Keezer fan run time

[tld6008]

Couldn't find an answer after searching so... I just bought a fan to circulate the air in my chest freezer and don't think it needs to run all the time. Was thinking of setting it up to run off my temp controller circuit so it runs when the Keezer does. Any issues with this??

 

[3 Dawg Night]

I disagree and think that it does need to run all the time. Even after the cooling circuit shuts off, you'll get temperature stratification as warmer air molecules move to the top. The fan isn't pulling much power, so I leave mine running all the time.

 

[bracconiere]

do you have a kill-a-watt meter? i'd be curious what a kWh of juice costs you, and how much this fan is using?

(i forget but i think even my box fan in a window only uses 20 watts? and at 11.8cs a kWh, not that bad to leave it running at night...)

 

[McMullan]

Mine stay on. They're set to run at about 25% of their max RPM. I can barely hear them when I pass.

 

[Wagon_6]

Agree with the rest, keep it on. I’m waiting on a small dehumidifier, eva-dry e-333 to add to my kegerator to help capture moisture with the fan always on.

 

[tld6008]

do you have a kill-a-watt meter? i'd be curious what a kWh of juice costs you, and how much this fan is using?

(i forget but i think even my box fan in a window only uses 20 watts? and at 11.8cs a kWh, not that bad to leave it running at night...)

Well my concern was not the cost to run it I just thought it might not be necessary since I had not had one at all over the past 5 years.

 

[tld6008]

Agree with the rest, keep it on. I’m waiting on a small dehumidifier, eva-dry e-333 to add to my kegerator to help capture moisture with the fan always on.

I used to use an E-500 model and after approx a year the beads stayed the same dark color so there was no difference visually between wet and dry. The heater still worked they just wouldn't lighten up. Don't know if its possible to change them out

 

[jerrylotto]

Do you not have something to heat connected to your temperature controller? You want the fan running when it's cooling or heating so the easiest solution is just to have it run all the time.

 

[McMullan]

I've got a 12V dehumidifier connected to 'heating' on temperature controller. Seems to work well this way.

 

[tld6008]

Do you not have something to heat connected to your temperature controller? You want the fan running when it's cooling or heating so the easiest solution is just to have it run all the time.

I do not have a need to heat the Keezer it is only used to keep my kegs at 39F. I do know before I put the fan in the tops of the kegs were at 48F. Now temp is even throughout interior which is only 7cuft

 

[bracconiere]

I've got a 12V dehumidifier connected to 'heating' on temperature controller. Seems to work well this way.

I do not have a need to heat the Keezer it is only used to keep my kegs at 39F.

am i folowing along right, thinking the dehumidifer is on the heat plug so that it runs while the fridge is not running?

 

[McMullan]

am i folowing along right, thinking the dehumidifer is on the heat plug so that it runs while the fridge is not running?

Yep, exactly that.

 

[brewer194]

whats the part number or model# of the dehumidifier? That's a great way to do it. just built my keezer last week and was wondering about a fan. That sounds great, thanks for your answers in advance.

 

[whattabrau]

For chilling purposes you would ideally use an offset for the fan, i.e. start running it a few minutes after the keezer starts cooling, and have it run for a period after the keezer stops chilling. The walls of the keezer are cold when it switches off, and you want to take advantage of that [lack of] energy.

It's probably easier and more reliable to get a fan that doesn't use much energy. Yes, it will still consume some energy, and mine running 24/7 consumes around a third of the energy of the whole setup, but then again the price per year is about the same as a pint of beer at a pub (and electricity is expensive here).

 

[whattabrau]

I used to use an E-500 model and after approx a year the beads stayed the same dark color so there was no difference visually between wet and dry. The heater still worked they just wouldn't lighten up. Don't know if its possible to change them out

If you're tempted to open up the evadry, don't do it in the living room. I was finding beads for months afterwards -- they are loose inside the shell.

I don't remember if the color on mine ever changed, mostly because I always weigh them to get a reading. My bigger unit goes from about 900g (full) to 800g (dry).

That said, I'm not a fan of the evadry because the beads require active heating to dry. If you get humidity beads set to e.g. 70% and divide them into multiple pouches, you can dry them by leaving them on the table for some days, at least assuming your indoor RH is below 70%. Sure, you'll still have to provide the energy to dry them, but odds are that that heat is free in the summer, and in winter the energy for heating might be cheaper than electricity (e.g. gas or firewood). Reminds me, I should get more humidity beads or kitty litter so that I can stop using the evadrys to supplement my existing beads; the keezer is in the basement and is pretty much a swimming pool so I need a low of dehumidification.

 

[brewer194]

Thanks, I'll look for a small fan that I can plug in to 120 v and set that inside the keezer.

 

[whattabrau]

Thanks, I'll look for a small fan that I can plug in to 120 v and set that inside the keezer.

Mine is USB, which has the convenience of fairly universal power source options, including a small solar panel if you can route wires from the fan to the panel. That said, it's plugged into 240V :-/

 

[McMullan]

Actually, mine's 20V apparently. Last time I checked. Cheapish, unbranded and still going strong, tbh.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/de-humidifier.698982/#post-9240608

 

[brewer194]

Mine is USB, which has the convenience of fairly universal power source options, including a small solar panel if you can route wires from the fan to the panel. That said, it's plugged into 240V :-/

Thanks for the reply

 

[kartracer]

What model of fan are y'all using inside your keezers?

 

[day_trippr]

I use a 12VDC 120mm fan sitting atop the hump blowing the length of my 14cf keezer.
It's on the right in this pic...

 

[jerrylotto]

No idea - I pulled it out of a '90s vintage tower computer. I taped it to a 6" duct elbow so I can keep it on the bottom and blow air upwards

 

[tld6008]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YTSB7C?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details