PROJECT: Installing a Thermoelectric Cooling Unit on my cabinet humidor

[bkc888]

Summer is coming along and the fear of high temperature is on my mind. The cabinet humidor I have is the Tower of Power from here: http://www.cigarbid.com/auction/lot.cfm?lotID=429498


Thermoelectric Units are pretty expensive if one tries to buy them through sites on Google. So I thought of ripping out the TEC unit from a wine cooler such as this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-AVANTI-WCP8-...QQcmdZViewItem

and mounting it on top of the humidor.

Luckily I found that wine cooler for $50 on craigslist. The seller scammed me though because it was broken! But luckily it was just the cold sink fan mount that broke...must have been dropped pretty hard for that to happen though...everything else seemed to be in great working order. The Peltier had no problems and etc.. etc... However, the cold sink fan seemed to be unbalanced as it produces a lot of vibrations! Can always order a new one from avanti parts.

Here is some crappy picture of me taking apart the cooler. Sorry that I couldn't be more detailed in the step by step:

This is what is seen after back cover which I EASILY removed:


Heat sink with the control board:


Cold Sink that is on the other side:


This is whole board about 2.5 inches thick with insulating foam:


Remote...it even shows the time!

[bkc888]

Temperature sensor...little to close to the Cold Sink i think...:


The top of my cabinet has a hole...I have no idea why its there but it works out for me in mounting the TEC on top(BTW the hygrometer is off by -10):



Inside the hole is a gap of around 3.5 inches. Perfect to fit the TEC!:





There is an extra slot on the control board that was used to connect a light. I was thinking of using that slot to connect an extra fan. How would I find out what kind of connector that is...?:


What do you guys think?

I need to make a cover for the Cold Side to concentrate the airflow more on the cold sink. I hope the stock fan can move the warm air in the humidor fast enough over the cold sink. If not does anyone have any helpful ideas?

I also know condensation will be an issue and I will prepare for a drip pathway...into my Cigar Oasis maybe? Wouldn't that be awesome haha.


Will begin cutting tomorrow and tell you how effective it is in cooling the cabinet .

[Mr. White]

looks good but you may have to cut a vent in the top of the humidor to let the heat escape?

[bkc888]

Originally Posted by Mr. White

looks good but you may have to cut a vent in the top of the humidor to let the heat escape?

O no I think I am going to cut a hole on top of the humidor. The heat sink will be outside. haha its ugly but practical i guess.

[sonick]

I think that looks like a fun project!
So long as you take your time and don't cut any corners, you could end up with something very unique and special. I've always been amazed by peltiers..

As far as the connectors, you can find them at www.digikey.com (as well as any other electronic part you could ever need in your life). It may take you awhile to find the exact match because there are so many similar and so many total # of connectors, but it will be a lot easier if you have a good caliper to take the dimensions and distance from pin to pin (to compare to digikey dimensions.) You may luck out and be able to go by visual reference. I've used connectors very similar for a firewall blade-server I designed, but I was using all 6-pin connectors instead of 7, otherwise I'd mail a handful. Oh well. Digikey will definetely have what you need with some dilligence in searching.

Enjoy, take your time and post pictures!

[bkc888]

Originally Posted by sonick

I think that looks like a fun project!
So long as you take your time and don't cut any corners, you could end up with something very unique and special. I've always been amazed by peltiers..

As far as the connectors, you can find them at www.digikey.com (as well as any other electronic part you could ever need in your life). It may take you awhile to find the exact match because there are so many similar and so many total # of connectors, but it will be a lot easier if you have a good caliper to take the dimensions and distance from pin to pin (to compare to digikey dimensions.) You may luck out and be able to go by visual reference. I've used connectors very similar for a firewall blade-server I designed, but I was using all 6-pin connectors instead of 7, otherwise I'd mail a handful. Oh well. Digikey will definetely have what you need with some dilligence in searching.

Enjoy, take your time and post pictures!

Wow that website is amazing! ahha I didnt know there were so many connectors in the world. I think it will be easier to solder the connection than to find the connector LOL. Thanks!

[Marlboro Cigars]

Great project!!
Love the pictures.

[Seanohue]

Originally Posted by bkc888

Wow that website is amazing! ahha I didnt know there were so many connectors in the world. I think it will be easier to solder the connection than to find the connector LOL. Thanks!

Digikey is nice but I'd recommend Mouser (www.mouserelectronics.com) for smaller orders because they do not have minimum orders there. Also have really good customer support.

[scrapiron]

Great project!

I can't wait to see the finished product!

Don't forget to celebrate with a cigar!

[cricky101]

Great project! I love seeing everyone's humidor modifications and construction jobs.