# walk in cooler



## mudpossum (Sep 27, 2008)

I would like to know if any one has built one.I'm thinking about building one.Would like to see pics if any one has any.


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## mathews dren (Jan 15, 2007)

*cooler*

I did not build one but I know some one who has. He built a 6'x8' framed building with 2x6 walls. then he insulated the crap out of it, put ply wood one the inside and out. a window unit ac unit cools it, on a 75 degree day it keep it about 37 degrees. he also put siding on it to make it look better. also bult it on 4x4 post like a skid to move it easier.


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## ike_osu (Jul 1, 2008)

mathews dren said:


> I did not build one but I know some one who has. He built a 6'x8' framed building with 2x6 walls. then he insulated the crap out of it, put ply wood one the inside and out. a window unit ac unit cools it, on a 75 degree day it keep it about 37 degrees. he also put siding on it to make it look better. also bult it on 4x4 post like a skid to move it easier.


me and a buddy turned his tool shed into a cooler just like this it works great and didn't cost much to do. We have since upgraded. Poured a concrete floor with a drain put in a sink and a work bench with processing tools and cutting board. I don't know how we ever survived without it.


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## shakyshot (Dec 21, 2007)

*cooler*

we just use the back of the cooler at work when we need to hane something or for beer in the hot summer! Our cooler is approx 60 feet by 20 feet. lots of room for bambi to hang!:cocktail:


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## beaverman (Jun 21, 2008)

I've been thinking of building one myself but I didn't think a standard window AC unit would drop the temp low enough. What kind of AC unit are you running that will keep 37 degrees?


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## michaelmac (Oct 26, 2007)

Yea I was thinking an AC unit wouldn't get the temp that low. What kind is it?

Michaelmac


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## 1trackmind (Apr 6, 2008)

You have to take the cover off and adjust the thermostat (there is a little screw with paint on it) with a screwdriver.


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## beaverman (Jun 21, 2008)

1trackmind said:


> You have to take the cover off and adjust the thermostat (there is a little screw with paint on it) with a screwdriver.


Good info to know. Do all of them have an adjustible thermostat?


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## Rabid Rabbit (Nov 19, 2008)

beaverman said:


> Good info to know. Do all of them have an adjustible thermostat?


if it doesn't you can alway install one outside the unit to control the temp. Serious homebrew guys do this a lot with fridges to lager their beers correctly.


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## JBRECKO (Jan 6, 2009)

all air cond. units have a sensor to protect against damage at low temp.Find the sensor and bypass it or trick it to think it is warmer than it is.Did this on a window unit and got temps down to -10c.Have to watch for freeze up just put it on air only till it unthaws and go again.Works really good havehung deer for 16+ days.


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## Finley46044 (Sep 6, 2008)

I wouldnt use plywood for interior walls unless you coat them with something and seal it off. Too much moisture in a w/in cooler and it will rot.Just bottom out the adjustment screw in the center of the t-stat stem and bypass the low temp cut off. Should just be 2 wires.


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## Bruce K (Jun 1, 2002)

I'm a fridgy ,(hvactech) The older a/c will have an adjustable t'stat byut the newer ones with electronics will be harder to fiddle with , why not look for a drop in unit made for comercial applications a much better option I recon 

Also try and get some sandwich panel to build your rooms much better than plywood


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## Hoosieroutdoors (Jan 14, 2006)

I would build one like stated above with the addition of putting R-Board for thermal value on the outside then plywood over that, then get the 2 inch thick blue foam board and double line the inside floor and ceiling as well, I would use Tyvek tape for any seams on the R-Board and foam board also,should make one air tite and cold retaining unit, have started laying out plans for mine for this summer, early archery is usally pretty warm here.


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## Finley46044 (Sep 6, 2008)

I am just waiting to find one that has to be replaced. I service restaurant equipment and deal with them on a daily basis. Ive got several 3 and 4 door reach ins that work fine.


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## Buckedup (Nov 2, 2006)

JBRECKO said:


> all air cond. units have a sensor to protect against damage at low temp.Find the sensor and bypass it or trick it to think it is warmer than it is.Did this on a window unit and got temps down to -10c.Have to watch for freeze up just put it on air only till it unthaws and go again.Works really good havehung deer for 16+ days.



-10 C.... with an R-22 window unit??? I work on window A/C units almost every day and have NEVER seen a low temp. or low pressure switch on one


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## rand_98201 (Sep 24, 2008)

so when you hang an animal what temp should?


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## rand_98201 (Sep 24, 2008)

lol.sorry i mean what temp should they be kept at?


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## keyman (Mar 22, 2003)

38-45 f

never over 50 f


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## Redwolf17 (Dec 14, 2008)

One of my cousins did this. They had a 8x10 poured slab with drainege. Using 2x6 framing, for extra insulation room, they heavily insulated it and added blue board for extra measure. Then the interior walls were cement board left over from tile jobs. They sealed everything with a silicone seal and installed an old a/c unit. After tinkering with it they can maintain a pretty consistent 42 degrees. We have 3 electric winches setup for one off hangings or on family hunts there is a bar they made up that they can hang six off it. The beauty of this is it directly attaches to his garage so we also got our hands on some cutting board and they made a nice 30"x8' cutting table in there. We have all chipped in a little bit to this project so it wasn't expensive by any means.


