cdnstogie Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Seeing as there is a bunch of canucks on this forum I have been searching, to not much avail for a thermoelectric wineador that can be picked up in Canada - I have found a few, but nothing like a Vineotemp or the like... They have a few small ones at the local hardware stores but from reviews they are either poor quality, or very small. Any advise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplepie Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Kijiji is your friend Sent by the Enigma on BlackBerry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmccarey Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Like Jeremy mentioned kijiji is a good start. I bought my 32btl. generic Danby wine cooler at Walmart on clearance. I'm using a couple lbs of beads and the Cigar Oasis in it works like a charm. I also have it in the basement where temperature is never an issue. As far as thermoelectric goes you're right very few available to us. I know Home Depot has/had one but it was I think only an 18btl. Good luck hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdnstogie Posted September 5, 2014 Author Share Posted September 5, 2014 Kijiji is my friend and have scoured it to try and find a functioning, thermoelectric wine cooler that I can grow into, but to no avail. Preferably I have been looking strictly for the thermoelectric, but perhaps I can start viewing a compressor and not have it plugged in - or one that is not working and get it for nothign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplepie Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Hmmmmmm... Where are you in Canuckistan? Also, Rick is right. Keep checking dep. stores for clearances . If you're handy, you can scavenge an old fridge compressor and put it in an insulated scrap box from the junkyard. (works better in the rural areas whereas the Dep. Store works better in the city) Sent by the Enigma on BlackBerry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cisco Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 I wish I had followed Skyfall's advice, it seems quite logical and makes sense from my experience. BTW, I've already had one TE fail after a year plugged-in, it was in my basement. I still use it but unplugged. I'm thinking of selling my TEs and getting a freezer. I already have a Ronco ETC. Here is the original thread: http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=114939 Previous to building the Full on Freezer humidors, I have built I 3 smaller versions (that I out grew), and all three were wine coolers, but compressor technology. I've been around the forum since 2009, and I took a lot of advice and education from others who are far more science based than I am. Ray, (Pigfish) is a great place to start searching for some of his threads and posts.My biggest problem with Thermo Elec. is they are inherently built to fail. Long term durability and thermo electric do not equate!Second big problem is the NECESSITY for an ambient air temperature differential of ideally 10 degrees for a thermo unit to be even remotely successful.Even if you can keep the ambient differential within the range, it is still not energy efficient and far from accurate and consistent.Example: I like to keep my cigars at 65F & 65%RH, which means the room the unit sits in really needs to not ever go higher than 75F. In Texas summers, that is almost impossible. My A/C unit can only do so much when it is 106F-110F outside. And even if I had two units to achieve such a ambient temp, the electricity cost would be astronomical. So let's say you can always keep your house at 75F or less, even though it's 110F outside. Your thermo elec. unit will be working and burning non-stop to try and maintain 65F. It will never do it consistently, efficiently or accurately. 3 problems happen. 1) Fan will blow and run constantly drying out your cigars. 2) The unit will run non-stop and eventually give out soon (I've heard the average life of a thermo in Texas in 1.5 years.) 3) You'r temp ranges will not be accurate. If you can ever actually achieve 65F it won't be stable or consistent.But if you modify a compressor unit, it will be accurate, energy efficient and last forever. Think about it, a freezer under normal use these days lasts about 15+ years and uses $50-$60 in energy a year. Make it hold at 65F and only run at a specific differential, along along with an anti short cycle program, it will only kick on about once an hour for about 3-5 minutes tops, even in the hottest heat. This will use little to no energy, it will last forever, and will keep your temps accurate and consistent.So to address your condensation question. In my old units, the wine cooler compressor units, yes, during the summer, I did have an issue with condensation during the summer when the compressor kicked on. I solved this issue by running plastic tubing from the drain hole, through the unit, and re-routed back into a cigar oasis, that I drilled a hole in and routed the tubing in. I of course always remove the cheap foam and use 65% beads. This condensation feeds the beads, and the oasis is active and feeds the internal air when needed according to settings.As far as the Freezers......absolute zero condensation!!!!!!!!!!! It wouldn't matter if there were anyway, because all of my boxes are in air tight containers, but still zero condensation whatsoever.I can't tell you how much I hate thermo elec just based on science and fact. Ray - (Pigfish), has forgotten more about this science than any of us know combined. He has posted his opinion and comments on thermo vs. compressor on here many times. Do some searches and read his threads, His info is based on science, fact, testing and experiments, not just opinion. He knows what he's talking about. I've been doing this for a long time and as I said, have built multiple units. Being that your environment is similar to Texas, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you used a thermo elec unit. They are not built to