Another Fridge Question...

[Mrobson]

Acquired a fermentation fridge, got an inkbird & a heater to installl, can I just drill out the drain hole (seems to be made out plastic) or would it be best to drill through the side of the fridge itself?

Cheers

 

[Brew_DD2]

What are you needing to drill a hole for? Cables should pass through the door hinge with minimal effort or modification.

 

[Mrobson]

Was hoping to not interfere with the seal leaving it as air tight as possible, surly running a cable between the fridge and the seal itself wouldn’t be the best way of doing it?

 

[Wabby]

All my cables fit through the drain hole. Just.

 

[m_rawdin]

I just pass my heater cable and inkbird temperature probe wire through the seal on the hinge side of the door. Why do you need it to be 100% air tight? There isn't much of a gap to be honest, the fridge doesn't really get a chance to turn on anyway living in England! The heater will be getting used most of the time and you won't really lose much heat out of the small gap in the door. Just easier doing it this way than drilling a hole in your fridge.

 

[BarnBrian]

On one of my fridges I managed to get heater and probe wires through the drain hole without drilling, tight fit so I lubricated with washing up liquid. On my second fridge I had to drill the drain hole out a touch.
For me, going through the drain hole is the best option.

Brian

 

[Bigcol49]

For me, going through the drain hole is the best option.

Ooooh, matron!

 

[Saisonator]

My heater cable goes through the drain hole and heat sensor through the door seal as it is a very thin cable.

 

[Mrobson]

No real reason for it to be air tight just not keen on ‘breaking the seal’ so to speak, cheers for the input guys, off to drill the drain rarther than the side of the fridge itself I think

 

[Gerryjo]

Both heater and probe cable are through the drain.Just push a screwdriver through it and take the plug top of the heater and refit.Once in push some bluetac between the cables.
Sorted.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[Clint]

Yeah...through the drain hole and just close the door on the probe cable. I suppose if you really wanted to you could cut a bit out of the door seal and run your heater and probe that way. Either way would be fine and like said the only time either the fridge or heater would work is in extreme ends of the temp range...once temp is reached,hot or cold,the inky cycles the fridge or heater in small amounts as the thermal mass of the fv combined with the insulation maintains the temp.

 

[yeastinfection]

as everyone else has said . heater cable throught the drain hole and temp sense between the seal,

 

[Graz]

On my two I've taken the temperature probe in through the drain hole and drilled a hole in the bottom corner to take the heater cable out. Just make sure there aren't any refrigeration pipes where you want to drill and it's good to go.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I've mounted the Inkbird in the door and brought the cables through the edge of the door. I got the idea from this post in another place: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=369244
My efforts weren't as neat!
It's too much effort to get access to the rear of my fridge to put cables through the hole.
Before this mod, I put the cables underneath the door seal - carefully stripping about 2cm of outer insulation from the heater cable where it will pass beneath the door seal.

 

[BarnBrian]

Ooooh, matron!

Don't knock it till you've tried it:thumb:

 

[Mrobson]

So, drilled out the drain hole to fit the heater, probe & a 14 inch fan through. Got a wheat beer that’s been sat in there at a consistent temp for 24 hours. Happy days!

 

[Fil]

if going thru the door seal, do so at the top end not the bottom as cold air could fall out of a low breach in the seal., and blutack fills the gaps at the edge and can hold cables in place..

better thru the back/drain hole tho imho.

If struggling to fit the flex for the heater and probe thru the back drain hole you can investigate using a smaller diameter flex for the heater, check the watt draw and if under 200w Lighting flex is more than adequate and a lot thinner than the supplied flex. Do double check before acting on my word as im not qualified in any sense whatsoever to give electrical advice.. but the standard tube heaters employed are low power 40-60w devices, exchanging the standard 13a fuse for a 3a jobby would be worthwhile too.

If you do need to drill imho go up and out thru the top, and plug the hole with mastic or silicone

whoops a bit late, sure it'l be fine