Originally Posted by boom:
Can a non-thermoelectric wine cooler be used? I got one but will it damage cigars?
as long as you can control the humidity you should be fine....
as soon as the compressor kicks on the humidity gets all sucked out...
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Yes you can.
Like said before its a lil harder to maintain RH%
I had mine on a timer and it worked great (mine was a dorm fridge but same idea).
on 15mins every 2 hrs and a bowl of beads under the freezer part to catch any condensation again my set up was a lil different.
Shawn
[Reply]
They work fine with a few caveats.
1. The cooling plate (evaporator) gets very cold and has a large surface area. This means it is a large dew collector, and it will suck the moisture out of the air quickly. On mine, the RH would drop 20% or more in the few minutes the compressor ran! Because of this, you need to keep the cigars in a box or drawer, so they are not exposed to the short duration humidity swings. Placing my wireless hygrometer inside a box of cigars showed no change in RH when the compressor ran, or any other time. The frost on the evaporator will melt quickly once the compressor shuts off and humidity is restored within 10 minutes or so. You might need a sponge under the evaporator to catch drips.
2. In most cases, the thermostat is not accurate enough and lacks the functionality required to maintain a steady temp. Many people use the Johnson Controls A419 to control the temp.
3. You have to keep your boxes off the cooling plate (so they don't get wet) and add some fans to move the air around.
First off, this info is based on my experience with a specific wine fridge (Magic Chef 52 Bottle), as well as talking to others who took on similar projects. YMMV! Good luck.
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