Temp Control With Fridge/freezer

[maldridge]

Hey guys, hope I'm not asking too many questions, but this one is quite specific, couldn't find anything.

My GFs folks gave me an old fridge which I'm gonna use as much fermentation fridge. I've got myself an STC-1000 to go with it.

My question is, can the STC-1000 control both the fridge section AND the freezer section at the same time, so I can have something fermenting in each compartment?? Is there some special way to do this?

Thanks!!

EDIT: I did a little search and found some answers actually. Just in case I wasn't clear, I want the fridge and freezer at the SAME TEMP so I can do a double batch in 30L fermenters, one in each compartment.

Apparently this should be ok yes? Unless the fridge is quite old and has two separate compressors..

 

[Yob]

Photo of the fridge may help

 

[maldridge]

I won't be getting the fridge for a week yet...

Why do you need a pic?

 

[dent]

What you plan won't work, unless you first remove the insulation between the fridge/freezer sections and add a fan or something.

When the compressor starts and runs for a while, the refrigerant first boils in the freezer evaporator (the metal with coiled tube) until the temperature in the freezer is so low that the refrigerant doesn't boil anymore. Then it starts to come out the other end of the freezer into the fridge section. So the freezer will get to a minimum temperature before any cooling occurs in the fridge.

 

[Truman42]

I did an experiment on this the other day. Firstly my fridge was the type that the fridge section is cooled with cold air blowing down from the freezer through a vent (which is how most modern fridges work.)

I had to block off the vents in the freezer with duct tape and place a sheet of polystyene against the back of the freezer wall to keep the cold air from the evaporator plate cooling the freezer too much. The result was all the cold air from the freezer blew into the fridge section. I managed to get the fridge down to -2 while the freezer sat around +5. But I wasnt using a temp controller, just letting it run normally with the thermostat set to high. YMMV

So is possible to do by varying the amount of insulation you put in the freezer section. You would have to do some experementing by setting your temp controller probe in the freezer at say 18C and just see what temp this brings your fridge down to on average. Then swap it over, put the probe in the fridge and see what the freezer gets down too. Maybe you could do an Ale in one compartment and a lager in the other.

But in answer to your original question, no the STC1000 cannot control the fridge and freezer temps independently. It will cut the fridge out whenever the temperatue of the compartment you have put your probe in reaches your set temp.