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Coolbot Controller Cakes Jury-Rigged Cooler Work
When market gardener Mark Wittman spotted a walk-in cooler at a sale, he knew it was just what he and his wife needed for their start-up CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Now in its second year, they were tired of carrying produce into and out of a cool basement and stuffing more temperature sensitive produce into
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Coolbot Controller Cakes Jury-Rigged Cooler Work FARM HOME Food When market gardener Mark Wittman spotted a walk-in cooler at a sale he knew it was just what he and his wife needed for their start-up CSA Community Supported Agriculture Now in its second year they were tired of carrying produce into and out of a cool basement and stuffing more temperature sensitive produce into their 2 refrigerators
“We knew a walk-in cooler would make our job a whole lot easier ” says Wittman “We couldn’t justify a new one but the one at auction was cheap ”
The pieces were panels of 3 1/2-in insulation blown into 2 by 4-in frames with steel cladding on the outside Described as an 8 by 8-ft cooler it sold for only $220 Wittman quickly discovered why
“The pieces were actually for parts of 2 coolers that were slightly different heights ” he recalls “There were 4 panels from one cooler and 7 panels from a slightly shorter one We ended up with 2 entrance doors between the 11 panels ”
Wittman used 7 panels for sides and 2 for the roof He fabricated corners from 2 by 4’s and plywood and jury-rigged closures
“The panels used an off-center latch system activated with a hex key that sent an arm out to grab the corresponding fixture and pull it tight ” explains Wittman “I mounted new edges on the off-size panels with bolts in place of the bars ”
Wittman ended up with a slightly smaller than planned 7 by 8-ft cooler that he mounted to a freshly poured concrete slab Cooling is provided by a used air conditioner and a CoolBot control system Vol 32 No 5 that Wittman purchased on eBay The CoolBot micro-controller constantly monitors the walk-in cooler and adjusts the A/C fan and compressors as needed to keep the cooler at the desired temperature without freezing up
“It runs for about $20 per month which is not much more than the second refrigerator cost ” says Wittman
He estimates a total cost of $1 200 including the CoolBot and concrete floor which was the most costly part of the project
“The cooler is a nice size for our operation and lets us store produce in the insulated coolers that we take back and forth to farmer’s markets ” says Wittman “We end up with better quality merchandise and less work ”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Mark Wittman Willmar Minn mark@underthecottonwood net or Store It Cold ph 888 871-5723; info@storeitcold com; www storeitcold com
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