Inaccurate kegerator temperature

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A few months ago I bought a used Mangrove Jack's kegerator. Had been meaning to check the internal temperature against what the external reading is giving, to make sure it was accurate. I always had a suspicion it was actually higher than the setting and display were giving. So eventually I got around to testing it last week.

I put a digital thermometer and a remote thermometer in the kegerator and left for a few hours. One is high at the back and the other low at the front. They gave consistent readings about 0.5° difference from each other. But a whopping 6° degrees higher than the temp display was giving. Kegerator was set to 2°, but was closer to 8° inside.

I started lowering the temperature in the kegerator 1° at a time. After a couple of days, I had it set to -3° with the internal temp at around 3°. So the discrepancy has been fixed at 6° over that range.

I then started searching around for other reports of this discrepancy and found lots. Some referred to a bulletin from a kegerator manufacturer which I eventually unearthed. I'm attaching it here. It gives full instructions on how to rectify this issue.

What it says it that you can have the external reading (and setting) more accurately reflect the internal temperature by soldering a resistor in parallel with the probe. The resistor used can be either a 100k ohm (for a 3° differential) or a 33k ohm for a 6° differential.

I'm posting this here because I've found no reference to it anywhere here and as these kegerators are sold under a myriad of brand names, this may apply to any number out there. You may be aware that there is a temp differential on your kegerator or maybe not. But worth checking and making the modification if needed.
 

Attachments

  • 80401-Series-3-Temp-Modification.pdf
    540.3 KB
Thanks for the info. I have just acquired a free larder fridge and find it's not running cold enough. Will try a few resistors on the thermostats probe to hopefully drop it down a bit.
Cheers
 
Thanks for the info. I have just acquired a free larder fridge and find it's not running cold enough. Will try a few resistors on the thermostats probe to hopefully drop it down a bit.
Cheers

Don't bother messing about adding things that may not be applicable to you fridge thermostat buy an inkbird external temperature controler and have done they are accurate and you can set as many slightly different fermenting and storing temperatures as you like.
 
Don't bother messing about adding things that may not be applicable to you fridge thermostat buy an inkbird external temperature controler and have done they are accurate and you can set as many slightly different fermenting and storing temperatures as you like.
I have an Inkbird, the problem is that the fridge only goes as low as 9 deg C.
I thought by fitting a resister I can get the compressor to run for longer.
 
I have an indesit larder fridge which i bought new, i run it with an inkbird all i had to do was turn the thermostat up to full to give the inkbird total control, i believe older fridges will not do this and have to be modified
 
I have an Inkbird, the problem is that the fridge only goes as low as 9 deg C.
I thought by fitting a resister I can get the compressor to run for longer.
Nope. That fridge is short of gas. 10c is the classic symptom.

Get it regassed and leak tested or accept you have an insulated cupboard.

Ain't no resister going to fix it. Plug it in normally - promise you it will never get down to temp. The stat is calling because its too warm.
 

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