Where To Buy Thermostat.
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Ive just pulled out a thermostat from my chest freezer (it was stuffed, even more once i tried to fix it), and im hoping to replace it with one of those tobins jobs (who havent replied to my email???)
Anyway, im no electrician but studying the thermostat i pulled out and the power plug i notice that there is 3 wires in the cable (active, earth and neutral), but there is 3 wires attached to the thermostat, one of which is an earth. The other two must both be active right??? 1 in and 1 out...
Basically what i want to know is 1: is the neutral wire attached only to the freezer motor or whatever it does? and 2: will a new thermostat such as one from tobins be able to simply replace the one i ripped out?
Anyway, im no electrician but studying the thermostat i pulled out and the power plug i notice that there is 3 wires in the cable (active, earth and neutral), but there is 3 wires attached to the thermostat, one of which is an earth. The other two must both be active right??? 1 in and 1 out...
Basically what i want to know is 1: is the neutral wire attached only to the freezer motor or whatever it does? and 2: will a new thermostat such as one from tobins be able to simply replace the one i ripped out?
Justin
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Ok, as above I'm no electrician, but the above thermostat can just replace the one you pulled out. Remember though that there is probably one more tab on the Tobins thermostat than on the one in your freezer (because your freezer one only works one way remember, only cools vs the Tobins ability to heat and cool.)
Without looking at the thermostat I'd be tipping that both the wires you talk about coming off the thermostat are active leads (they have to be because that's the way it works), it should be pretty much as I've shown above. Just think of the thermostat as a simple switch, therefore it just makes a break in the active wire which you then switch on and off to control the unit. As you stated one is probably an earth (you need to check this and make sure you have the right one) and the other two will be active leads. Try and remember that because I have put a switch in before the thermostat that only one wire is really running through the thermostat at any one time. If you don't want to control a heating or cooling option then you don't put in the switch and you only hook up ONE wire (yes the common stays attached, I'm not talking about that one,just the No 1 and 2 terminals). DO NOT CONNECT BOTH THE 1 AND 2 TERMINALS AT ONCE. That's why the switch is in there.
Ok, be safe and good luck.
Cheers, Justin
Without looking at the thermostat I'd be tipping that both the wires you talk about coming off the thermostat are active leads (they have to be because that's the way it works), it should be pretty much as I've shown above. Just think of the thermostat as a simple switch, therefore it just makes a break in the active wire which you then switch on and off to control the unit. As you stated one is probably an earth (you need to check this and make sure you have the right one) and the other two will be active leads. Try and remember that because I have put a switch in before the thermostat that only one wire is really running through the thermostat at any one time. If you don't want to control a heating or cooling option then you don't put in the switch and you only hook up ONE wire (yes the common stays attached, I'm not talking about that one,just the No 1 and 2 terminals). DO NOT CONNECT BOTH THE 1 AND 2 TERMINALS AT ONCE. That's why the switch is in there.
Ok, be safe and good luck.
Cheers, Justin
Thanks for your help Justin, just another question or 2.
There are 3 wires into the old th'stat, a green and yellow (the earth), a black wire and a brown wire. My understanding is that black is normally neutral. This confuses me if there is only 1 active wire going in???
Also, about tobins, they havent returned my email how long did it take you to get hold of them and did you email or call?
There are 3 wires into the old th'stat, a green and yellow (the earth), a black wire and a brown wire. My understanding is that black is normally neutral. This confuses me if there is only 1 active wire going in???
Also, about tobins, they havent returned my email how long did it take you to get hold of them and did you email or call?
Justin
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I emailed them and got a reply but did the order over the phone. It's best to call them anyway as I couldn't find a happy way of paying by credit card over the net (it's not a secure site). Factor in about $6-8 for postage in an express post satchel.
I'm sorry about the wiring but I just can't give you much more info without looking at your situation as I'm just making wild guesses, and that's not safe-there are consequences for stuffing up here. There are complicating factors such as the running of the compressor and stuff which make it a bit harder to work it out on this side of the screen. Does the freezer just stay on all the time and hence just get bloody cold? If so just make an inline thermostat with an extension lead like I did above and control the freezer that way. Or if you can bypass the thermostat in the freezer (so it runs all the time) you can do it that way as well (with the external inline job). You can make this option to cantain within the freezer itself.
If I was able to look at it I could help you no worries as it's pretty simple but I just can't tell you what to do without looking at it. I have no idea what's going on in your particular freezer. You're going to have to ask around all your mates (or your Dad's mates, anyone you know) an see if anyone knows what they're doing and if they can give you a hand. Worst case get a fridgey or sparky to help. I just can't safely give out the necessary info over the net like this, sorry.
Good luck with it though.
Cheers, Justin
I'm sorry about the wiring but I just can't give you much more info without looking at your situation as I'm just making wild guesses, and that's not safe-there are consequences for stuffing up here. There are complicating factors such as the running of the compressor and stuff which make it a bit harder to work it out on this side of the screen. Does the freezer just stay on all the time and hence just get bloody cold? If so just make an inline thermostat with an extension lead like I did above and control the freezer that way. Or if you can bypass the thermostat in the freezer (so it runs all the time) you can do it that way as well (with the external inline job). You can make this option to cantain within the freezer itself.
