Refrigerator Temperature

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Shuswap
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Refrigerator Temperature

Post by Shuswap » Fri Oct 25, 2013 23:53

As a Newby I have lots of questions - glad you experienced folks are so patient!

I have used 2 differnet thermometers to check the fridge temp and find it at 40-41F. It's a Kenmore manufactured by the now defunct Woods Company of Canada. If I turn the dial to the coldest setting, the fridge freezes. If I nudge the dial just off that mark, it settles in at 40-41F.

I pulled it out to vacuum the coil etc only to find it totally enclosed save for the compressor.

I've read about overriding a freezer's controller but not about overriding a fridge's controller.

My wife will be more than suspicious if I suggest I'll have to use it for a curing chamber.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
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Post by Big Guy » Sat Oct 26, 2013 00:18

get a new wife :twisted:
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Post by el Ducko » Sat Oct 26, 2013 04:29

The same controller used to override a freezer temperature control should work for a refrigerator. It's a pretty simple affair- - turns the power off and on at a given setting.

I bought mine at a home brewing shop. You should be able to find one on-line which will ship to Canada, hopefully without too much hassle. If you're in southern BC, maybe you can slip across the border and buy one at a retailer in the Seattle area.
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Post by Shuswap » Sat Oct 26, 2013 04:34

el Ducko wrote:The same controller used to override a freezer temperature control should work for a refrigerator. It's a pretty simple affair- - turns the power off and on at a given setting.

I bought mine at a home brewing shop. You should be able to find one on-line which will ship to Canada, hopefully without too much hassle. If you're in southern BC, maybe you can slip across the border and buy one at a retailer in the Seattle area.
:mrgreen:
I'm thinking though that if the refrigerator controller cannot be disconnected it must be set at a lower temp than the temp setting on the external controller. In my case, at the coldest setting the fridge freezes. I would use that setting and the external controller would be set at 37-38F. Does that make sense?
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Post by el Ducko » Sat Oct 26, 2013 04:38

That's it exactly. Set the refrigerator for the coldest setting (more-or-less meaning "on all the time"), and let the new controller do the controlling.

Retail prices run USD 50 to USD 65 or so. I have one from Johnson Controls. Honeywell makes a bunch of good ones, too.
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Post by Shuswap » Sat Oct 26, 2013 15:49

Big Guy wrote:get a new wife :twisted:
Read my comment and your reply to DW - she howled with laughter :mrgreen:
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