Upgrades: WineCooler/Humidor

[Chainsaw13]

Originally Posted by Wharf Rat

If your thermostat is set to 61 and your room is in the 70s, the refrigeration will need to constantly cool the interior. He cooling surfaces will condense water out of the air. So, it’s constantly fighting against your urge to add humidity.

That’s a very good point. You can always look into an Inkbird temp controller to take over the temp controls. They’re not expensive and do a good job.

[hikari]

Originally Posted by Chainsaw13

That’s a very good point. You can always look into an Inkbird temp controller to take over the temp controls. They’re not expensive and do a good job.

I already have and was using the A419 temperature Johnson controller. I just wanted to see where I was at without it on this build. Maybe it was wishful thinking that I would not need it again.

[Chainsaw13]

Originally Posted by hikari

I already have and was using the A419 temperature Johnson controller. I just wanted to see where I was at without it on this build. Maybe it was wishful thinking that I would not need it again.

That’s right.

[hikari]

Lol just went ahead and added the A419.
ran through the drain whole of course and resealed it.

Also went ahead and ran. a sponge of distilled water over all the trays.

I set temp on A419 for 72f for now

FYI there was water in the channel to the drain whole. Normally I put beads down here but didn't before due to the possibility of adding the A419. Which I ended up doing lol so have beads down their now.

[hikari]

Update:

[hikari]

--Could use some Help--

I'm still trying to get to the bottom of humidity with this box.

So I know when it turns on and goes low to 50% and slowly rises. too low 60%
I should have enough beads.

As said before, I plugged the drain whole

The unit is split in two-zone top and bottom. I like this because I figured I wouldn't have to circulate the fans so much.

With that said, RF holds steady fine when it's not on. So don't believe there are any leaks.

I've been trying to be patient here thinking it's cigars and ceder trays soaking up a lot. I keep rehydrating silicon beads every two days just to make sure they are good, and then they're making it to 80% white.

I'm only hydrating my old beads. New ones are in there haven't touched them.

I'm not wondering the back wall inside there are two fans build in—one in each zone. I'm thinking their connected to a plate which is cooling down by the compressor. But not I'm wondering are those fans brining in outside air as well.

Don't have time this week to pull anything apart. I was wondering if anyone has run into this and what they have found.

It will kind of suck if it is then will have to find a way of closing this down without breaking it. I already ordered new custom shelves/trays, so don't want to swap the unit out for a different one.

Still a chance this is just in my head, but I'm blowing throw beads faster then I thought. In this time, I think I'm almost through 1gal of distilled water.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions. Not new to this but second-guessing everything at this point.

[Wharf Rat]

When the cooling system is on, it’s pulling moisture out faster than the beads can replace it. So, you RH drops until the system shuts down and the beads catch up. I do not know the capabilties of your controller. If possible, try reducing the size of the deadband. This will make the cooling system turn on more frequently, for shorter periods of time. So, the RH won’t pull down as much on any cycle.

Your measurement means is giving you a lot of info. Probably, the behavior you are seeing is pretty normal for a system like this. But, most folks aren’t aware because they can’t measure continuously.

[CigarNut]

First, I would recommend taking your cigars out of the wine cooler and putting them in a Tupperware or similar container or Ziploc bags along with the beads. Cigars are resilient and will be fine.

Empty, your wine cooler should hold a steady RH for at least 48 hours. If you place a wet sponge in your empty wine cooler with a hygrometer, raise the RH until it holds steady (at least a day) at say, 70% (or even more), then remove the sponge, the RH should stay steady. Even when the compressor comes on, the RH should raise back up when the compressor turns off. If you have a lot of wood, it may take a bit longer for the RH to rise to your desired level.

First, make sure that the RH holds steady without the compressor running. If that's OK, then turn the compressor on. You should measure the recovery time (how long it takes the RH to rise back up), and if it does not come back up, then look for other issues.

If the RH did not hold steady with the compressor off, then we need to look at other things first.

Have you fully seasoned the shelves/drawers? Any (and all) wood in a humidor needs to be seasoned periodically; at least twice a year is good.

Also, have you checked the door seal? Put some Vaseline (or similar gel) all around the door-side seal -- a complete as-smooth-as you-can bead. Then close the door and open it. Look for any gaps in the Vaseline on the cooler-side of the frame and those indicate a leak. (note: do not do this on wooden humidors!)

You only get one good shot at this -- you have to completely wipe the Vaseline off before doing it a second time.

Sorry if this is rambling... it's late

[hikari]

Originally Posted by Wharf Rat

When the cooling system is on, it’s pulling moisture out faster than the beads can replace it. So, you RH drops until the system shuts down and the beads catch up. I do not know the capabilties of your controller. If possible, try reducing the size of the deadband. This will make the cooling system turn on more frequently, for shorter periods of time. So, the RH won’t pull down as much on any cycle.

