Last thing on my hunting list just happened.

TR Treeman 2 years ago

I have wanted a cold room from the first time I came home dead on my feet and still had 5 hrs of processing and carting to a butcher before they closed.
I have wanted a cold room from first time I spent all of sunday night with alarm set for every 2 hrs to go outside and spray carport walls and floor with water because it was a 34 Celsius evening and we got back too late for the butcher.
I have wanted a cold room since I was in the army and walked into the cold room and thought, "this makes sense".
I have wanted a cold room each time I wanted to make biltong, but it was summer.

I have always wanted a cold room.

I have tried to get to one, looked at a few and then tried to figure where to put it, there is no useable space left on my property, like as in really no useable space.
I have looked at the available cold rooms and they all just so big, like built for a business, small rooms, just too much cold room and not enough space.
I have considered buying one and cutting it in half, but the work, and then, like R30 000 for room. I could not afford a 30 K thing that may go months not being used, and AND thats after cutting it in half and spending wotever $$$ rebuilding it and refitting the pumps, blowers etc.

In short it was never gonna happen - that's why I built the mini cooler box's.

Well today I heard of a cooler room again, and of course I looked into it, just wishful, if its cheap its gone already - if its correctly priced I can not afford it - besides I have no space.Kinda like "just fkt!"

I looked and there, there was my cooler room, the one I always built for myself, if I were a rich man that is.
Ey, yea, its older than envisioned, not as nice, but at 15K ;D
2.1 m long 2 m high and about 1 m wide - will fit between house and side wall and still allow access past to back yard.
After measuring it appears 8 springbuck or 6 Impala or 3 kudu in halves will be a battle fit, but do-able in a emergency.
The usual 3 warthog, 2 Impala easy.

Best part is he just fitted a new condenser or something.
cold by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
That thing at the back there, its new and we settled on R12 000 for the room.
cold2 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

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Replies 21

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OA oafpatroll

Nice. That looks very civilized.

TR Treeman OP

Needs some make up, but yea! It will work.

Finlly !!! ;D

DS Ds J

Remember to put the beer into it before leaving for the hunt.

Well done and congrats!

[deleted]

That's very cool 8) Bargain.

TR Treeman OP

Yusslike ou'ens I be chuffed ;D

Been a long trip to this point.

TR Treeman OP

Anybody have anything tell me about cooler rooms, maintenance, do's and don'ts - any advice at all.

OA oafpatroll

Anybody have anything tell me about cooler rooms, maintenance, do's and don'ts - any advice at all.

This is distinctly second hand but what I have picked up from people I've known who've had them is that they are best protected from the elements even when the are nominally rated for use outside. They should be raised off the ground to allow drainage and airflow to ensure they don't rot out on the bottom. They should be kept scrupulously clean for the obvious reasons and also to limit corrosion caused by salty carcass juices. They should be kept topped up with refrigerant to spare the compressor from overwork

JA janfred

Also, keep the condenser clean and keep the evaporator ice free.
Check door seals regularly.
And test your internal latch release regularly.

TR Treeman OP

Thanks guys, some useable advice. This one is going well under cover, but still outside, This refrigerant, is it self do or what does it come in a bottle or ??

Oaf, ya this ones appearance is not clinically white, but ya, I think its just what I need. If one were to respray interior for a cleaner appearance, what would one use enamel or poli whatsaname - spray or brush good enough?

Outside I will rust convert first, then paint, I can not imagine there being special needs for outer surface.

The door closes with a threaded bolt application, a big wing nut that spins on a large thread. I believe that this saves the seals when not in use also no need for inner release hatch.

Apart from the room being distinctly used, the only thing I did not like was the fact that the door seals are only a type of expanda foam, the type used for this kind of application, but not as nice as the single seal strip like on fridges - freezers.

I am wondering if I should get a buff and buff inside out to a clean new layer or should I spray a new white surface to it - it has 15 years of hooves, horns and what not scraping, scratching the sides, so marks are a given.

