Final Kegerator temperature question (not about foaming)

[OhAodha]

Alright, I need help deciding if I need to replace my kegerator thermosat or if it is ok the way it is. I have a Summit 490 and I am going to get a little foam no matter what I do because I have a 4 foot line run so that is not the issue here. I typically drink Ales but like lighter beers in the summer like Lagers or Wheats. My kegerator does not get cold enough when the room temp is high even though the unit is turned all the way down.

I took measurements by placing water glasses in the unit and measuring it with an instant read thermometer as well as measuring ambient air temp in the unit with an indoor outdoor thermometer. The roomtemp right now is 76f. The unit air temp is 37-43. A water glass on the bottom cooling plate in the back is 33. A water glass on the top of the keg is 41.8. The beer temp at the faucet is 40.3 on the second beer. When the room temp was up around 80-90 the beer temp was 43-44. I typically like my beer around 39. The unit is turned all the way down now but over the winter when the room temp drops I will be able to turn it back up.

So the question is: Is this the best I can expect for a manufactured kegerator or can I tweak it to make it better? What are the baseline temps I should shoot for? My unit is built into a cabinet so additional insulation or a different unit might not be possible. Any ideas anyone???


Thanks

[psychodad]

I had very good luck with my Danby after bypassing their crappy temperature controls with an industrial temperature control.

[Mill Rat]

Nice work using the water glasses for measuring the temperature. That is a great way to mimic the temperature in the keg. You might want to cover them with plastic wrap to eliminate any evaporative cooling to get a more accurate reading. You'll be able to poke your instant-read thermometer through the wrap to check the temp, and that small of a hole won't have a significant effect.

I second p-dad's industrial temp control idea. Before doing that, though, see how much the compressor is running on the hotter days. If it's already running 24-7, then it really does not matter if it's being told to do so by a $2 POS or a $50 industrial model.

A reasonable kegerator ought to be able to keep temperature with up to 100 F ambient. The cynical side of me expects that the manufacturers of these "luxury items" like kegerators and wine chillers expect that by the time someone buys one of these, gthey've got central A/C, and the maximum expected ambient is only 80 F, so they design their refrigeration systems smaller.

If you're up to a little experiment, try getting some 2" insulating foam board (or whatever thickness you can use and still have room for the keg(s)) and lining the sides and top of the inside of the box with it. See if that cures your temperature drift.

[OhAodha]

I defrosted my other refrig last night ( I bought two identical refrigs, one for sodas) and took a close look at it. I found that the Summit 490 has a problem design. I looked for the emperature probe in the refrig unit and found that the probe end was mounted BEHIND the cooling plate. It is clipped to a plastic bracket n the back side of the cooling unit between the cooling plate and the wall. This isnot an auto defrost unit and so when the ice builds up on the cooling unit it encases the temperature probe in ice. No wonder I can't get it cold enough.
I am doing an experiment as we speak. I pulled the probe end out of the clip and pulled the end of the unit out from behind the cooling unit. The end of it is sitting on the right side of the unit about halfway up the unit. Since the probe is just a wire encased in plastic I am hesitant to put it in water so I am having it react to the refrig air temp. I put the water glasses back in, turned the unit all the way down, and I am going to see how that changes the effectivness of the unit. If this works my problem is fixed but if not I will be looking into the replacement thermostat.

Thanks

[psychodad]

Originally posted by OhAodha
Since the probe is just a wire encased in plastic I am hesitant to put it in water so I am having it react to the refrig air temp.

Sounds like the POS in the Danby. I put mine in the water but I was certain by looking at it that wouldn't be a problem.

This is how I modified my Danby. (http://forums.the-hole.net/kegerator/danby.htm) Not sure if it will work on your Summit. BTW, there is some profanity and whatnot on the site I linked to. Not the link itself, but the site if you venture out of it just in case that kind of thing bothers you.

[MrZ123]

Hey, how did moving the temp probe on that Summit Kegerator work out?

[OhAodha]

The experiment failed and I moved the probe back behind the refrigeration plate. I took Mill Rat's suggestion and lined the inside of the fridge with 2" foam board. I also reset the door to give a better seal and finally decided to pull the seal tight with duct tape. That did the trick.
It appears that the problem was the crappy insulation and door seal. I was getting excess ice build up on the plate which was fooling the sensor into thinking it was colder due to the placement of the probe. I now get much less buildup of ice so that I only have to unplug and defrost every other keg instead of every keg. The temperature has remained consistent and if anything I have had to adjust the temperature up to keep the water in my temperature probe water glass from freezing now. I even bought an electronic temperature probe with a remote sensor from Radio shack so I don't have to open the door at all.

I have been saved from bad kegerator design!

[MrZ123]

Isn't it annoying though to buy such an expensive piece of equipment though and it not work right out of the box?

I just moved my probe and sealed the tower hole as best I could. If that does not work I am going to get this thing replaced...