rectifythis
CP; may cause dependency
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2006
- Messages
- 1,082
**UPDATED 8/13/08-POST #36 HAS A 2ND UNIT WITH MORE UPGRADES**
So I know my wine-o-dor is nothing fancy like many of the others but I still wanted to share with those who are thinking about it but don't want to put in all the extra effort so here goes...
The reason:
I live in Arizona. 5 months of the year is over 100 degrees....right now it's 115. After having beetles, I don't want to take any chances and try not to let my cigars get over 70 degrees. I couldn't do this with the home AC because my bill would be outrageous.
The solution:
Interscape referred me to the Vinotemp 28TEDS (Thermoelectric/Peltier) from Target for $199. I had to return the 1st one for damage. If you get one of these, make sure you inspect it because though they work well, the door hinges are weak.
My experience:
I wiped the inside down with soapy water and the plastic smell was gone within a day. I opted to buy some empty cigar boxes from the B&M rather than buying a bunch of cedar to line it with. The boxes work just as well as a buffer for humidity swings...actually I think it may be even better. I bought the boxes for $2-4 and made sure I got ones that were actually made of cedar...I even got an Opus box. I ordered a pound of 65 Viper beads and put them in a shallow glass plate to maximize surface area. I used 2 of the original wire shelves that came with the unit and may replace them with 2 cedar shelves someday but they work fine. I did not add any fans and don't really believe I need them. I open the door at least once a week...sometimes everyday.
The problem I encountered was the condensation produced by the unit when it runs. The water runs down the back of the unit to channels and a drain hole out the back. After time, it would drip onto the carpet from the back and pool at the bottom of the inside of the cooler. My solution which has seemed to work outstanding for the last month or so has been this: I plugged the drain hole with a cork and put some beads in the channel to absorb any stray moisture. I re-routed the flow of condensation run-off directly into the bead tray using some vinyl tape and a 3 ring binder divider. My cooler is now almost maintenance free. The moisture constantly recycles itself into the beads so I almost never mess with my beads and never have to wipe up condensation. Here are the pics:
So for under $300, I have a low maintenance, climate controlled cigar storage that still emanates the cedar smell. I wish I would have done this in the first place. I am very pleased with it. My humi was getting too small any how.
The climate:
The temp readout on the front is inaccurate. About 5 degrees off...no big deal. I have a few hygros inside and my findings are thus: I set the unit to 62 degrees and it stays 66/66 at the bottom. In the middle it hangs around 68 temp and 63 humidity. The top hangs around 70 degrees and 61 humidity. I can actually move my cigars around to the humidity that suits them the best. This unit does not need a timer as it doesn't overcool...I can set it to 66 and it will actually stay at 73 degrees. The humidity drops (up to 5%) when the unit is running but with the cigars inside the boxes, they are unaffected. I try not to set it too cold because the unit would run all the time consequently lowering the humidity quite a bit. The high 60's seem to be it's equilibrium for the time being. When the winter comes, I will lower it more to keep it closer to 60 degrees. The cigars are smoking perfectly I might add. :thumbs:
UPDATED PHOTO:
Final thoughts:
Anyone living in a warm environment and thinking about getting a thermoelectric unit...DO IT! You won't regret it.
Edit to add a detail
So I know my wine-o-dor is nothing fancy like many of the others but I still wanted to share with those who are thinking about it but don't want to put in all the extra effort so here goes...
The reason:
I live in Arizona. 5 months of the year is over 100 degrees....right now it's 115. After having beetles, I don't want to take any chances and try not to let my cigars get over 70 degrees. I couldn't do this with the home AC because my bill would be outrageous.
The solution:
Interscape referred me to the Vinotemp 28TEDS (Thermoelectric/Peltier) from Target for $199. I had to return the 1st one for damage. If you get one of these, make sure you inspect it because though they work well, the door hinges are weak.
My experience:
I wiped the inside down with soapy water and the plastic smell was gone within a day. I opted to buy some empty cigar boxes from the B&M rather than buying a bunch of cedar to line it with. The boxes work just as well as a buffer for humidity swings...actually I think it may be even better. I bought the boxes for $2-4 and made sure I got ones that were actually made of cedar...I even got an Opus box. I ordered a pound of 65 Viper beads and put them in a shallow glass plate to maximize surface area. I used 2 of the original wire shelves that came with the unit and may replace them with 2 cedar shelves someday but they work fine. I did not add any fans and don't really believe I need them. I open the door at least once a week...sometimes everyday.
The problem I encountered was the condensation produced by the unit when it runs. The water runs down the back of the unit to channels and a drain hole out the back. After time, it would drip onto the carpet from the back and pool at the bottom of the inside of the cooler. My solution which has seemed to work outstanding for the last month or so has been this: I plugged the drain hole with a cork and put some beads in the channel to absorb any stray moisture. I re-routed the flow of condensation run-off directly into the bead tray using some vinyl tape and a 3 ring binder divider. My cooler is now almost maintenance free. The moisture constantly recycles itself into the beads so I almost never mess with my beads and never have to wipe up condensation. Here are the pics:
So for under $300, I have a low maintenance, climate controlled cigar storage that still emanates the cedar smell. I wish I would have done this in the first place. I am very pleased with it. My humi was getting too small any how.
The climate:
The temp readout on the front is inaccurate. About 5 degrees off...no big deal. I have a few hygros inside and my findings are thus: I set the unit to 62 degrees and it stays 66/66 at the bottom. In the middle it hangs around 68 temp and 63 humidity. The top hangs around 70 degrees and 61 humidity. I can actually move my cigars around to the humidity that suits them the best. This unit does not need a timer as it doesn't overcool...I can set it to 66 and it will actually stay at 73 degrees. The humidity drops (up to 5%) when the unit is running but with the cigars inside the boxes, they are unaffected. I try not to set it too cold because the unit would run all the time consequently lowering the humidity quite a bit. The high 60's seem to be it's equilibrium for the time being. When the winter comes, I will lower it more to keep it closer to 60 degrees. The cigars are smoking perfectly I might add. :thumbs:
UPDATED PHOTO:
Final thoughts:
Anyone living in a warm environment and thinking about getting a thermoelectric unit...DO IT! You won't regret it.
Edit to add a detail
