Heater for Walk In Cooler

[Crosley]

This last spring I installed a walk in cooler attached to my building but outside. I am getting nervous, with winter approaching, that my walk in is going to freeze. I've heard horror stories from other restaurants in town!
I am looking to just install a small electric heater that is somehow connected to a thermostat so that the heater will turn on whenever the temp get below a certain set point. I know I could just use a Johnson A419 but was looking to see if there's anything cheaper out there.

Any advice?


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[kabrewku]

It wouldn't be very cost effective, but you could always just put a space heater in there. Only turn it on during the time you're worried about the temperature. Your cooler will continue to keep the temp at whatever you set it at. The up front cost is rather cheap, but I wouldn't want to do that for more than a day or two.

[TGTimm]

Depending on your utility costs, electric heat may not be a bad way to go. Don't trust the thermostat on a space heater--a Johnson 319 would be fine (analog alternative to the 419 and usually cheaper). Rig one up on an extension cord (12 ga wire) and plug the heater in. Bob's yer uncle.

What are you storing in your walk-in? If it's only beer for dock sales, you don't have to keep it that warm. Our lightest beers (4-4.5 abv) begin freezing ~23 F, and bottles rarely break above about 0F. If your cooler is fairly full, there's a lot of thermal mass in there, and it takes prolonged periods of cold to lower the temperature much. Monitor it for a while.

[jbrewer]

I had a conversation with the folks at Coldbot (http://storeitcold.com/) about this exact issue. I ended up going to an indoor unit, but they were very helpful. Unfortunately I dont remember the details. It had to do with setting up a thermostat that would kick on an electric heater at a certain point and work with the coldbot so your box stays in a certain range. You may want to give them a call and describe your concerns and ask them for a solution. They were super helpful.

[Starcat]

Setup

With the correct wattage heater this arrangement can work if set up with some forethought.
I would used 2 Thermostats with one sensing outdoor air, plus added relay logic to control everything, otherwise its possible to have heat and cooling running at the same time. If I had the luxury to build it out from the start, I might mount a cove heater above and in front of the fancoil depending on where I mount the box thermostat. This could work perfectly with the right control system.
Its important that the added heat be caught and stirred by the evaporator fans and the box thermostat have authority.

[Crosley]

Thanks all for the replies. I understand for a storage cooler that it will take a while to get the thermal mass of the kegs down and not to worry but my main concern is that I am using this as a serving cooler. I really don't want to serve my IPA at 31.
I purchased a small electric portable heater and my plan is to plug it into an A419 that I found in storage.


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[TGTimm]

That's basically what we do during extreme cold spells. We also have an economizer that circulates cold nighttime outside air during warm weather; which can be reversed to circulate warm daytime air in cold weather. Works pretty well, until there are no warm days.

[Crosley]

I was really wanting to go a ghetto "freeaire" system when I built the cooler but realized it wasn't worth it with my timeframe.
I shut my cooler off 3 days ago and it's still cold so that's good. Just need to get my A419 working to power a small heater.

Thanks for the input.


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[TGTimm]

The relay contacts of the 419 are rated at 16 A max, 5.8 A continuous. Check the draw of your heater and make sure you don't need a contactor to handle a higher amperage.

[Crosley]

Will do. Thanks


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[brewmaster 2011]

This last spring I installed a walk in cooler attached to my building but outside. I am getting nervous, with winter approaching, that my walk in is going to freeze. I've heard horror stories from other restaurants in town!
I am looking to just install a small electric heater that is somehow connected to a thermostat so that the heater will turn on whenever the temp get below a certain set point. I know I could just use a Johnson A419 but was looking to see if there's anything cheaper out there.

Any advice?


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I haven't experienced any problem with over cooling in me walking cooler in the building and my outside storage cooler and some time in middle of winter it can get below 0F.