Shilala's Perfect Frigidaire Wine Fridge How To

[G G]

Originally Posted by shilala

I don't know anything about that thermostat, so we'll just have to see what happens once you load it up.
58 wouldn't be awful, but it's too cold for me. It'd be okay for me if I had a regular humi on top and moved "smokes I was going to smoke" up there to warm.
I always smoke out of my travel humidors, so it would be fine, I suppose.

If it don't get a little warmer I will probably do the temp control. I hope to get it to at least mid 60s.

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Okay so I got the other drawers back today. I now have all of them in (5) and am now going to wait and see what it stabilizes at and go from there.

Calling TG calling TG. Adam, Scott says you are the man as far as getting good prices on temp controls. If I have to buy one, ballpark what are we talking about?

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I have tried and tried to get the temp set and I can't get it to go high enough. I am going to send a PM to T.G. and see where to get a temp control from.

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Is this what I need? I am awaiting Adam's reply but plundering around on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Contro...ure+controller

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This was kinda on the backburner for the last while. Had life get in the way with lots of crap. Anyway Adam has suggested a few temp controls and I will be getting a Johnson A419 digital. Since the temp won't go above mid 40s I gotta get it up. There is also a condensation problem as well. The condensation builds up in the bottom of the evaporator to the point that if I don't wipe it out once every couple weeks it will spill over into the bottom. No cigars are getting wet or anything,, because I keep it wiped out and keep the drawers pulled toward the door so they aren't as close to the condenation as they would be pushed all the way in.

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Update: I ordered and received the Johnson Temp control. Since I already had the wire for the three fans running up through the drain hole, I figured I would run the temp probe the same way. When I pulled all the drawers out and looked at the back where the drain comes out, the drip pan (sits on top of the compressor) was kinda in the way. It pops off, so I removed it. The temp probe still wouldn't go up in the drain tube. I could tell by looking at the drain from the inside that it has an insert that makes the drain smaller. I took a pair of pliers with a screw driver handle and gently tapped the drain from the bottom and it came loose on the inside and I removed it. That made the drain hole just big enough that I could run the temp probe up through it. I'm going the seal it up with the electricians putty that Shilala recommended. It is scheduled to be delivered today. I set the temp at 65. I have never used a temp controller before so I asked a couple more questions of TG and he has answered them and I thank him for his recommendations and help choosing the temp controller and his help in the settings.

I have the setting for the setpoint at 65 F. There is also a setting for differential and as TG explained it that is the temp that it will go to below the setpoint before it cuts the fridge off. The differential comes defaulted at 5 degrees. So with the setpoint at 65 with a differential of 5 it will go down to 60 degrees before it cuts off. TG explained that if you have the differential too close to the set point it will cycle the compressor too often and for very short periods leading to premature failure of the comoressor, so he said 5 is good. I am waiting for the thing to stabilize since it was empty for an hour or two while i was working on it and will update soon.

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Also got the electricians putty in today and went and plugged up the drain from the top and bottom.

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I meant to point out that when I cleaned the siliconized crap outta the drain, it didn't ever cure all the way inside and it came out goopy. I will forevermore never use any of that again and will use the Shilala endorsed electricians putty as it doesn't set up and stays pliable. I wold think that if I ever have to unplug it and replug it would be easy to do with the putty. I am also thinking of setting the set point a little higher than what I have it at. Any suggestions on what to put it at? Thinking bout putting the set point at 68 or 69, and that would mean it would cut out at 63 or 64 respectively.

[T.G]

The problem with 68 or 69 degrees F, is that you are basing the cut-out on the temp around the sensor. If another area of the humidior is higher, or the sensor is out of calibration and reading low, then you have an area, or possibly the entire humidor, that is running at 70-something.

65 gives you a nice margin of error / buffer.

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Originally Posted by T.G

The problem with 68 or 69 degrees F, is that you are basing the cut-out on the temp around the sensor. If another area of the humidior is higher, or the sensor is out of calibration and reading low, then you have an area, or possibly the entire humidor, that is running at 70-something.

65 gives you a nice margin of error / buffer.

Adam, I was hoping you would reply since you already told me that when we were messaging. I went back last night and re-read the whole thread. I saw where Shilala posted that he always kept his set at 72. Was hoping he would post too and give us a couple of reasons why. I will probably leave mine where it is since it seems to be a little warmer in the bottom. I know common sense says that hot air rises, and I am sure you and Scott can both explain the physics of it better than I know. I have learned that when we are dealing with these humidors, vinos and such it isn't always gonna act like it's supposed to. Thanks for all your help too.

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Here are a few photos of the humi now that I have the temp control in and it's been going for about 4 days, I think it's starting to settle in. I also bought a Taylor Thermometer because it popped up when I bought the temp control on Amazon and even though the one's that Shilala gave me work great this one is bog enough that my old eyes can see without squinting too much. I am using the two that Shilala gave me in the bottom and top. And as you can see it's warmer in the bottom that in the top. You can't see it in the pictures but the temp sensor for the controller is in the top of the unit right behind the light fixture. So the readings that you get are from the very top of the unit.

I think I forgot to mention that I got some cannisters from Michael to put my beads that I got from Shilala, they are the pencil eraser kind.

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The humidity is hanging in around 59 or 60 %. I calibrated the hygrometer when I started all this so I think I will do it again.

[afranco]

Looks good brother !!!!!

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Thanks Alfredo.

I salt tested the Caliber III hygro, well actually it's still testing. It went to about 66% pretty quickly and this morning it was reading 66% and 74.2 degrees. I think I may need to get another one. Anyone have any recommendations? I hate buying hygros because I have never had one that really worked accurately for me.

Does anyone know how much the temp affects the humidity? I mean is there a scale you can apply? For instance if it's 75 degrees and 75% then if it's 70 degrees will it be x amount %.

[shilala]

The Humidity is Relative to the temperature, that's why they call it relative humidity, meat.
There's no chart, because it's not a direct relationship.
Anyways, it looks like you're right where you want to be!!!
Congratulations!!!

[G G]

Originally Posted by shilala

The Humidity is Relative to the temperature, that's why they call it relative humidity, meat.
There's no chart, because it's not a direct relationship.
Anyways, it looks like you're right where you want to be!!!
Congratulations!!!

Okay Scooter, I knew it was RELATIVE, hence why i asked it it was somewhat predictable. LOL. I was thinking about buting a new hygrometer but I prolly won't. Just let it sit and only open it when I want a cigar and just let it be. Thanks.

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I was curious about the fact that it seems to be backwards from usual reality in the fact that it's warmer in the botton than in the top.

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Just ordered a boveda calibration kit for $7.95 shipped on Amazon. I don't believe I have ever really gotten the salt test at the right dampness.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by G G

I was curious about the fact that it seems to be backwards from usual reality in the fact that it's warmer in the botton than in the top.

I have two thoughts on that, both SWAGs

1) Poor air circulation in the cabinet.
2) The compressor motor is at the bottom of the enclosure and the insulation is allowing some heat from it to pass into the cabinet.

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I'm not sure Adam. I know that the fans are blowing the air around pretty good on the back wall of the unit. You can feel it all the way to the bottom. The second part is true the compressor is underneath the bottom rear of the unit so that is probably the culprit.