Risk of using a hairdryer in your fermentation fridge?

[Newts]

Hey all,

Just looking at ways to heat my fermentation fridge and the hair dryer came up. I thought it sounded reasonably good in terms of heat and airflow within the fridge but it doesn't seem right. Putting an electrical appliance like this in a fridge doesn't seem like the safest thing to do. I have a heating pad in my other fridge but that's a small fridge only able to fit one fermenter and the heating pad is a sealed unit so I can't see anything going wrong with it. It does hold the temp at 18 even at zero degrees though which is ideal.

The new fridge I've got is going to have 2 brews in it at any one time so I'm thinking it will probably need something that circulates the air to distribute the heat evenly and will probably require more heat. Any ideas on this one? I've got a hairdryer ready to go. Just want to see if anyone has had bad experiences with this combo.

Cheers,

Newts

 

[dent]

Hairdryer is a terrible idea. Those are around 1000W compared to the 30 or so watts in the heating pad. Bit overkill don't you think? Plus you will end up with one end way hotter than the other while it runs. Plus it will melt things.

You won't necessarily need more heat for two fermenters anyhow - it is the surface area, and insulation of the fridge that matters. I reckon your pad will keep you going in your new fridge just fine.

 

[slcmorro]

Putting an electrical appliance like this in a fridge doesn't seem like the safest thing to do.

If in doubt, I wouldn't risk it man. I'm really inexperienced when it comes to brewing and all that goes with it, but I'd say common sense on this one. A hairdryer can pump out a lot of heat compared to the slow and steady type release of a light bulb, heat mat or brew belt. One malfunction, and you could have a big disaster which has the potential to cause injury and lots of damage.. Not worth it in my opinion.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

have you considered using a computer fan to circulate air in the fridge?

 

[Droopy]

The first thing that came to mind was condensation and water on the element... And then I thought people suicide by hair dryer.

Use your heater pad, give the hair dryer back to your misses

 

[shaunous]

I use the below, as many do on here, it's close to a hair dryer I suppose, but it works so damn well in my coffin style deep freezer. It's dry inside the freezer, it's never really seen condensation or water build up, but in saying that, it's only in there for winter and rarely turns on through the day then. Safe in my eyes, and anyway, it's in my shed which has its own circuit and earth leakage.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_heater-fan-click-2000w-tstat-oscil-cfh188a_P4441258.aspx?filter=categoryname--Personal+Heaters

 

[dent]

Yeah but at least a heating pad won't burn your house down after you mistakenly leave your temperature probe outside the fridge. It is not as if no one has ever done that before.

 

[petesbrew]

That doesn't really sound like a smart idea.

What's the rating on a heat belt anyway? Pretty sure hairdryers could be a bit more.
I'd use a computer fan if you want airflow.

 

[Newts]

This gave me a laugh but yeah, those were the thoughts that went through my head as well. Amazing how many people are doing it though - I did do a bit of research before posting. I actually purchased a 25W brew belt only a couple of months ago and I've lost the bugger. Spent 3 hours today looking for it and it's disappeared into the nether.

New ferm fridge looks in decent condition so should hold the temp fairly well. Guess I'll just put the heat pad in there and see how it works out for a while. As long as I don't kill a brew I'm happy. Hopefully all good, then I'll get another pad (or find that damn brew belt).

:beerbang: :beerbang: :beerbang:

 

[shaunous]

Them fans have both overheat cutoff and fall over cutoff, and to be on the safe side my sheds 40meters away from the house and made from nuttin but steel.

If you walk away from your fermenting fridge having not checked the probe is insulated and taped to your fermenter inside the fridge, and don't come back every now and then to check initial fermentation temps, we'll that's your bad system.

 

[shaunous]

Also, there is 3 key things you need to have to establish a fire, a fermentation fridge has little to non of one of them key things, OXYGEN...

 

[Edak]

Tell e if I am wrong, but I have a firm belief that there would be adequate oxygen in the fridge to start a fire.

As soon as I read the thread title I immediately thought of the "IT crowd" episode where he emails the fire department to inform them of a fire in his office.

I would avoid the hairdryer for the above reasons.

I use a 40W halogen globe underneath the fermenters wooden platform (with a piece of cardboard to block the light from the fermenters and that's enough to scare me.

 

[Spiesy]

or even better, just buy an infared heat lamp and be done with it.

I got mine for $50, which included the ceramic lamp, holder and a clip which clips nicely onto my door, enabling me to angle the lamp however I chose.
Temp probe into a thermowell - works a treat.

 

[dent]

Also, there is 3 key things you need to have to establish a fire, a fermentation fridge has little to non of one of them key things, OXYGEN...

I'm sure the seals will work great once it gets to 300 degrees in there. I just don't see why you would want to take the chance when there are plenty of safe alternatives.

 

[shaunous]

300 degree's?????

The overheat cutout on these fans trips at well below that, I can tell you.

This is not a hair dryer, it is a tip over protected, overheat protected fan heater in which you can choose the temp and fan speed, that sits on a shelf 12inchs higher then the bottom of the freezer.

Use what you like, but im stoked with it, it does a damn good job, and in my mechanical/auto electrical trade and cert 4 in safety training, it is safe.

We mostly all have electrical cords inside our fermentation fridges anyway, thats not safe in many peoples eyes, but we do it...

 

[QldKev]

Get

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Light-Globe-Holder-Stand-for-Reptile-Infrared-Emitter-Heat-Heated-Lamp-AU-Plug-/130946296201?
AND
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/50W-220V-CERAMIC-HEAT-EMITTER-BROODER-INFRARED-LAMP-BULB-REPTILE-GROW-mj-/130923595059?pt=AU_Lighting_Fans

Under $25 posted

Then chuck in the mandatory 120mm pc fan for air circulation. The fan should be in all fermenting fridges even in cooling mode IMHO.

QldKev

 

[dent]

The overheat cutout on these fans trips at well below that, I can tell you.

If you are happy to rely on the built-in thermostat then yeah, it aint gonna get mega hot. I still don't like it though - there is a principle in electrical safety which is basically "how many things need to go wrong in order to cause an unsafe situation". With the heating pad or similar low wattage device, even if all your thermostats go bad or power surges or whatever, nothing is really gonna cause it to generate enough heat to be a problem.

So sure you got a 12 cent Chinese thermostat in there, but it is switching a decent amount of current, and on a high duty cycle, and the possible (admittedly, very low probability) results could be catastrophic.

 

[Aces High]

The heat mat will be fine. You dont want quick heat you want slow warming so thermal mass of your beer heats up all the way through.

The fridge with a heat mat, a computer fan (12V) to circulate the heat, and an STC1000 and you get stable temperatures summer or winter

 

[woodwormm]

Risk of using a hairdryer in your fermentation fridge?

YES - DEATH AT WORST, BURN YOUR HOUSE/SHED DOWN AT BEST

 

[GalBrew]

Good God....... :unsure: