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Yet Another Wine-Coolidor Thread

Thanks! I was pretty happy with how it turned out!

As far as the sensor is concerned there was no scientific reason for where I mounted it. I just figured the middle of the unit and probably fairly distant from the cooling plate would be fairly representative of what the temp inside boxes etc would be. I just kinda reasoned that this would be an ok location for it. I thought about running it along and zip tying it to the bottom side of one of the wire shelves in the center of the unit, but then if I ever needed to re-work the shelf layout I would end up having to undo it. I didn’t want it on the cooler plate its-self because I just don't think that would give fair results to actual temp inside a box in the cabinet.. Not sure though.

Testing wise I haven't done a whole lot yet. Basic stuff, making sure it came on and off at my set temp & differential is about all. No tests as far as run times or humidity readings etc. I pretty much unplugged it to use it as it was before. Went right back to 69f and 65% humidity. I just wanted to get everything set up so it would be ready to go should I need to plug it in.

Hell as stable as this thing seems to be temperature wise unplugged, I guess I could set the ranco to 69f with a 2 degree differential and it should hardly come on. This would allow me to plug it in and have it in use just in case the temp ever crept up when I am not aorund. I think I will try this tonight. Plus I will reset my hygro's for max/min and see what it reads after 3 or 4 hours.
 
Got my controller today. I'm going to attempt the wiring this weekend if I have the time. Looks simple enough, but I'll probably still have to do it twice. :D

Fuscat, your pics are definitely helpful. Thanks again.
 
No problem, let me know how it goes. I went ahead and plugged mine in. Set it at 69f and although I can't monitor how often & when it comes on, I don't think it tends to run much since the ambient temp inside when its unplugged is 69f.

I've set the diff to 2degrees, and from what I can tell it will come on when the temp rises 2 deg above the set point, and go off when the temp is 2 deg below the set point for a 4 deg swing. You can reduce this to a 1 deg diff but it would increase the number of times it cycles on and off.

So far for the hottest week we have had this summer, max temp has been 71f & 63% humidity (no humidity control inside yet). Min temp has been 67f and unfortunately 53% humidity. So it does take a bit of a dive when the compressor comes on. However this is with NO beads or humidification of any type inside. I am installing a Cigar Oasis XL and a pound of 65% beads this weekend. I am curious to see how the humidity is handled during the on time once it is up and running.

I do wish there was a way to monitor how often it comes during the day without standing next to it. I do know that when it comes on it only runs for 6-8 minutes. I timed it the last 3 times it came on when I was working in the basement next to it. So thats not too bad, but those 3 times have been over the last three days. But each day I have been down there for a good hour or so, and it only came on once each day..?

At any rate keep me posted!!
 
Quick question on the wiring if you don't mind...


I am taking off the factory thermostat and replacing it with this unit. The black wire is the constant, the red is the switched power lead, and the green is the ground.

As far as I can tell, I need to hook the black to the middle terminal connection on the bottom. I need to jumper from the third spot on the bottom to the 120 spot (middle) on the top. I need to connect the ground to the 'COM' or third spot on the top.

Does that sound right to you? (I won't go forward from here until I can get a clearer idea of the wiring. I thought it would have a little clearer instruction, but I guess it's made for people who know what there doing:D. I don't want to blow the thing.)

I won't hold you responsible or anything, it just looks like you've got a little more know-how in this area.

Thanks!!
 
I'm not going to say you can't run it that way, but that sounds a little different then how the instructions put it as far as your "ground" goes.

I wired mine off the basic 120v diagram on the info sheet and it went like this:

Green/Ground - Just twisted together & capped off. (From both sides of your cabeling)
White - Twisted together, then jumpered to the right hand post on the upper terminal. (COM)
Black - from the input cord (plug-in) side goes to middle post (120) of upper terminal. Has a jumper also from this post that runs to the right hand post on the bottom terminal ©.
Black - from the output cord (outlet or load) side goes to the middle post of the bottom terminal (NO).

This is a little cheesy, as my work computer only has paint to work with but here is a quick and dirty diagram I made to show how it should look:

rancowiring.jpg


Hope this helps and doesn't confuse you more.
 
Just re-read your post. Looks like the diagram I made would still hold true. Just switch out the white wire in the diagram for the black wire (constant) your using. And the black wire in the diagram would be the red wire (switched) that you are using. The ground would stay as shown.

Just be sure your red is infact switched and your black is your constant. Even though honestly I don't think you will blow it up if it is incorrect. I just don't think it will come on and work on the display but I am not real sure on that..
 
That does help.

I'm still not clear on the ground, though. There is only the one ground wire and nothing to tie it to.

I am absolutely positive on the function of each wire. I tested them with my meter and the black has constant voltage, the red only has voltage when the fridge is running and the green is the ground that is tied to the chassis on the bottom near the compressor. I guess there isn't any place to tie in the ground on the controller.

Now I'm confused...
 
Nope your correct. There is no grounding terminal in the controller. Since I used a single extension cord cut in two, I just twisted the ground on mine together seperate of the controller wiring. Just wire that ground back to the chasis and your good. Or hell frankly since this controller doesn't need it wired in leave it by itself unconnected. It won't hurt anything. Just make your connections with red & black swapped with the black & red in my diagram and you should be fine.

