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Hacked Fridge Wiring Schematics
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Ozarks Mountain Brew




Joined: 22 May 2013
Posts: 737
Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri


PostLink    Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 2:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote


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just a follow up on the software I've been helping to develop in regards to the original poster and just a side note on my progress

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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 1:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Update: I've decided to go the BCS-460 route.

Not being too electrically-inclined, I found that for me this set up is clean, straight forward and the web-based BCS interface intuitive. The set up allows the fridge accessories to remain powered on even when the SSRs are switched off. As mentioned in my previous post, I can set hysteresis or program delay states for the compressor to avoid frequent cycling and save fermentation recipes. The BCS-460 has 6 VDC outputs – one will provide a direct output signal to a 5 volt PWM fan (a 12v dc/ac adapter will power the fan – no need for a 3rd SSR). I consider the fan optional.

The BCS can be programmed to modulate the fan so after the SSRs switch off cooling or heating, I can keep the fan ON but slow roll the fan (say for 10 mins or so) to distribute air from cold or hot spots in the fridge to improve efficiency. The fan will have PWM sharing technology that will allow two or more fans wired in parallel to listen to one control signal from the BCS. The fan(s) can be programmed to run anywhere from 30 to 100% load depending on temp difference between wort and chamber. As mentioned before, the SSRs will be fully integrated with fridge. Attached is the updated schematic- below is my major parts list.

• 2ea. SSRs (25 amp)
• 1 ea. 50-100 Watt tube heater
• (Optional) Arctic P8 PWM PST Fan
• (Optional) NOYITO DC 12 v, 2A fan power adapter
• BCS-460
• Two temp probes, one thermowell

For me I think this set up will work. But there are other ideas on this topic that will work as well.



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Back to the fridge hack project and some new features:

•Separate small junction box (6x6x4) to house the SSRs and AC/DC Power Supply unit. I understand the SSRs could interfere with BCS temp signals if put in same housing.

•SSR box cover to include spare outlet (for laptop, etc.)

•Small control panel (10x10x8) to house the BCS/outlet, strips.

•BCS control panel cover to include panel mount LED tachometer (for fans), cooling/heater indicator lights (avoid opening refrigerator to check), and soft reset switch for BCS (occasionally BCS needs to be reset after major programming change – won’t need to unplug it)

•Refrigerator to include 75 watt enclosure heater (small enough to mount on DIN rail and out of the way) and two PWM fans with synching technology - one mounted high and one mounted low diagonally from each other.

•25A AC/DC SSRs

•AC/DC 12V power supply for fans (5 VDC fan control signal from BCS) and tach.

Attached is a schematic . Thoughts and input welcome.



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Integrated existing wiring with new on sketches. Existing wiring mods should be simple and confined to the temperature control unit (and will be reversible). One wrinkle is that the defrost operation will remain functional. Below is how the defrost works:

The automatic defrost function is controlled by the defrost control. The defrost control contains a motor/cam mechanism (TIMER) that switches the defrost control between defrost mode and cooling mode. The defrost control mechanism operates only when the temperature control (switch) is closed. After 12 hours of mechanism runtime in cooling mode, the defrost control switches to defrost mode and shuts off the compressor. The defrost control will stay in defrost mode, providing 115V to the defrost heater for 33 minutes of mechanism runtime. The defrost thermostat switch opens when the evaporator temperature rises to 64°F.

This shouldn’t be an issue during lagering since the defrost heater is a bar localized to the evaporator and doesn’t affect the lower chamber environment temp. There may be times when the BCS calls for cooling during the defrost cycle in which the compressor will not turn on. If the refrigerator is properly sealed, this should not impact the chamber environment significantly.

New wires will be run in existing internal raceways to avoid damaging the door seal. I’ll log the temp profile of ambient vs. wort during testing to see if defrost mode results in wort temperature swings – probably won’t.



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 1:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Component assembly: SSR Box and BCS Control Panel

SSR box - 25A AC/DC SSRs, Meanwell AC/DC 12V power converter (RS-15-12), Laptop outlet

BCS Control Panel - BCS-460, ground bar, hot and common terminal strips, BCS power outlet.

Fan test with Meanwell power adapter.



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Made the following changes to the schematic:

•Eliminated the hot terminal strip in BCS panel (not needed)

•Moved Meanwell RS-15-12 AC/DC power adapter to the BCS panel

•Uncoupled direct BCS control signal from fans. WARNING: the BCS provides a small control signal when a Discrete Out is asserted (rated at 5 + vdc and 20ma). NO load may be directly connected to a BCS-460. Do not connect the 5 +vdc control load (e.g. for fans) directly to any BCS Output Terminal. This could damage the BCS beyond repair. Use a DC/DC SSR between BCS and fan load or hook up an independent AC/DC 3-12 VDC adjustable speed controller for fans (the option I chose).

•Included AUTOTOOLHOME AC/DC 3-12V DC adjustable fan continuous speed controller mounted on BCS panel cover.

•Added power to other side of the receptacle in the BCS control panel to accommodate BCS and AC/DC adjustable speed controller for fans.



