DIY Window AC Walk-in Cooler
 

I want to build a modest 4x4x8' walk-in cooler. I'm wondering what others have done, what success you've had with the Inkbird controllers, and if there's a cheaper alternative to the Coolbot that hasn't been issued a cease and desist.

I'm interested in knowing which brands of AC units will work best, what BTU's of cooling are being used. Additionally, how is everyone keeping the humidity down for dry-aging meat?

I'm sure I will have more questions but this is what I've thought of so far.

No one?

Used a 12,000 btu Haussman with a cool bot. Works good. My cooler is 7x10x8

I would suggest contacting Doublegun. He has a set up that is much less than the coolbot. As well you can research inkbird controllers. They again are much less than the coolbot. You need two to do it properly. I & my son have a 7X7X7 cooler using a 5000 btu air conditioner and a coolbot and it holds a constant temp well. I as well am setting up a large freezer with the same controller that doublegun has that will convert it to a cooler for short term quick storage. Lots of options & a lot less than a coolbot.

Don’t do nothing AC duty you will not be happy. Won’t pull the temp you want and will freeze up on you. I got a used heat craft condensing unit I’d be willing to sell you that would work good. You still would need the evap to go inside I could get you a new one or see about a tear out in the future.


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Get used fridges on kajiji and quarter your catch.

Thanks, Skidderman! Contacted Double Gun, he's got a pretty nice setup! He's using an Emerson temp controller of some sort and had a person wire it up for him. I was stumped at first but I found out that a friend with a greenhouse is doing the same thing.

He bypassed the AC unit's control board and connected the 110v directly to the compressor and fan's hi-speed circuit. Then after that, he just plugged the ac directly into an Inkbird temperature controller. The nice thing with the Inkbird is that it's possible to run cooling and heating circuits. Properly insulated it should be able to run year-round if needed.

This is what some urban farmers do.

https://youtu.be/1DYrLOXUFqs


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This reminded me of the thread I did years ago and a recent upgrade I put in with a defrost timer.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...99#post4179299

LC

Thanks! I'm already aware of the Coolbot, it's disappointingly expensive for what it actually does.

If your looking for a simple control for a small walk in look into a Johnson control A421D. It will do your temp control and your defrost control. There is a A421 that doesn’t do defrost so make sure the part number has a d in it. Think they are around 150 bucks but I’d have to double check.


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I’ve seen where a a/c unit is used and a nightlight is plugged in and put next to the ambient air temp sensor so the unit thinks the room is always warm. And then the whole thing is on a timer to keep the a/c unit from freezing up. You just have to play with the timer on and off times to get desired temperature.

Coolers
 

I built mine 4x8 use a cool bot with a cheap Walmart 5000btu window shaker I just framed it into an oversized shed mini barn at my house . I used 4” in thick interlock blue styrofoam that I picked up off kijij from a flat roof warehouse.inside i sheeted it with plywood siliconed and painted with some blue rubberized exterior house paint . I have 3 1” pipes running across it for hanging quarters on meat hooks I picked up at princess auto . I also used a rubber deck covering one the floor from HD for plywood decks that’s slightly slanted down to the insulated door .I can just rinse the blood off the walls and floor when done cause it’s all water tight .I usually spray it down with a bleach soap mix at the beginning of bow season and again at the end of rifle mopping up blood in between . Also with the little ac unit I have never had it freeze up or spoil meat . I don’t usually have anything in there longer than 2 weeks . I butcher a bit everyday after work . It is really a life saver in September. Cheers and goodluck.

Walk in cooler progress
 

This is the progress of the structure, more or less. I still need to insulate the ceiling, add the 2" styrofoam to the exterior, put in a rail or rails, and install a door. I'm kind of stumped as to what the best approach to lifting and hanging the carcasses will be. I'm tempted to repurpose an electric winch I have laying around just to make life a bit easier.

ETA,

When I put the AC unit in, I wrapped it in a garbage bag and then spray foamed it into place. The hole is intentionally oversized so that I can upgrade to a different AC unit later on if needed. I still need to chink it in, but that won't take a lot of material. I'll add a photo of the bypassed control board. I did struggle a bit with wiring it because the compressor absolutely needs the capacitor to start. There's no way around that. I'll post a photo of the re-wired AC sometime later today.

Wiring of the AC Unit
 

Disclaimer! If you attempt this and fail it could let the smoke out of the AC unit and your self. That is to say, mess it up and it can kill you. Also, this system isn't safety rated, just assume that damage because of bad wiring or causing a failure outside of the AC units designed capability that there will be no coverage and no legal recourse.

Now that we have that out of the way...

Use the wiring diagram that comes with the AC unit that you have to bypass the control board.

After that is done, plug the AC unit into an Inkbird temp controller and then the Inkbird temp controller into an outlet.

what temp are you going to try and keep this "cooler"?

AC units aren't meant to run at low temps, rule of thumb is no lower than 19C or you will freezing the coil and if all the safeties have been removed, you will then cook the compressor.

According to the info I have, 37*f is doable and won't freeze over given the size of the AC unit vs the size of the area being cooled. Coolbot has a calculator for their product.. If understand correctly, the coolbot shuts down the entire AC unit while the coils recover, they also don't interfere with the original control board or wiring.

My approach isn't the same, I'll probably be adding a second temp controller between the compressor, this will shut the compressor off and leave the fan running. That is supposed to prevent the coils from freezing over.

If you use two inkbird controllers you don't have to mess with the wiring in the A/C unit at all, that's how i built mine, the inkbird controllers are set up in series with a heat source(heat tape or light bulb). The heat source is wrapped with the A/C units temp sensor in tinfoil or something similar that will cool easily once the heat source is turned off. When the room is warmer than the setting on the inkbird it turns the heat source on tricking the a/c unit into thinking its not cold enough. Hasn't froze up on me yet. One controller is set up to control room temp the other senses coil temp to prevent freezing. Works really well, i think my cooler is 7x7x7 and i used a 12,000 btu unit.

Super interested in your method, do you have pictures to share? I'm not sure how you're stacking 2 controllers so that there aren't any freeze overs and it keeps temp.

Wiring ac unit with fan always on
 

Hi there, I hope this thread has not died as I’m in a difficult spot. I was watching some YouTube videos of Scott Harrison who wires up an ac unit with an inkbird controller and has the fan and the compressor running separately.

Does anyone know the proper way to wire this, in the videos he shows one hooked up and then the other but not both at the same time. I followed his idea and now I can run one or the other but not both.

Any help or advice would be great