Advice on modding a fridge/freezer

[Paulus]

Hi, I plan on starting to use a fridge/chest freezer for fermenting/carbonating and was wondering if anyone has advice on how best to get an ink-bird thermocouple into the cabinet without breaking anything?

I assume the door will have the least chance of tubes etc running through it and could drill a small hole through with hopefully a gland to hold the cable in place and stop too much cold air escaping?

 

[jof]

If you searched the forum for prevoius threads about fridge conversions, you would find that some models already come with a drain hole just above the bottom shelf.
This has been succesdfully used to thread the temperature sensor wires through by several forum members.

 

[Mayor of Simpleton]

Yep. I use the drain hole to run the Inkbird temperature probe and the power to a tube heater into my fermentation fridge. No mods needed at all.

 

[MashBag]

What they said.
And some fridges have a hole for their wire runs (lights&probes). Trace those.

 

[Paulus]

I have looked and agree that most fridges have a drain hole which would be OK.

I was not specific enough in my first post. I really plan to use a chest freezer due to the thing being the best size for my install area.

I have a good working knowledge of how refrigeration works, but a lack of the practical on where the cooling and evaporation coils are likely to run for a chest freezer. The block in the base of a chest freezer contains the compressor etc. but other than that I am worried about hitting a cooling tube. I could drill through the lid but would prefer a wall as the thing will be outside. I think a through gland is impractical (the wall being too deep) so am unsure about the best way to go with this.

 

[tigertim]

The drainage hole is always an option, but make sure you put a drip loop in your sensor cable so that condensate still drips into the collector on top of the compressor and doesn't run down the cable and on to the floor!

If it helps, all modern fridges I've encountered only have the evaporator (and condenser) on the back panel of the fridge; it's cheaper to manufacture that way. So you're normally clear to drill anywhere else. Obviously, this is a guideline only and your mileage may vary - do your own research etc etc It's good practice to make any holes from the inside out because it's easy to make delicate holes with hand tools through the plastic moulding on the inside of the fridge and through the insulation to the outside steel skin. When you've hit the steel skin, you know you're then safe to drill (you can punch it from the inside to make a dent in the skin, then punch and drill from the outside).

ETA : I see you're mentioning chest freezers and I have no real experience working with them so my advice above isn't particularly relevant. I'll leave it there though, in case it helps somebody in the future.

 

[Antbeer]

Hi, I plan on starting to use a fridge/chest freezer for fermenting/carbonating and was wondering if anyone has advice on how best to get an ink-bird thermocouple into the cabinet without breaking anything?

I assume the door will have the least chance of tubes etc running through it and could drill a small hole through with hopefully a gland to hold the cable in place and stop too much cold air escaping?

Hi
My freezer wasn’t tall enough for my Fermzilla so I used a piece of 6”x2” as a box frame to raise the lid.
Wire to power socket goes through timber for heat belt, as does wire for sensor probe.
Hope that helps.

 

[RitaRen]

The drainage hole is always an option, but make sure you put a drip loop in your sensor cable so that condensate still drips into the collector on top of the compressor and doesn't run down the cable and on to the floor!

If it helps, all modern fridges I've encountered only have the evaporator (and condenser) on the back panel of the fridge; it's cheaper to manufacture that way. So you're normally clear to drill anywhere else. Obviously, this is a guideline only and your mileage may vary - do your own research etc etc It's good practice to make any holes from the inside out because it's easy to make delicate holes with hand tools through the plastic moulding on the inside of the fridge and through the insulation to the outside steel skin. When you've hit the steel skin, you know you're then safe to drill (you can punch it from the inside to make a dent in the skin, then punch and drill from the outside).

ETA : I see you're mentioning chest freezers and I have no real experience working with them so my advice above isn't particularly relevant. I'll leave it there though, in case it helps somebody in the future.

Thanks for sharing! This information is really useful and has provided me with a lot of valuable insights.

 

[Paulus]

Hi
My freezer wasn’t tall enough for my Fermzilla so I used a piece of 6”x2” as a box frame to raise the lid.
Wire to power socket goes through timber for heat belt, as does wire for sensor probe.
Hope that helps.

That does sound like a good idea. I am looking at 60x60cm chest freezers cause I need 2 rather than a single large one. I just need to get the inner dimensions before negotiating a price for 2nd hand. I use an Apollo 30L snub nose fermenter so 45x45 by 70cm deep. Not sure what a standard 60x60cm horizontal freezer has.

 

[MashBag]

There is pipes in them sides. Defo
With a chest freezer you could go to the opposite end?

Some good tips for gently going in here.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/chiller-exit-temperature.102162/