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wiring in progress. Mounted the variable speed fan controller through the panel cover for easy access to the adjustment knob. Remaining work includes installing the panel-mount fan tachometer (optional – don’t need a tach for everything to work but it would be nice to have a readout). Encountered an issue when testing the tachometer – connected the fan’s yellow “tach” output signal wire to the tachometer’s yellow input wire and the tachometer reads “0” RPM when connected to a running fan.

Checked voltages and the tach and it seems to be working properly. Checked with the fan vendor to insure that the fan has an onboard “Hall Effect Sensor” for the tach and was assured that it has a sensor.

The vendor says the fan's tach output is an open drain, and that the voltage level will follow the voltage that’s connected to it (not sure what that means…). Power supplies for the fan and tach are functioning properly when measured with a multimeter. I’m at a loss why the tach isn’t reading – apparently, I’m missing an electrical component between the fan and tachometer. May need to set-up an Arduino-based circuit to send the signal to the tach or use an Arduino-based LCD tachometer.



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

REFRIGERATOR FAN TACHOMETER (OPTIONAL):

Solved the tach signal issue. I’m using an Arduino UNO microprocessor as the brains of the fan tachometer circuit. Attached is a wiring schematic on a bread board. The set-up includes an 16x2 LCD display that will be panel-mounted to the front of the BCS panel. The speed of the two fans is controlled by a variable voltage (3 to 12 Vdc) power supply (knob mounted on the BCS panel front). The fans have a built-in Hall Sensor - essentially a magnet mounted to the spinning member and a pick-up to send a pulse to the Arduino when the magnet passes the pick-up. Next step is to mount the tach and test lights.

Seems like a lot of hassle just to know the speed of the fans but I learned more about the Arduino platform and will use it in a future project to log pressure during pressure fermentations. The Arduino will accept an analog signal from a 12v pressure sensor and convert to digital- BCS doesn't have capabilities for that...

Attached is the Arduino programming code. The actual wiring colors don't match the color code in the diagram. The actual wiring will be changed to match the wiring diagram for final connections.



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2019 1:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fermentation BCS Panel Completed:

- Mounted the Arduino Uno inside the BCS control panel. The 12VDC Meanwell power supply will power the Arduino
- Revised wiring schematic so that the light switch turns on/off all components including BCS, Arduino and fans
- When all connections were made, the LCD tachometer screen was too dim. Replaced 10K Ohm resistor with 100 Ohm resistor at the LCD anode and brightness returned. Also showed the Arduino ground wire to the bread board for the prototype. The final circuit was hardwired w/o the bread board for mounting in the BCS panel.
- The cooling and heating lights were tested with asserted output signals from the BCS. The cooling light can also be used to estimate the cycle time of the compressor. Looking for a cycle time of 15 minutes or more. Cycle time can be adjusted by increasing/decreasing the BCS temperature hysteresis.
- BCS control screenshot. Pre-loaded fermentation schedules for various lagers.

Next step- modify fridge wiring in a few weeks.



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Was able to resume and complete the fridge conversion project after several months on the back burner. One change was to replace the circulating fan RPM LCD readout with a readout of the ambient temperature inside the fridge. The BCS lager fermentation program was tested with a compressed schedule and the auto ramp functions worked as shown in the chart. Once the yeast is pitched in an actual brew day, the plan is to set it and forget get it.

A 75 Watt heater was installed in the fridge to help with the controlled ramp-up to Diacetyl Rest temps. Even for Ales (Irish Red), I’ve seen recommended fermentation temps of 70°F. In the winter, my basement is at 64°F and doesn’t reach 70°F. The heater will insure proper fermentation temps for Ales, especially Belgian Ales where recommended fermentation temps could be as high as 75°F.

The BCS hysteresis setting for cooling is 1°F – the goal is to limit compressor cycling to once per hour while maintaining temp. When fermenting (or using the fridge normally), I would suggest avoiding letting the controlling temp probe hang in the air itself. During testing, I’ve found that the compressor cycles more frequently, when the controlling temp is based on chamber air temp. Cycle times were less frequent when I used the mass of the fermenter/wort as the basis for temp control. I use a thermowell, but a probe attached to the fermenter should help as well. When using the fridge normally, I place the temp probe in a beaker of water to provide the mass needed to prevent frequent cycling.

The heater hysteresis setting is zero since cycling isn’t an issue – I may place the heater on PID control if it’s more efficient.

I had to drill holes in the side of the fridge for wire and probe access because the existing internal raceways were too small and circuitous for additional wiring. Fortunately on newer fridges, all of the refrigeration lines are run inside the back wall so there’s no issue with drilling on the sides (slowly drilled pilot holes just in case to probe for refrigeration lines).

The BCS enclosure ground and common ground bars were wired back to the refrigerator. I placed the fridge on a dedicated 20 amp circuit.



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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2019 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Refrigeration cycle with compressor controls set up with 1 deg-f hysteresis.


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mjo2125




Joined: 27 Feb 2017
Posts: 248
Location: Dayton, OH


PostLink    Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Log of actual fermentation (European Lager) coming out of primary into diacetyl ramp from 50 to 64 deg-f. BCS continually adjusts incremental set-points as temperature ramps up. Wort/Beer temp follows set-point closely over 30 hour ramp.


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