OA oafpatroll

This is a guess but I'd say the inside would best be done with an epoxy of some sort and I'd want to spray rather than roll or brush it to get the slickest surface. That would make it easier to clean.

On the rust converting what I'd suggest is to wire wheel or flapper disc the thing till it almost looks good enough to paint and then do the converter. That way you have the best chance of getting the majority of the rust neutralised. When doing chassis work years ago I saw horrors under the stuff a few times where it made a nice looking surface with a perfect cocoon for the tin worm to grow underneath.

JA janfred

Thing about rust-converter. It must be applied to rust. Applying to bare steel it does not adhere very well. So, wire-wheel only as this does not remove 100% of rust.

Using a flappy disk will take it down to bare steel. Etch primer or a good epoxy type primer like International Paint Interbond 201 or Interguard 400.

In itself it is not a problem what you use provided you use rust converter on the rusty bits and etch primer on the shiny steel bits.

TR Treeman OP

Yes, rust converter needs the oxide to work. I generally when it is possible clean the rusted area as best possible to ensure all loose and scale is gone. If applying a good paint or coating, I rust treat straight away and then wash - paint. The rust converter only needs to work where there is rust missed by cleaning, it does not need to convert where there is no rust.
If the item is not easy enough to clean then i clean it best can do, allow it to stand a week or so - usually week end to week end before applying converter.
Its always a issue having rust thats under a coating.

In this case, i will just be pouring converter along all the seams to get in between where I can not clean - like along the outer frame work where the metal frame is against the box.

OA oafpatroll

Thing about rust-converter. It must be applied to rust. Applying to bare steel it does not adhere very well. So, wire-wheel only as this does not remove 100% of rust.

Point I was making is that the converter can only do so much. If you leave flake rust all over the thing it doesn't stay wet long enough to convert all the oxide to ferrite and what you end up with is a hard cap of nice comforting looking ferrite sealing in active rust below it. What I'm suggesting is that you grind off what you can and treat only thin rust deposits where you can't.

TR Treeman OP

That refrigerant stuff, gas or what, fill it myself or what ?

OA oafpatroll

That refrigerant stuff, gas or what, fill it myself or what ?

I doubt you can as you need special fittings and probably couldn't easily buy it. Any refridgeration company could do it for you. If I had the room I'd do it once it was refurbed for peace of mind or if it wasn't easily maintaing temp. I have no need whatever for a cold room but Fr some twisted reason I have the jealousies.

TR Treeman OP

What is this gauge ?
What does this do - how is it read, interpreted.
It seems to be between a pump and a canister.

20241102_124857 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

DS Ds J

If memory serves correct, it measures the pressure in the gas unit (activated by heat/cold) to switch the pump/fan on and off.

JA JamesNotBond

Dave, those are pressure controller gauges, yours being dual gauges. You can monitor your operating pressures so as for the pumps not to overwork. These will also indicate if there is some fault in your cooling system.
They can be set, but I have only ever used a technician to do so.

Note to self: Its time to learn the ability to set operating pressures, it cannot be too complicated.

NE Newton

Dave, those are pressure controller gauges, yours being dual gauges.
You can monitor your operating pressures so as for the pumps not to overwork. These will also indicate if there is some fault in your cooling system.
They can be set, but I have only ever used a technician to do so.

How much pressure is in the refrigerant bottle ?
and
In the corroded fittings ?

TR Treeman OP

How much pressure is in the refrigerant bottle ?
and
In the corroded fittings ?

************************
Zoom in, looks like 40 PSI and like 300 otherside

DS Ds J

Suggestion: please get a competent technician and pay him to do a thorough inspection of the whole unit. Then get another competent technician to affirm the findings of the first one.

Pay him some more to show you to how to adjust it, and please listen if he tells you not to adjust anything ;) (I didn't listen and it almost cost a lot of money).

The systems change all the time; if it is old or not well supported, try to start saving for a new one. It will probably break down on a Saturday afternoon when you are returning on Sunday with an extra carcass ;)