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## Patoka Crazy (Aug 7, 2008)

we have a cooler thats a 10x10 heartland mini barn. we took a free bee commerical ac unit. We have a guy thats in heating and cooling. he up some extra stuff on the unit. so the freeon would recycle. We can chill it down and keep it at 34degrees anytime of the year. If the outside gets below freezing there is a heat lamp inside that will come on to keep it at 34. We also have a blower fan inside to cycle the air. and a elect. hoist and rail system to hang them with.


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## Patoka Crazy (Aug 7, 2008)

here is some pics of the rail system and the inside.


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## goathollow (Jun 18, 2008)

I've been noodling this around for several years but couldn't figure out if a window AC unit would do the trick. Sounds like it just might if the room is well insulated. I may have to give this a whirl this year and I even have an old AC unit to use. Thanks to the posters for the ideas.


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## ShootToKill10 (Aug 22, 2007)

Anyone got any pics of their walk in coolers?


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## Buckedup (Nov 2, 2006)

*Yes this will work*

It will work, but don't expect miracles. Expect low 40s at best. If I was to do it I would go to Graingers or somewhere similar and buy a line voltage T-stat, wire that to the unit and get rid of the factory stat. Make sure that the unit you use is big enough, if it is too small it will not cycle on and off which will lead to the evap. coil freezing up, which will lead to a whole host of big problems.


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## VBuck (Dec 8, 2006)

*walk in box*

Try this website www.storeitcold.com. There is a controller to use a window a/c as your cooling unit. Never tried it but it looks like it will work well.


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## Byron (May 14, 2005)

VBuck said:


> Try this website www.storeitcold.com. There is a controller to use a window a/c as your cooling unit. Never tried it but it looks like it will work well.


I built a cooler at my house this past September using that exact controller. It's worked great!

Here are some pics of the cooler:


































































(Note this was originally posted back in October)This is the Coolbot controller that allows a normal window A/C unit to get the temp in the cooler down into the 30's. I have it set at 38 degrees right now. It's warmer because we'd been in and out of the cooler several times before the pic was taken, but it'll cool back down to 38 degrees within 10-15 minutes after it's closed up.

At the top left of the Coolbot is a room air temp sensor. Just to the right of that is an icing sensor that can be seen where it enters the fins on the intake of the A/C unit. This lets the Coolbot know if ice is building up on the coils. The black cord goes to the power outlet. The bottom right cord is a heating element, which is connected to the A/C's intake air temp sensor (normally attached to the front of the intake fins, but moved elsewhere for proper operation. The Coolbot heats this element to trick the A/C unit into thinking that the room temp is higher than the 65 degrees it's set to cool to, so it keeps on cooling all the way down to any chosen setting from 32 to 60 degrees.

I'll be happy to answer any questions if anyone is interested in putting one of these together. It's been a lot of fun and has already come in quite handy!

Best Regards,
Byron


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## AiR_GuNNeR (Dec 20, 2006)

I built a one deer cooler that I can dissassemble at the end of the season and store. Here is the thread with pictures:
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?p=7683320#post7683320
Eric


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## Shoottothrill (Apr 27, 2007)

Wow Byron!

That is one sweet looking cooler...i'd love to have something like that but don't have the funds at the time to complete it...or much less the room...i'm living in the city now but i'll soon be back into the forrest...haha


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## Bellows1 (Oct 19, 2003)

Byron, I forget what you told me, is that just foil sided insulation panels?


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## rand_98201 (Sep 24, 2008)

pretty cool ideas


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## Byron (May 14, 2005)

Bellows1 said:


> Byron, I forget what you told me, is that just foil sided insulation panels?


Bill,

I managed to find someone locally selling used wall and ceiling panels from a restaurant cooler. They are 4" thick foam with aluminum skin on each side. They are quite strong, as the roof holds my weight easily and I anchor a cable come-along to the front wall to hoist the deer up to the bar.

For the floor, I used two 1" layers of foam paneling called Super Tuff-R with Fiber Reinforced Paneling (usually used in shower surrounds) for the floor surface. It's easy to clean up and not too slippery when wet.

Come by and see it sometime! 

Best Regards,
Byron


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## david8017 (Jan 5, 2009)

If you dont mind me asking, how much did you invest in the set-up? Im interested in making one myself if its in my budget. Also, does it consume a lot of electricity($$$$$)?


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## Byron (May 14, 2005)

david8017 said:


> If you dont mind me asking, how much did you invest in the set-up? Im interested in making one myself if its in my budget. Also, does it consume a lot of electricity($$$$$)?


Well, the biggest expenses were the panels at $350 and the Coolbot at $300. I bought the (LG brand - recommended by Coolbot) A/C on end-of-season clearance at Home Depot for about $150. The flooring w/ insulation cost about $125 total. Add in electrical supplies (outdoor breaker box, conduit, switches, romex, outlets (one GFCI), weatherproof covers), aluminum flashing for joints/corners, screws, bolts, hangers, pipe, chains, caulk, expanding foam, etc., etc., and the total came to around $1300.

I kept the cooler at 38 degrees for most of the month of October, with outside temps commonly between 50-75 degrees, and my electric bill went up somewhere around $1.00 per day. Aging deer for anywhere from 1-3 weeks is easily done with this setup. I even butcher the deer right in the cooler on a 2'x4' plastic table.

Only other thing I really need to do now is built a simple roof over it to move the water off the top. That'll be a summer project.

Let me know if you have other questions.

Best Regards,
Byron


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