Wiring Love controller to chest freezer

[Stewbacca]

So I have decided to redesign my keggerator and want to use a love controller to control the temp instead of my johnson analog controller. I found this http://blog.flaminio.net/blogs/index.php/beer/gadgets/wiring_love_ts_controller

This looks like it is being used just like a Johnson controller. I was wondering if anyone here knows how to bypass the chest freezers internal thermostat and thermistor and replace them with the love controller. I have a pretty good idea of what i need to do but wanted to get some extra input so i dont f it up..

[Push Eject]

Just crank the freezer all the way up (to coldest) and "plug it into" the Love.

[rhino777]

Make sure you use a bit of foreplay before you "Plug in your Love".

[Stewbacca]

I cant just plug in my LOVE and leave it there..... Ill end up plugging, unplugging, plugging, unplugging until i plow my compressor...

I was hoping to replace the freezer thermostat with the love... i know its possible i just dont want to fry my controller or my freezer cause i missed something..

I should have time tomorrow to look into the wiring and post some pics to make sure im not missing anything

[codewritinfool]

You ARE missing something. You don't need to replace the thermostat.

Do what Push said, and set the freezer to its COLDEST setting. Plug it into your Love controller, put the Love's temperature sensor inside of the freezer attached to the object to be monitored, and set the Love to whatever temp you want. The Love decides when power is applied to the freezer and when it isn't, see?

Let Love Rule.

[Brew Engineer]

Let Love Rule.

[Stewbacca]

LoveStrongtm

I was able to figure it out without killing the freezer or the controller... I wanted to be able to use the existing wiring for the light for some future plans on the keggerator..


another question.... is the probe that comes with the controller fully submersible?

[DrYeast]

I've got one of those Love controllers hooked up to my kegerator/fermentation chamber. I bought a project box and some wires from RadioShak and wired it with no electronics experience, it's all labeled pretty well. I've had it hooked up to my fridge for six months now and it works perfectly. I run the probe into the fridge and plug the fridge into the controller. It's going to turn on the compressor only when it needs to cool the chamber...just like the existing thermostat. The love controller is just a way of expanding your range and tightening the control of your temp. If you are fermenting at higher than freezing (you probably are), then it's probably going to be less strain on your compressor, not more, than running it as a freezer.

Admittedly I have no electronics experience, but logically I'm right, right?

I get your concern about turning power on and off a lot, but I really don't think that it's a problem.
Lots of people just plug into their love and everything works out.