My new keg/brewing set up

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hugcra

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My new side by side fridge.
I am an electrician, and I picked this up off a client as it was 'broken' (needed thermostats and a evap fan motor replaced),

I replaced the thermostats with the digital ones you can see on the front door, to give me the greater temp range and control. Added 2 corny kegs and room for the settling or larger-ing cube, and ofcourse 2 taps, in the freezer side, which now runs at 3*C (instead of freezing) and the fridge side has room for two fermenters, ingredients and 'maturing/left over' brews that wont fit into the kegs, that runs at what ever I need it to depending on brew type.
Trying to settle into a cycling system ferment-keg-ferment-keg-ferment-cube-ferment-etc....

I'm happy

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Yob said:
seems your fridge fell over
yet beer stays right way up....

lucky man scored himself a magic fridge.... :super:
 
yum beer said:
yet beer stays right way up....

lucky man scored himself a magic fridge.... :super:
This gives me an idea! I can only fit a few bottles of home brew standing up in my fridge.....but if I lay the fridge on it's side...the possibilities are endless :party:
 
is this one of the mythical fridges that runs 2 compressors? ie one for fridge and one for freezer? enabling you to run 2 thermostats (stc1000's) ?

anyone know if all side by sides are 2 compressors?
 
printed forms section said:
is this one of the mythical fridges that runs 2 compressors? ie one for fridge and one for freezer? enabling you to run 2 thermostats (stc1000's) ?

anyone know if all side by sides are 2 compressors?
This side by side fridge/freezer only has one compressor. The majority only have one compressor and rely on convection currents to cycle cold air through vents and dampers.

I installed two stc1000 thermostats, the first thermostat switches the compressor on and off depending on the temp setting and probe reading. The coil and fan are located in the back of the freezer side(small door) and will get cold when the compressor is running. The second thermostat controls a fan and damper, to suck cold air from the freezer side when needed. The damper closes, closing the hole between the two sides, when the fan switches off.

I'll post some more pxts, with the fridge standing the right way up....smart asses... :p
 
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hugcra said:
This side by side fridge/freezer only has one compressor. The majority only have one compressor and rely on convection currents to cycle cold air through vents and dampers.

I installed two stc1000 thermostats, the first thermostat switches the compressor on and off depending on the temp setting and probe reading. The coil and fan are located in the back of the freezer side(small door) and will get cold when the compressor is running. The second thermostat controls a fan and damper, to suck cold air from the freezer side when needed. The damper closes, closing the hole between the two sides, when the fan switches off.

I'll post some more pxts, with the fridge standing the right way up....smart asses... :p
Mate, im in absolute awe of this setup! I'm not from an electrical background but i have a trade as a fitter and have a lot of common sense when it comes to electrical things. Was it easy to do? Could you do a step-by-step tutorial or somewhat-the-like? if i could set-up something like this i would trade in my 2 fridge for a side by side like that.
 
_WALLACE_ said:
Mate, im in absolute awe of this setup! I'm not from an electrical background but i have a trade as a fitter and have a lot of common sense when it comes to electrical things. Was it easy to do? Could you do a step-by-step tutorial or somewhat-the-like? if i could set-up something like this i would trade in my 2 fridge for a side by side like that.
Super easy mate....All you need is an extraction fan and 2 thermostats, with a greater range than the originals.
(original thermostats = -15+ to -4*c freezing, and -4 to 10*c fridge, give or take)

The fridge cost me $100 from gumtree, the stc1000s(ebay) cost me a total of around $30 incl. delivery from china, no less. And the fan I had left over from a job, bunnings will sell them. The rest is in the doing...

Basicly, you 'straight swap' the thermostats for the new one's, there should be 4 cables crimped onto the original thermostats, you identify the 2 that switch the compressor and extend them to reach the location of your new ones. As for the other two, one will be an earth (just join it to the other existing earths), and the other will be a control for either the defrost cycle, or the control/feed, for the fridge-side thermostat (An interlocking control/feed that we wont need for this build. simply take it out)

The fridge-side thermo will have the earth (gone) and the interlocking cable (now gone) and 2 cables for either a fan or damper or both. Take those two cables and make them switch your fan (terminate them into the cold contact, 1 in each in #7and8)
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Another option: the stc1000s have a cool contact(just a switch) and a heat contact, so the cool contact will control, either the compressor or ex-fan and the heat contact can control the existing light bulbs that are in the fridge. Their cables are in the area that you will be playing around in, and the globes will give off enough heat for those cold days in melb or tassie. It will also help if their is no damper on the exhaust fan.

I don't have step by step photos to accompany any instruction, but i am more than happy to talk it through with you !
 
Brilliant setup - I had thought something like this would be great to do but to date, don't have the know how...if you end up putting some pictures up that would be great.
 
Ironhorse said:
Brilliant setup - I had thought something like this would be great to do but to date, don't have the know how...if you end up putting some pictures up that would be great.
Thanks mate, it works perfectly...from one side too the other... The pictures and posts above don't explain enough ?
 
Yeah sorry mate, i didnt take any pics during the build.

Just drill some holes and join some cables mate, ill talk you through it if you need.
 
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