No Coolbot Required! [DIY Coolbot Refrigerator for Your Small Farm or Market Garden]

Here we show you the cheapest way to build a fridge for your small farm or market garden Without a coolbot. Large refrigeration is very expensive and we have found a way to do it for very cheap. We will take you on a tour of everything from a walk in refrigerator to a cool bot powered walk in refrigerator to small reach in refrigerators done our new cool style.
Here's the link to the InkBird controller:
amzn.to/47FTcxz

[@stevehatcher7700]

I used two Inkbird digital temperature controllers. Cut the thermometer out of the air conditioner, rewire so one controler turns on/off the compressor, and the other turns on/off the fan. Temperature sensor for the fan reads temp inside cooler. The other sensor sits on the cooling coil. If coil temp approaches freezing, the compressor shuts off, while fan continues to run. No light bulb trickery needed.
Maintaines about 4 degrees C
Used air conditioner = $50
2 controllers @ $25 each = $50
Built a 4x6x6 stick frame box with 2x4 lumber and sheeted with plywood. Insulated inside it with 2 inch blue foam panels.
Total investment = $700
It's on feet so a palet jack can pick it up and move it. Walls, floor and ceiling are separate panels for disassemble/reassemble ease (never done in 4 years).

[@aregee8533]

For my 4x8 walk-in I daisy chained 2 inkbirds together. The 1st one has the sensor in the fins set at 32°. The second one is set at 39° and turns off if the first one freezes. I got a deal on 4'x8'x3.5" polyiso (roof) panels for $300

[@farmerkeith]

Great plan!
I had a similar Idea for my side curtain control to have it go up at one temp and down at another.

[@cliffpalermo]

Yup you are the man!

[@farmerkeith]

Thank you. Keep Farming!

[@RobGoebel]

I agree with @stevehatcher3228 I built one 7 years ago and the second sensor on the coil to kill the compressor and let the fan de-ice the coil is needed. Coolbot has the same feature and I copied it when I made my close. I got a video on my page of my setup but use a JCI freeze sensor, but either works as long as you can sense the coil freezing. If not it will over work and trip the breaker. Doing the second sensor will avoid the temperature step cooling you are doing now.

[@jasonpeters3228]

You say 40ish degree for the potatoes? Does that start to convert the starches to sugar at that temperature? Also do you leave a bucket of water to increase the humidity? Or how long do they stay at that temperature for you before they start sprouting?

[@farmerkeith]

The fridge stays around 45'F. No water, no sprouting in December.

[@3dp_edc]

coolbot is a major rip off, you can make something identical to what it does with an arduino, so similar infact that cooolbot sent the owner of the project a cease and descist saying they copied their product and stating copyright and patent laws. You can also do it with 2 temp controllers and a small lightbulb. 2 ink birds or a clone, 2 stc-1000s, whatever, their product is not worth what its labelled at, and with them being so determined to not have people realise that and them sending letters out, id love for anyone thinking of buying one to know this information right here.

[@farmerkeith]

I'm pretty sure their patent does not block people from programming a board to create a device that does something similar for their own use. If you were releasing their property code or selling a product similar to their patent, there might be an issue.

[@3dp_edc]

@@farmerkeith nope was just an open source project. Forget what it's called I'm sure you could find it on Google.