Wiring A Fridgemate

[fraser_john]

Just put my Fridgemate in a case and figured I'd document it for others.

Note that I am NOT an electrician and this is just how I did it, I take no responsibility for any other installation effort.

View attachment Microsoft_Word___Wiring_a_Fridgemate.pdf

 

[benno1973]

Nice one! Wish I'd had this 2 weeks ago when I wired mine up!

 

[Sammus]

Awesome write up, if I didn't know exactly how to do it already, it would help a lot

 

[Frag_Dog]

Just my 2c....


When I wired my TempMate up I used a computer/kettle cord and adapter for the connection to mains, and a flush mounted power point for the fridge (and heat) to connect to. The temp probe was done using an RCA connector. That way there are no cords hanging out of the box. Pretty much just as 'Real Beer' did his

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...26500&st=40

Still a good write up that I'm sure heaps of people will find handy.

(I'm not an electrician either...)

 

[jonocarroll]

Seems like you've taken the same wiring route that I did for my TempMate. The terminal block really helps IMO.

A few points though;

• Your pictures look, well, terrible - have you enlarged small pictures, because they're coming out horribly pixellated for me.
• Your document lacks a wiring diagram, and considering the pictures are hard to see, it's pretty tricky to track which wire is going where. Lots of wiring diagrams are posted in the above thread, and they are clear and easy to follow.
• How did you cut the hole in the jiffy box? Some suggestions might help. I had a helluva time cutting the face plate for my TempMate, and would recommend doing it differently to how I did.
• You need a good picture of the screws holding the wires in place. This needs to be done properly otherwise you're likely to stuff up something dangerously.
• An old extension cord should already have two ends - male and female... why did you use a bare piece of wire? Cutting an extension cord into two will give you the electrical wire you need without the risk of wiring your own plug/socket.

As for the concept in general, surely there's enough info on the forum to do this properly. If there's not, then you should be leaving it to an electrician. Sorry if that bursts your bubble, but I'm being honest.

 

[fraser_john]

Seems like you've taken the same wiring route that I did for my TempMate. The terminal block really helps IMO.

A few points though;

• Your pictures look, well, terrible - have you enlarged small pictures, because they're coming out horribly pixellated for me.

• 
  
  Yeah, odd that, its actually because they are resized down so much! I probably should have just kept them a larger size rather than try get them small enough to work in a document.
  
  I did not bother with a wiring diagram as one comes with the Fridgemate and my wiring basically followed that.
  
  I had a shiite time cutting out the opening as well! I ended up using my dremmel tool, but by crikey the plastic they use sure smells noxious whilst its melting! Probably a small hacksaw blade would be better???
  
  John

 

[Beejay]

I must say that I used the following for mine and found it to be quite good also

http://helms-deep.cable.nu/~rwh/blog/?p=29

Nice effort though this one

 

[Carboy]

Just put my Fridgemate in a case and figured I'd document it for others.

Note that I am NOT an electrician and this is just how I did it, I take no responsibility for any other installation effort.

Hi fraser_john,

Great stuff, this is the first time I full understand how to wire a Fridgemate, I've been reluctant to buy one, but now thanks to you Ross will get another sale. :super:

Cheers
Carboy

 

[jonocarroll]

I had a shiite time cutting out the opening as well! I ended up using my dremmel tool, but by crikey the plastic they use sure smells noxious whilst its melting! Probably a small hacksaw blade would be better???

I bought my dremmel (knock off) just after I cut this - partly because I never wanted to have to cut like that again. I used a drill to put a pilot hole in, then used a hacksaw to cut around, but didn't get it quite right and had to file the rest back. Damn that took forever - reasonably hard plastic made it a pain, plus the smell really got up my nose with the filings. Grrr.

 

[bradsbrew]

Thanks Fraser john this was great timing as I only recieved my fridgemate on thurs and your post helped me heaps its good to have something visual to triple check that I was reading the wiring plan right.

Its now set up in its box and am just getting the tucker box up to temp so I can get a fermenter in there.


The other links helped as well guys.

Brad

 

[Rob C]

How about leave it and get an electrician to wire it up and not rink the chance of hurting someone.

Rob

 

[bum]

I reckon if you're feeling confident enough that you can do it then you probably can. I would let a supervised child build one of these. Not that dangerous.

I must say that I used the following for mine and found it to be quite good also

http://helms-deep.cable.nu/~rwh/blog/?p=29

Yeah, I used this when I built mine and it was extremely helpful.

 

[hazard]

I reckon if you're feeling confident enough that you can do it then you probably can. I would let a supervised child build one of these. Not that dangerous.

I just got my son to wire up my new fridgemate, its got down to 14 deg in my brew room and i need to warm up the fermenter.

Question - where do people place the probe?

 

[Ross]

I just got my son to wire up my new fridgemate, its got down to 14 deg in my brew room and i need to warm up the fermenter.

Question - where do people place the probe?

Beer Out Diptube from a keg - silicon or glue up the end & crimp flat with pliers - Insert diptube through airlock grommet & then feed probe down the diptube to be immersed in the beer.

cheap, simple & highly effective ....otherwise, just tape on outside of fermenter with a bit of foam over it.

cheers Ross

 

[Verbyla]

Yeah iv heard that if you tape it to the fermenter and then place foam over it, that it stays within about 1 degree of the wort temperature or just do what ross said to do above

 

[Gavo]

just tape on outside of fermenter with a bit of foam over it.

That's what I do. Gotta love the tempmate, getting down to single digits overnight now and the Ales are sitting on a toasty 18 degrees C.

Cheers to a great product.
Gavo.

 

[Rob C]

otherwise, just tape on outside of fermenter with a bit of foam over it.

cheers Ross

Ross lets say if the temp was set to 18C with the temp differential the temp of the fermenting beer would vary between 16 - 20C will this have a big effect on the beer its self?

Cheers
Rob

 

[Mayo]

If you don't have a drill, or any tools for that matter, how do you put holes in this 'box' and cut a rectangle? Scissors surely wont do the job i wouldnt think.

Where did you get the box from?

 

[Sammus]

If you don't have a drill, or any tools for that matter, how do you put holes in this 'box' and cut a rectangle? Scissors surely wont do the job i wouldnt think.

Where did you get the box from?

You get some tools somehow.

That's like asking "if I don't have a lisence, or a car, or any kind of motor vehicle for that matter, how can I drive myself around?"

Jaycar have a huge selection of project boxes for this kind of thing.

 

[skippy]

dont get sparked, ken.