Your measurement means is giving you a lot of info. Probably, the behavior you are seeing is pretty normal for a system like this. But, most folks aren’t aware because they can’t measure continuously.

Thanks for that.

That makes a lot of since I wasn't aware of knew what a "Deadband" is had to google it
I have the unit set to 71f my house is normally set to 75f-72f depending on what time of day.

What would you suggest I wouldn't want it to get too hot in there by any chance there are Cubans in there that have not undergone the deepfreeze ...lol
Does it mean I just have to buy tons and tons more of beads? I have a mix of new HCM beads. I was going to pull my Heartfelt beads seeing their really old but they are still in there.
40oz of HCM and maybe more than that in hearthfelt

[Wharf Rat]

They are calling the deadband the temperature differential. If you decrease it, you may also need to adjust the short cycle delay, since you are making the cycles shorter.

[hikari]

Originally Posted by CigarNut

First, I would recommend taking your cigars out of the wine cooler and putting them in a Tupperware or similar container or Ziploc bags along with the beads. Cigars are resilient and will be fine.

Empty, your wine cooler should hold a steady RH for at least 48 hours. If you place a wet sponge in your empty wine cooler with a hygrometer, raise the RH until it holds steady (at least a day) at say, 70% (or even more), then remove the sponge, the RH should stay steady. Even when the compressor comes on, the RH should raise back up when the compressor turns off. If you have a lot of wood, it may take a bit longer for the RH to rise to your desired level.

First, make sure that the RH holds steady without the compressor running. If that's OK, then turn the compressor on. You should measure the recovery time (how long it takes the RH to rise back up), and if it does not come back up, then look for other issues.

If the RH did not hold steady with the compressor off, then we need to look at other things first.

Have you fully seasoned the shelves/drawers? Any (and all) wood in a humidor needs to be seasoned periodically; at least twice a year is good.

Also, have you checked the door seal? Put some Vaseline (or similar gel) all around the door-side seal -- a complete as-smooth-as you-can bead. Then close the door and open it. Look for any gaps in the Vaseline on the cooler-side of the frame and those indicate a leak. (note: do not do this on wooden humidors!)

You only get one good shot at this -- you have to completely wipe the Vaseline off before doing it a second time.

Sorry if this is rambling... it's late

Great tip with the vaseline.
I've never heard or done this. I've done the flashlight and the dollar bill tests and they were fine. It does hold fine without the compressor on for at least 24hrs not sure if I tested longer then that without it when I first sealed up the drip whole.

[bonjing]

Have you checked that the door seals? I may have skipped over that part in the thread. I only ask because my little winedor I did realign the door. But sometime recently I realized my chubby self used the door to help myself up and misaligned the door causing a gap. Not too bad of a gap but just something I randomly saw. Not sure how long it was like that for but being in the Bay Area our humidity issues aren’t too bad for cigars.

Covered by Michael it’s still early and I’m only on my second cup of coffee

[hikari]

Originally Posted by bonjing

Have you checked that the door seals? I may have skipped over that part in the thread. I only ask because my little winedor I did realign the door. But sometime recently I realized my chubby self used the door to help myself up and misaligned the door causing a gap. Not too bad of a gap but just something I randomly saw. Not sure how long it was like that for but being in the Bay Area our humidity issues aren’t too bad for cigars.

Covered by Michael it’s still early and I’m only on my second cup of coffee

I did a flashlight test when I first set it up and that seemed fine.
@CigarNut suggested to put some vaseline around it and test with that. Sounded like a good time may try that as well.

Was trying to be patient and let things accumulate a bit nothing was new in there came from another unit but other unit broke so could be low for a month or two.

I'm rehydrating the Heartfelt beads at the moment. FYI these are 65rf beads
I normally like my cigars 62-65 and worked well with old wineador

Question:
First time using HCM beads. To my understanding, these come at 65 as well. But they are configurable from what I read to different RFs

Could the heartfelt be fighting with the HCM beads as these are configurable?
Is this being counterproductive?

Should I consider 70RF for this unit to just keep being patient

[hikari]

Update:

Custom Cigar trays/Shelves came on Saturday
here are some images.






FYI: I still have a few of the old ones in there just for now. till things acclimate a bit

[Chainsaw13]

Looking good!

[CigarNut]

Looks good!

FYI, the HCM Beads will not "fight" the Heartfelt beads; HCM beads will adjust to the same RH as the Heartfelt beads.

[icehog3]

Looking good, Thomas!