My Homemade Walk-In Cooler

thinman

13 years ago

I thought some of you might be interested in seeing how I built my new cooler. Follow the link below.

Click here.

ThinMan

Comments (7)

reddogie
13 years ago
Wow! I'm so glad to see this post... it is exactly what we have decided we need to do for a cooler this year - juggling 3 refrigerators is getting ridiculous.

We had hoped to get a garage frame built this past fall but it just didn't pan out. Our eventual plan is to make a small room in the garage. Our other option was to convert a shed that is crammed with kids bikes, toys, a generator, lawn mower, etc. into a temporary cooler but where to put all that junk?!

So... a corner of our basement became the logical spot and we plan to start on it in March. You'll probably hear from us with questions! Like my first one ...you don't have the air conditioner in a window - are there any kinds of problems you foresee in not having it positioned outside?

Thanks for the link and having done this before us!

Laurie
thinman
Original Author
13 years ago
I'm glad I could give you something to think about, Laurie. The only problems I foresee are having to collect the condensate from the AC and possibly my basement warming up a little as the AC throws heat out of the cooler. I think I can deal with both of those. I'll know better in a few months.

TM
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THE CURRENT REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE LITTLE GREENHOUSE THAT HAS YET TO BE. Well more thoughts this morning about reasonably cheap ways to correct the errors in judgment on my previous efforts. OK here we go. Â½ inch galvanized pipe will do it. I checked with LoweÂs and I can get the pipe for $10.00 a 10 foot length. They will cut and thread it without charge. If I remove the legs that are now on the frame that would leave me with 31 and Â½" to the tie in with the other horizontal braces. That would give me, using 48 inch iron pipe, a height of a little over 6 and Â½ feet, more than enough clearance for a door, but a higher overall structure that I had planned for. 36 inch iron pipe would give me a little over 5 feet 6 inches and a little low for a door, but I can make that up with what I use for a base. 36 inches, however would leave me with 12 inches of wasted iron pipe so perhaps the best idea would be to go for 40 inches. That would let me make 3 pieces from one length and I would then need 3 lengths of pipe and I would have two pieces left over that I could use to work with the door frame. That fix would cost me an additional $30.00 so letÂs just say $50.00 extra because I would have to order some 4 way fittings from ACG Greenhouse. Of course I would need a number of Â½ slip by Â½ threaded bushing to tie it all together. The additional left over PVC would be used to strengthen the upper structure and also to add two additional horizontal bow connectors to strengthen the top part. Before I get through this is going to cost me a good bit more than I had planned, but will have a serviceable greenhouse. I HOPE Being the way I am anyway I will probably continue to add stuff to it as I go along. I can do nothing right now as I donÂt have the money. Next week I have a jjjjjooobbb interview. Yes I must come out of semi-retirement whether I want to or not, but the job will allow me to waste more money on the structure. I have just about already decided to use a combination of 6 mil inter UV protected premium plastic from ACF and a 4 mil outer skin from the same people. I will take a clue from Bmoser and make it double ply with bubble wrap plastic in between for the insulation and by next summer I will just have to add shade cloth. I will still need a door and at least two vents. One vent for air coming in and one to exhaust or maybe two in and one out. The plastic pipe is easy to work with and with the addition of some Â¼ inch exterior plywood on the end panels I will have a pretty good strong structure. If I can do it all for under $300.00 I will be happy, but I might just have been better off to wait and buy the HFGH for $700.00 or so. If I do need to add heat I can probably get away with some 60 or 100 watt light bulbs in homemade water proof covers made from 2 liter coke bottles. I knew it was a good idea to save all those bottles.
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Cheryl, Kim, Kat - and everyone...finally had a chance to get pictures taken, when it wasn't too messy! I have shelves, but just don't have them in the cooler yet. The cooler is 10 x 12 x 9' tall. I still don't have the lights installed, didn't get them until right before it snowed...so need to get that done and fill in around the edges with more rock. Side view of cooler Front of cooler href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v356/flowers4u/2008%20flowers/?action=viewÂ¤t=IMG_3238.jpg" target="_blank"> Inside w/dahlias and apples! Water bucket-fills up on hot days! (sorry about the sideways pics...I couldn't get them to stay rotated and posted that way!) The "cooler guy" still needs to finish the inside bottom...he was unable to come back last fall and I had it full anyway! Hope this helps! Wendy
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diggerdee zone 6 CT
13 years ago
Thank you! This is great info and I love (and need!) the photos.

Okay, maybe I'm not as advanced as others here, but what exactly does the cool-bot controller do? Can you build this cooler without the cool-bot?

I usually only need cooling overnight (or even morning to afternoon) from the time I harvest to leaving for market, once or twice a week. Could I just use an air-conditioner to cool the area?

Thank you for posting this!
:)
Dee
thinman
Original Author
13 years ago
Dee, according to my understanding, the Cool-Bot does two things for you.

1. It tricks the AC into getting the room colder than it normally can. Most AC units won't let you set a temp lower than about 60 F.

If you are clever, maybe you can figure out how to trick the AC into going colder than normal, maybe by putting a light bulb near the temp sensor to make the AC think it is still hot. But then, the coils on the AC can ice up with frozen condensation. There is a way around this too by using heating strips and a timer. Lynn Byczinski covers this in her flower farming book, and I added up the price of the parts and decided that I may as well just buy the Cool-Bot.

2. The Cool-Bot senses the temp of the coils and if it senses freezing, it will turn off the cooling cycle for a short time to let the ice melt. At least this is what I think it must do. They don't really say how it gets rid of the ice.

I tried pretty hard to avoid spending the $300 on the Cool-Bot, but in the end decided that I couldn't do without it.

Hope this is informative.

TM
diggerdee zone 6 CT
13 years ago
Thanks so much TM. That extra info was very helpful. I should just bite the bullet and spend the money to do this. Like Laurie I'm juggling several refrigerators, all of which don't always accomodate some of the taller cuts. Sure would be nice to have a walk-in cooler!

Thanks!
:)
Dee
terrene
13 years ago
Well, I enjoy cutting a few bouquets now and then, and just lurk on this forum from time to time, but have to say your cooler is very cool!! :)
thinman
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks, Terrene. I was hoping it would be. :]

My Homemade Walk-In Cooler

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reddogie

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My Homemade Walk-In Cooler

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reddogie

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