**Edit

I was assuming you were talking about the wiring that was connected to the stock thermostat when you asked about all this. I probably should have asked you that.

What are using for the plug in side of the cord for the controller? If the ground is something that is currently connected to somewhere on the stock thermostat and ties into the chasis of the unit, and you are using a new cord on the plug in side (like an extension cord etc, it should have a ground wire in the cabling to tie it too. Otherwise, forget about it.. Just leave it unhooked. The controller doesn't need it to work.
 
I am trying to use the wiring connected to the stock thermo. Black is constant, red is switched, green/yellow is ground. I am thinking that I can use this wiring as my "input cord" but I'm not sure it is going to work. I hooked the black to the COM and the red to the appropriate terminals. I plugged in the fridge and nothing. :(

I'm wondering if this is going to work or not...
 
Quick update...

After further study on the matter, my quest was a futile one.

I finally gave up and wired an extension cord to the controller and cut the fridge's cord and used that as my output from the controller. I pulled the old thermo's sensor out and bundled it up inside the little box on the back. I drilled a hole in the side of the metal box (did this earlier for easy access to adjustment screws) and ran the RANCO's sensor through that and then through the existing hole to the interior of the fridge and resealed the hole with the goop from the other sensor.

The sensor is suspended near the light (that I won't be using) and reading the temp in the upper area. I figure that way I am getting the highest temp reading from the fridge (heat rising and all that jazz) and keeping the temp setting as the highest temp reached anywhere in the fridge.

I turned the stock thermo all the way to 11 :) plugged her in and set the RANCO. Working like a champ! I'll do more testing tomorrow on the unit's efficiency and start humidity tests after that.

Seems like a lot of trouble, but this is going to kick ass after I get it all set up. And hey, if it doesn't work I've got a nice fridge for my beer and soda for less than $150 total. Not bad.

I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow.

:)
 
Yea I'm trying to think this throgh. Honestly after going over it and sketching it on paper, I don't think it's going to work either.

What are you connecting to the output side? I am guessing the stock wires that run to the power module to turn the compressor on? I looked at mine tonight, and also noticed a yellow wire. Not sure what that does. Without taking the cover off of the stock wiring connectors I am not real sure.

I can't remember what the wiring from the thermo to the compressor looked like.

I can look into it further this weekend if you haven't figured it out yet. Just not real sure on how its setup to run, there may be more to it then just replacing the thermostat.


**edit

Well looks like you beat me in my response! :) Glad you got a setup to work out for you. Sorry I wasn't much more help.

When you say you turned the stock thermo up to "11" ? I'm confused lol Mine doesn't have a number read out!?

I was wondering myself, since I am using the stock thermo adjuster if I should crank the cooling knob up to high. Right now I have mine set to medium. Does it cool more in the higher position, or just longer? If it cooled more then this would be best as it would run shorter. But if it just runs longer that would be bad as the humidity swing would be greater & longer.. I'm rambling now.


I did go ahead and remove the baking soda I was using to get the plastic smell out. (seemed to work pretty well after I washed the inside out last week) I went ahead and charged up my beads and placed them inside. Along with two oust fans, and my empty boxes. Time to see how this baby performs. Should have my COxl saturday to put in it! hopefully by mid week I should know how this is going to turn out!
 
Fuscat said:
When you say you turned the stock thermo up to "11" ? I'm confused lol Mine doesn't have a number read out!?
Click to expand...


Please, oh please don't tell me you've never seen "This is Spinal Tap". ???

You're not that much younger than I am, so there is absolutely no excuse! Get thee to the video store (or Netflix, or wherever you get your movies) and pick it up. It's classic and you can't be an official "guy" until you've seen it at least once. ;)

Nigel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...

Martin: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?

Nigel: Exactly.

Martin: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?

Nigel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?

Martin: I don't know.

Nigel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?

Martin: Put it up to eleven.

Nigel: Elevn. Exactly. One louder.

Martin: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?

[Pause.]

Nigel: These go to eleven.


Me again...I don't know if the setting really makes much difference. I just wanted to make sure it kicked on. I don't think it runs any harder or anything, it probably just adjusts the temps at which the fridge kicks on. Mine kicks on for about 5 minutes or so and cools right down when it has needed to (while I'm messing with the interior shelf set-up).
 
Woo Hoo!!

Up and running with the RANCO unit, a pound of beads, and a couple of fans to circulate the air.

Holding pretty steady at 68* and right at 65% humidity with drop to about 58% three times a day for about 4 minutes (when the fridge cycles).

It has been unusually warm up here the last few weeks (high 80s and into the 90s) and this is causing the unit to cycle more than I think it normally will. I'll keep a further eye on it.

I'm also working on a plan to permanently install the fans and to wire them into the controller. Being DC units they have to run off of a power supply, so I might just put an outlet inline with the output from the controller.

I'll get some pics as soon as I get a new camera. (hopefully in the next couple of weeks.

:)
 
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