Dunno if anyone's thought of this, but hacking a chest freezer's temperature control makes for a very cost efficient fridge. Every time you open the door on a regular vertical fridge all the cold air basically falls out, because it's heavier than the hotter air outside the fridge, and then the fridge has to work harder (meaning use more power [ power == dollars]) to replace all the cold air that just went poof. Chest units don't have this problem, because, well, they're horizontal, cold air stays where it is when you open the top. I saw a hacked unit like this at PS:1 in Chicago. <div>
<br></div><div>Half assed googling gets me this article: <a href="http://hackaday.com/2009/08/27/energy-efficient-fridge-hack/">http://hackaday.com/2009/08/27/energy-efficient-fridge-hack/</a> > "<meta charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; ">In the end, his fridge only used 103 Wh of electricity on the first day to reach and maintain between 4° and 7° C (39° to 45° F), and he noted that 30% of that was just getting it up to temperature. After that, the fridge only turned on for roughly 90 seconds an hour, making it a very quiet fridge as well." There's also a link to a pdf with a somewhat vague (to me who is not overly familiar with appliance circuits) set of instructions on how to screw with the thermostat. </span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; "><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; ">Less power + greater efficiency per dollar == fewer dollars per month to have cold things</span></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="helvetica, arial, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="helvetica, arial, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br>
</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="helvetica, arial, sans-serif" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><br></span></font><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Mon, Dec 13, 2010 at 9:48 AM, jim <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jim@systemateka.com">jim@systemateka.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<br>
refrigerators take a lot of current == power == dollars<br>
per month<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
On Sun, 2010-12-12 at 23:29 -0800, Kelly wrote:<br>
> You guys, Noisebridge already has two fridges. Just saying.<br>
><br>
> And the temperature of Noisebridge generally is probably not going to<br>
> vary far from the wine-fridge window (50-57°F)...<br>
><br>
> JUST SAYING.<br>
><br>
> -K<br>
><br>
> On Fri, Dec 10, 2010 at 16:55, Patrick Keys <<a href="mailto:citizenkeys@gmail.com">citizenkeys@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> > On the topic of fridges...<br>
> > Noisebridge has a small wine fridge that somebody, for some reason, cut<br>
> > the power cable.<br>
> ><br>
> > If anybody can fix that power cable, I think it would be great for<br>
> > noisebridge to have a stash of wine on-hand.<br>
> ><br>
> ><br>
> > Patrick<br>
> ><br>
> ><br>
> > On 12/10/2010 1:11 PM, maestro wrote:<br>
> >> some here now thought we the house could use another....<br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> >> Free large Ref (SF bay area)<br>
> >><br>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
> >> Date: 2010-12-10, 11:41AM PST<br>
> >> Reply <a href="mailto:to%3Asale-tzfte-2105908490@craigslist.org">to:sale-tzfte-2105908490@craigslist.org</a><br>
> >> <mailto:<a href="mailto:sale-tzfte-2105908490@craigslist.org">sale-tzfte-2105908490@craigslist.org</a>?subject=Free%20large%20Ref%20(SF%20bay%20area)&body=%0A%0Ahttp%3A%2F%<a href="http://2Fsfbay.craigslist.org" target="_blank">2Fsfbay.craigslist.org</a>%2Fsfc%2Fzip%2F2105908490.html%0A>^[Errors<br>
> >> when replying to ads?<br>
> >> <<a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/replying_to_posts" target="_blank">http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/replying_to_posts</a>>]<br>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
> >><br>
> >> I got this from my parent a few years ago.It has been sitting in my<br>
> >> garage since I bought a new one last month.It works perfectly though it<br>
> >> has a few blemishes.I'm giving it for free to someone who needs it.Just<br>
> >> email me for pick-up details.<br>
> >><br>
> >> * Location: SF bay area<br>
> >> * it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other<br>
> >> commercial interests<br>
> >><br>
> >> image 2105908490-0 image 2105908490-1<br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> >> _______________________________________________<br>
> >> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list<br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>