Quads
12-09-2009, 07:39 PM
Came across this little goodie and figured it would be useful here, as well for the kegerator peeps.
DIY: Eco-responsible super fridge
by Dave Freeman (http://www.crunchgear.com/author/dfreeman/) on August 17, 2009
http://perfectmancave.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=17&stc=1&d=1260410693
One of the problems with modern society going “green” is that many of our appliances are inherently inefficient. Take for example the refrigerators and freezers that many of us use. A vertical fridge/freezer combination just isn’t that energy efficient, even if it is “energy star” rated. Most fridges waste upwards of 365 kWh a year. So what can be done?
So what’s a more effective alternative to your current fridge? Look no further then the basic chest freezer. Since cold air sinks, chest freezers have long been known to be a more efficient freezing solution, but what about refrigeration? Heaven knows you don’t want to freeze your tofu. One clever solution (http://mtbest.net/chest_fridge.html) is to replace the thermostat (http://mtbest.net/freezer-to-fridge-thermostat.html) with one designed to shut off the motor on the freezer, allowing you to better control the cooling without freezing your food unintentionally. Properly set up, you can less energy to cool your food for a day than a 100-watt incandescent bulb does in an hour. So no only will you help the environment, but you’ll save money too.
Even better than that with a little digging around, I came across this goodie:
Digital Temp. Controller (http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/fermenting-equipment/fermentation-temperature-control/johnson-controls-a419-digital-temp-controller.html) All the brain work is taken out of it. Plus this into your wall, plug the freezer into this, and poke the probe into the freezer. Turns the freezer on and off at the programmed temps (high / low) and bypasses the freezers thermostat all together.
Enjoy this, and the many other tid bits I bring you, while the forum is still free.
DIY: Eco-responsible super fridge
by Dave Freeman (http://www.crunchgear.com/author/dfreeman/) on August 17, 2009
http://perfectmancave.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=17&stc=1&d=1260410693
One of the problems with modern society going “green” is that many of our appliances are inherently inefficient. Take for example the refrigerators and freezers that many of us use. A vertical fridge/freezer combination just isn’t that energy efficient, even if it is “energy star” rated. Most fridges waste upwards of 365 kWh a year. So what can be done?
So what’s a more effective alternative to your current fridge? Look no further then the basic chest freezer. Since cold air sinks, chest freezers have long been known to be a more efficient freezing solution, but what about refrigeration? Heaven knows you don’t want to freeze your tofu. One clever solution (http://mtbest.net/chest_fridge.html) is to replace the thermostat (http://mtbest.net/freezer-to-fridge-thermostat.html) with one designed to shut off the motor on the freezer, allowing you to better control the cooling without freezing your food unintentionally. Properly set up, you can less energy to cool your food for a day than a 100-watt incandescent bulb does in an hour. So no only will you help the environment, but you’ll save money too.
Even better than that with a little digging around, I came across this goodie:
Digital Temp. Controller (http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/fermenting-equipment/fermentation-temperature-control/johnson-controls-a419-digital-temp-controller.html) All the brain work is taken out of it. Plus this into your wall, plug the freezer into this, and poke the probe into the freezer. Turns the freezer on and off at the programmed temps (high / low) and bypasses the freezers thermostat all together.
Enjoy this, and the many other tid bits I bring you, while the forum is still free.