withstand our environments, and if the do,it won't be for long and it won't be accurate. Trust me brother. I've researched this intensely.Go get you a $550 freezer from Lowes or even cheaper on Craigslist. Spend $60-$80 on a Johnson A419 control, spend about $20 on misc. wiring ect. Spend $10 on some fans, and spend $20-$50 on some storage containers, $40 on a thermo/hygro monitor with 3 sensors, (Honeywell or Meade )you will be in heaven. Peace of mind is priceless. Literally Set and Forget.Hope this helps. We spend too much money on this hobby to leave its fate in the hand of inefficiency and something undependable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Something you guys should know about TE coolers. If the heat side fan fails, the energy they use can be distributed as heat on both ends of the device. This means that you humidor turns into an easy bake oven. This is not speculations, I have had it happen! Food for thought brought to you by Piggy and Betty Crocker! -the Pig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplepie Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 Note that if you live in a residence, you need not even turn on the bloody thing. It's just useful for gits in Apartments when the temperature fluctuates wildly daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdnstogie Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 I am in Ontario. I live in a house w/ the AC, though where I plan on keeping the goods could have a bit of fluctuation. I did a bunch of reading on that thread posted above - very thorough response for it - I do enjoy putting my hands to work so I may look into doing a build similar to with the compressor method. The TE note is interesting and I liked the easy bake response. heheh.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianbeaver Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 I know Brother Ray detests wine fridges and coolers, but I love mine. I got one as an alternative to an Aristcrat, which I was perfectly willing to pay for if I liked the look of them. Try Sears. They have the best appliance selection in the world and watch for their sale days. If you get one of their cards, they usually have some kind of deal with it and then you can put the card away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianbeaver Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Double post. What is with this now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murri Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 If you are near the Niagara Falls area, there is a liquidation store on Stanley ave. They have models from $100 up to $600. Thermo and compressor. You do take a chance with their limited warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I know Brother Ray detests wine fridges and coolers, but I love mine. I got one as an alternative to an Aristcrat, which I was perfectly willing to pay for if I liked the look of them. Try Sears. They have the best appliance selection in the world and watch for their sale days. If you get one of their cards, they usually have some kind of deal with it and then you can put the card away. Not really dear! I am just not the biggest fan of Peltier type coolers. While I think they are cool… I am always battling the myth that people perpetuate that they don't dehydrate as they cool. A lot of people ask me for help. I see a lot of things that are not posted on forums like this one as people involve me to help them solve problems that they won't or don't post here… You should see some of what I see! While I would only post it with permission, I would love to show you a picture of a TE cooler in a wine cooler I got just yesterday…! I would say that just about any cooler is workable with the right amount of technology, skill, and cooperating ambient conditions. I am sorry to report however, that good engineering and the right mix of components are a must! Here is a data log that I pulled out of a box I am going to be selling very soon. It is an old project that I have updated and have been readying for sale. This thing runs really nice around 74-76˚F, the temp of many homes. And while I could probably clip some of the dehydration spikes if I wanted to spend more time and pull it apart again, I will likely just sell it off… Design and controls are what makes a project like this work… The cooler itself does not make the biggest difference, the engineering does…! What I don't think you are going to find however, is a TE that is going to work within the performance envelope that this one will and at temperatures over 80˚F. Some folks will panic if their AC fails… Not me! So how are the cigars kept? This represents the life of a cigar in one of my humidors… This is a data log of a box of HdM du Roi's in the cooler above, during the same time frame. The data logger is in the box with the cigars. With some time, I will take you through an analysis of data and show you why temperature is important… Not right at the minute though as I have some stuff to finish up in the shop… Cheers! -Piggy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplepie Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I know Brother Ray detests wine fridges and coolers, but I love mine. Brother my arsche!! He's our lovable little pet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 … Mom! … there is a pig in the basement with dad's cigars and his data loggers are showing…! -the Pig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplepie Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Awwwww! Can we keep it!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Awwwww! Can we keep it!? … just don't leave any residue on it, okay! I hate that…! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckSARTech Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Yeah, this just got weird... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 …its those guys from the north! -P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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