Reddit reviews Vktech TEC1-12706 Thermoelectric Cooler Heat Sink 12V 5.8A 5Pcs

My local prices for a used mini-fridge on craigslist started at $50. I don't remember what I paid for the cooler, but I am pretty sure it rivals that. I really wanted to go the fridge route, but I also wanted to maximize space. You'd be hard pressed to fit the same amount of fermentors in a mini-fridge with the compressor taking up space.

If you really want to go automated, and I still may do this with the cooler, install a Peltier cooler. This is the tech that car fridges use. The device generates cold on one side and heat on the other. You would need a power supply, a heat sink, and a 12v thermostat. The more heat you whisk away from a peltier (with heat sink) the colder they get. They will actually form ice crystals. They draw a lot of amps so you'll need a good power supply.

Peltier Device: http://www.amazon.com/Vktech-TEC1-12706-Thermoelectric-Cooler-Heat/dp/B00E4GY0FC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426189756&sr=8-1&keywords=peltier

12v Thermostat: http://www.amazon.com/Okeler-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Fahrenheit/dp/B00KA42WNY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1426189932&sr=8-8&keywords=12v+thermostat

*Power Supply: http://www.amazon.com/E-Goal-Switch-Supply-Driver-Display/dp/B007C055BK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426190001&sr=8-2&keywords=10a+12v+power+supply

Just cut a hole in the back of your cooler with a jigsaw, glue in an aluminum plate on the inner surface of the cooler to cover the hole. Affix peltier with heatsink, and wire up. Viola.

If you really want to tilt the scales from redneck to engineer. I would suggest making a system that uses peltier cooling. But then again you would need heatsinks and a different design for it to work properly. I imagine it would reach the point where simply finding a way to redneck engineer a window AC unit would be cheaper and more effective.

Is there a reason you used four of them? I ordered these off Amazon, with >70 watts it should have enough power to heat a small box.

Also OP, I've got the same idea as you, reason I went for thermoelectric is the opportunity for hot+cold in one package. I plan to put the whole thing in a stryofoam cooler, and hook up a micro-controller to fans which blow over each side of the plate. I'm excited to see if it works out, should be a very economical fermenter.

Its not new, its not that much better, its vastly cheaper. This is available now. 10 years ago, that would have been $600.

When you deal with heat recovery, its a balance between value of energy scavenged relative the cost of the system. When the system cost drops by that much, a lot more heat scavenging becomes economical. Just like the market for computers increased as their price dropped even if the average home computer did nothing new, what it could do at a particular price was the big change.

I believe you can easily replicate the results using Peltier coolers instead of dry ice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqM4CsM4ewI

Peltiers you can buy online cheaply: http://www.amazon.com/Vktech-TEC1-12706-Thermoelectric-Cooler-Heat/dp/B00E4GY0FC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422550069&sr=8-1&keywords=peltier

In the upcoming year I think I'm actually going to try it. Google "peltier cloud chamber" loads of instructions/guides come up.

Attach this to the back of your phone: http://www.amazon.com/Vktech-TEC1-12706-Thermoelectric-Cooler-Heat/dp/B00E4GY0FC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406316343&sr=8-1&keywords=peltier

Wire it into a 12v line. Attach a heatsink to the other side of the peltier.