Fridge Chiller gasket question

[effinsyv]

HI all,

I‘ve been thinking about a mod to my fridge so I can crash my fermenter and want to see if anyone has a though on it.
my fridge is new and full size so I’m not thrilled about cutting a hole in the side for a chiller line so here’s the idea-
if I had a small diameter tube (1/4” copper or smaller)- I was thinking to cut the fridge gasket and create a channel for the tubing to go through. Then I could put a container in the fridge with cold water and a pump to send chilled water to my 10g conical.
Would that work in theory? This way, if I ever pony up for a full-on chiller, I, only out the expense of replacing the seal.
in fact, I could do it to the freezer and set up a container with a glycol mix.
let me know if I’m crazy or its a dumb idea. Seems easy...like I’m missing something big.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Why not just set the fridge to the lowest setting and placing the fermenter in there? Or use an external thermostat, most fridge have no problem going down to around freezing or slightly below with a little tinkering or an external thermostat.

 

[Bobby_M]

You won't be able to crash a 10g conical with an air cooled tank of glycol. When the system sits static for several hours, that tank in the freezer will reach "freezing" temps as you'd expect but as soon as chilling is called upon, the returning warmed glycol won't be cooled fast enough because the heat exchange between the air in the freezer and that tank is very poor.

 

[effinsyv]

Why not just set the fridge to the lowest setting and placing the fermenter in there? Or use an external thermostat, most fridge have no problem going down to around freezing or slightly below with a little tinkering or an external thermostat.

Unfortunately, there isn’t room in the fridge. the Ferm if a 14G SSCronical and we use the fridge for normal “fridge” things. Trying to dual purpose the cooling effect from the fridge.

 

[effinsyv]

You won't be able to crash a 10g conical with an air cooled tank of glycol. When the system sits static for several hours, that tank in the freezer will reach "freezing" temps as you'd expect but as soon as chilling is called upon, the returning warmed glycol won't be cooled fast enough because the heat exchange between the air in the freezer and that tank is very poor.

That’s a bummer. I was hoping I’d be able to step it down from 68 and be able to maintain it at around 38-40 which The fridge is at all day. (Or below freezing in the case of the freezer).
ideally I’d get a chiller or build one, but I don’t have the time right now nor the funds.