Any of you built a small walk in cooler? I’m thinking about building an 8x8 cooler and using a coolbot with a window air conditioner. We do enough of our own butchering that I think it would be pretty handy. Plus can use for storage when not needing it for cooler. Have any pictures of your coolers and what you’d do different If doing it again?
Homemade walk in cooler
- Thread starter brockel
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pre6422hornet
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When we lived in Kansas City I did some serious thinking about this. I was going to go with 4 sheets of plywood and 1 or 2 inch foam insulation board. Mine would be made to quick disconnect and just stack up the "walls" when not in use. I was thinking of mounting gate style locking bolts at top and bottom of every corner to quick disconnect the walls, then lay a 2x4 ladder across top for the gambrel support and a sliding roof on top so I could use my ceiling mounted chain hoist to get the animal in place.
Cut in a door with simple hinges and that would be it.
Good luck with the build. The Cool Bot from my own research seemed a great little gadget.
Cut in a door with simple hinges and that would be it.
Good luck with the build. The Cool Bot from my own research seemed a great little gadget.
Brittany Chukarman
Well-known member
Here's mine. It works really well.
www.hunttalk.com
Cool Bot Walk In
For those of you wondering about trying a Cool Bot walk- in cooler, well it works really well. I've only used it one season but so far so good.The Cool Bot wires into a window mount air conditioner and lets the AC run colder than normal. Mine actually started to ice up and I had to increase the...
www.hunttalk.com
Nick87
Well-known member
On my wishlist also.
Anything you’d do different?Here's mine. It works really well.
Cool Bot Walk In
For those of you wondering about trying a Cool Bot walk- in cooler, well it works really well. I've only used it one season but so far so good.The Cool Bot wires into a window mount air conditioner and lets the AC run colder than normal. Mine actually started to ice up and I had to increase the...
Brittany Chukarman
Well-known member
I built a raised, insulated floor on the slab and covered it with linoleum . I like the way it turned out but just insulating the slab would have been cheaper.
seeth07
Well-known member
You can't rely on just an air conditioner to get cold enough nor keep it a constant 34 to 38 degrees for proper meat storage.
I own a 6'6" x 6'6" x 7'6" talk walk in cooler I purchased from an auction from a restaurant closing. It was a whooping $500. I've seen it come up again so the opportunities are there.
After using this cooler dozens of times in the last few years, it's hands down the best way to go. Before it I had just used old fridges I'd buy from Craigslist for 50 bucks but that gets expensive on energy use. Having the walk in cooler you'll never regret it. Coming home from a hunting trip and being able to hang up your prized week in a cool place allows you some time to relax and catch up. No need to rush the butchering process.
I own a 6'6" x 6'6" x 7'6" talk walk in cooler I purchased from an auction from a restaurant closing. It was a whooping $500. I've seen it come up again so the opportunities are there.
After using this cooler dozens of times in the last few years, it's hands down the best way to go. Before it I had just used old fridges I'd buy from Craigslist for 50 bucks but that gets expensive on energy use. Having the walk in cooler you'll never regret it. Coming home from a hunting trip and being able to hang up your prized week in a cool place allows you some time to relax and catch up. No need to rush the butchering process.
That’s what the coolbot is for
seeth07
Well-known member
Isn't the coolbot just a thermostat? The problem with window a/c units is that they aren't designed for a constant running temp that low. Its also not efficient. There is a reason the world went to refridgerant and condensing units for keeping things cold.
Just my opinion of course but if I were you, I would just look for a used condensing unit. My cooler goes from 80 degrees unplugged to 40 degrees in 1 hour and 34 in 2 hours. (unit has a10 degree air output) With an a/c unit, your probably talking more like 8 plus hours I'd imagine.
The cooler itself can easily be built by yourself. Nothing fancy there but I do love the aluminum finish of my tradition cooler for cleaning.
Quick fun side note: I raise pheasants and just found out this year that the cooler makes for a great incubator for my eggs when used with a space heater!
Just my opinion of course but if I were you, I would just look for a used condensing unit. My cooler goes from 80 degrees unplugged to 40 degrees in 1 hour and 34 in 2 hours. (unit has a10 degree air output) With an a/c unit, your probably talking more like 8 plus hours I'd imagine.
The cooler itself can easily be built by yourself. Nothing fancy there but I do love the aluminum finish of my tradition cooler for cleaning.
Quick fun side note: I raise pheasants and just found out this year that the cooler makes for a great incubator for my eggs when used with a space heater!
I build one three years ago and it has worked out really well. I bought a used 6'X10' garden shed off craigslist for $400 and insulated the walls with 4 inches of blue board foam and 2 inches in the floor.
If you are decent with electrical you can purchase a $60 coil sensing thermostat to do a very similar as a cool bot by cycling the compressor on and off based on the evaporator temperature.
I plan on getting rid of my first one and building a 8X12 this year with cutting tables in one corner.
One thing I will be doing different is having the cooler spray foamed and due to the size running two smaller AC units instead of one larger one for a more consistent temperature. Also one thing I did on my current cooler is make a meat rail by hanging a piece of 1" conduit from the ceiling so I can slide quarters back and forth. Overall my current cooler will hold 34-38 as long as its below 75 outside. When I complete the new one I feel confident it will hold 34-40 degrees pretty much any time.
One challenge I run into is it getting too cold at nights in the winter, to combat this sometimes I have to have a 200 watt light bulb on to provide supplemental heat and then the AC unit can still turn on as needed to maintain temp.
If you are decent with electrical you can purchase a $60 coil sensing thermostat to do a very similar as a cool bot by cycling the compressor on and off based on the evaporator temperature.
I plan on getting rid of my first one and building a 8X12 this year with cutting tables in one corner.
One thing I will be doing different is having the cooler spray foamed and due to the size running two smaller AC units instead of one larger one for a more consistent temperature. Also one thing I did on my current cooler is make a meat rail by hanging a piece of 1" conduit from the ceiling so I can slide quarters back and forth. Overall my current cooler will hold 34-38 as long as its below 75 outside. When I complete the new one I feel confident it will hold 34-40 degrees pretty much any time.
One challenge I run into is it getting too cold at nights in the winter, to combat this sometimes I have to have a 200 watt light bulb on to provide supplemental heat and then the AC unit can still turn on as needed to maintain temp.
Steiny
Well-known member
You can get some great deals on used coolers from stores and restaurants closing down and / or remodeling. Might be a bunch available following this silly lockdown?
First one I had was an 8' wide x 4' deep x 7' tall glass door soft drink cooler from a convenience store being remodeled. Got it for $50 and hauling it off. Took the racks out of it, installed galvanized pipe hanger rods and that rig would hold four deer pretty easily, worked great.
Purchased a new one when we built a new shop. It's a 4' x 6' x 8' tall unit with a nice little 120V refrigeration unit that sits on top of it. Roof and walls are silver aluminum 3"-4" thick, foam core, bolted to the floor slab, think I paid around $3500 for it.
First one I had was an 8' wide x 4' deep x 7' tall glass door soft drink cooler from a convenience store being remodeled. Got it for $50 and hauling it off. Took the racks out of it, installed galvanized pipe hanger rods and that rig would hold four deer pretty easily, worked great.
Purchased a new one when we built a new shop. It's a 4' x 6' x 8' tall unit with a nice little 120V refrigeration unit that sits on top of it. Roof and walls are silver aluminum 3"-4" thick, foam core, bolted to the floor slab, think I paid around $3500 for it.
WyoDoug
Well-known member
I am thinking about it. Thinking of converting a shed to an outdoor freezer.
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