If I was able to look at it I could help you no worries as it's pretty simple but I just can't tell you what to do without looking at it. I have no idea what's going on in your particular freezer. You're going to have to ask around all your mates (or your Dad's mates, anyone you know) an see if anyone knows what they're doing and if they can give you a hand. Worst case get a fridgey or sparky to help. I just can't safely give out the necessary info over the net like this, sorry.
Good luck with it though.
Cheers, Justin
Thanks for your help justin, ill talk to a few people and im going to take the part i pulled out to a local fridge fixer second hand dealer today. Maybe he might help, maybe he'll try and sell me a new one. Any way, i understand you cant help with out seeing it.
Thanks again.
Jim.
Thanks again.
Jim.
Justin
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Yep, mine didn't have any directions either, and packed the same. Just the plain old thermostat and the knob. There is a little wiring diagram on the back of the thermostat that shows you the common and then the switched lugs but not which ones open when. I just sat down and had a think about what I wanted and pulled the multimeter out and built it. Glad to hear your underway, sorry it took so long to get back to you with a diagram.
Cheers, Justin
Cheers, Justin
Those of you doing a freezer conversion might be more interested in keeping your freezer functionality whilst still allowing great fermentation control. For only a few extra $$ it would be worth it.
Go to www.rsaustralia.com and search for 2506061.
This thermostat has a temp range of -35C to 35C. The temp differential is +/- 0.5K.
There are offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Otherwise postage is probably $10. I haven't ordered yet, but will be soon.
Go to www.rsaustralia.com and search for 2506061.
This thermostat has a temp range of -35C to 35C. The temp differential is +/- 0.5K.
There are offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Otherwise postage is probably $10. I haven't ordered yet, but will be soon.
Justin
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Not a bad find. Although, if I want my freezer to work as a freezer I just unplug the thermostat. Ta da, back to a freezer (as was demonstrated when my flatmate turned the freezer on when I had allocated the thermostat to another short term duty. 18L ice blocks. Doh!!).
But yeah, it would be nice to be able to turn the temp down for a -1C lagering period. 0C is good enough for me. Looks like that one may have a differential of between 1 and 5C. The ?? marks are a bit confusing. Would do the job though.
Cheers, Justin
But yeah, it would be nice to be able to turn the temp down for a -1C lagering period. 0C is good enough for me. Looks like that one may have a differential of between 1 and 5C. The ?? marks are a bit confusing. Would do the job though.
Cheers, Justin
ive just turned my freezer to the min setting, in there i have a bottle of water and a bottle of beer, plus a few glass i think.
So hopefully it will be cold, but not too cold, i figure, frozen water should be ok, but frozen beer is not.
because just like the grea man said: "You know me, Marge. I like my beer cold, my t.v. loud, and my homosexuals, fuh-laaaaming." Homer Simpson
So hopefully it will be cold, but not too cold, i figure, frozen water should be ok, but frozen beer is not.
because just like the grea man said: "You know me, Marge. I like my beer cold, my t.v. loud, and my homosexuals, fuh-laaaaming." Homer Simpson
RobW
The Little Abbotsford Craftbrewery
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I have an old chest freezer that I run on the minimum setting & it swings between -8 & +8 but won't freeze things as long as they don't sit on the bottom (where the cooling coils are I guess). That's the air temp, I haven't got around to checking the temp of liquids. The more stuff I put in there to act as ballast the less the swing seems to be too.
i just checked mine then, its been going 2 or 3 hours i guess now since i turned it on, frost on the side walls, but nothing frozen yet, fingers crossed, but im not holding my breath.
also just installed my font on to the new freezer and fastened it ontop. The nut was cutting into the plastic on the bottom of the lid, so i cut a bit of timber approx 200mm x 50mm x 25mm and drilled a hole in it, so the pressure would be taken over a greater area. Works a treat.
anyway, ill leave the freezer on over night a check it when i get home tomorrow, hopefully no frozen stubby (but if it does freeze, will it still be all right?)
cheers
kman
also just installed my font on to the new freezer and fastened it ontop. The nut was cutting into the plastic on the bottom of the lid, so i cut a bit of timber approx 200mm x 50mm x 25mm and drilled a hole in it, so the pressure would be taken over a greater area. Works a treat.
anyway, ill leave the freezer on over night a check it when i get home tomorrow, hopefully no frozen stubby (but if it does freeze, will it still be all right?)
cheers
kman
Thermostat arrived today.
Installed it tonight.
Took a bunch of photos and have added them to a sub album in the gallery. You can check them out here
I'll add more photos as my conversion comes along.
Got an email from a mate in NZ and he has a four tap font on the way for me, so should only be a matter of a couple of weeks and she'll all be finished and under load testing B)
Doc
Installed it tonight.
Took a bunch of photos and have added them to a sub album in the gallery. You can check them out here
I'll add more photos as my conversion comes along.
Got an email from a mate in NZ and he has a four tap font on the way for me, so should only be a matter of a couple of weeks and she'll all be finished and under load testing B)
Doc
do you have any electrical style experence in stuff like this? and if not was it hard to install?
and where, how much, delivery time........... thermostat, understand?
(sorry, 7 too many beers maybe
)
im also going to steal your idea of using cutouts too see how many kegs will fit, i know i can get 4, but fingers crossed for 5 (or 4 and a gas bottle)
and where, how much, delivery time........... thermostat, understand?
(sorry, 7 too many beers maybe
)im also going to steal your idea of using cutouts too see how many kegs will fit, i know i can get 4, but fingers crossed for 5 (or 4 and a gas bottle)
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