it that way. A bit too high for ales for my liking.

Got one of these now instead of a timer - Reptile Thermostatmuch happier now. Cost $40 more than a $10 timer but I'm no longer overshooting temps overnight. They measure the temp in the fridge or wherever you pop the probe and shut the pad on and off to keep the temp constant.

That said know people who use the timer technique and it works for them. A bit of trial and error to get it right in terms of how long to keep the pad on overnight but you'd figure it out. I didn't have that level of patience.

Hopper.

 

[katzke]

Tried Bum's solution when it started to get darn cold here in melb a month ago. Problem was the pad kept ramping the heat up a bit too much and I wound up with temps of 22-23 degrees by morning by doing it that way. A bit too high for ales for my liking.

Got one of these now instead of a timer - Reptile Thermostatmuch happier now. Cost $40 more than a $10 timer but I'm no longer overshooting temps overnight. They measure the temp in the fridge or wherever you pop the probe and shut the pad on and off to keep the temp constant.

That said know people who use the timer technique and it works for them. A bit of trial and error to get it right in terms of how long to keep the pad on overnight but you'd figure it out. I didn't have that level of patience.

Hopper.

That or you could look for a thermostat that is for baseboard heat or mains power and wire it up to a light. Not as good as a regular brewing thermostat but the mass of the wort will equal out the bigger temp fluctuation.

The same idea is used on the Son of Fermentation Chiller but it just controls a low power fan and is set up for cooling and not heat.