A Review of Temperature Controllers for your Home Made Kegerator

If you are building your own DIY kegerator, chances are that you are looking into how best to control the temperature of your kegerator. The right temperature for the right beer is essential to enjoying your home draught beer! Likewise, the right temperature controller must be chosen for the particular type of kegerator conversion you are building - freezers often have different options for temperature controllers than upright refrigerators. Here we will review many of the options you have for your kegerator's temperature control unit.

Choose the right temperature controller for the particular type of kegerator conversion you are building to enjoy your home draught beer.

Johnson Controls offers a couple of different types of simple, easy-to-install temperature controllers. These require no wiring, and all you do is install the temperature sensor into the kegerator and then plug the fridge or chest freezer into the unit. The two varieties of this type of control unit that we have seen have only a few differences: the analog version has a 5/16" diameter temperature sensor with a dial on the box and the digital version, which has a 1/16" diameter temperature sensor with a digital display and buttons for controlling the temperature.

Both of these units operate by turning the kegerator on and off to maintain the correct temperature setting. These units have what is called a four-degree swing. This means that if you set the temperature to 40 degrees, the unit will turn on at 40 degrees and then turn off when the temperature sensor reads 36 degrees. The potential temperature range that these units can control is 20 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use these controllers if your kegerator draws up to 15 amps, or 1725 watts at 115 volts AC. The temperature sensors are gas filled, and you must be careful not to abrase the cord, and also not to submerse the cord or sensor in liquid. You can find these units for sale for around $80.

The Ranco temperature controller operates on the same principal, but it usually comes without the electrical plugs, so it requires some basic wiring ability to install the unit. On the plus side, it has a wider range of operation: between -30 to 220F, and can handle input voltage of 120VAC, 208, or 240VAC. Ultimately, the increased range of this unit has more application in the world of brewing and less use when applied to the project of beer chilling. The Ranco controllers comes with a digital readout and push button control. There is also a wired version.

For those seeking a more even control of temperature, Love company offers their Love TS-13010 control. This unit requires some wiring, and installation should not be attempted unless you have some electronics experience or knowledge. Love Controls offers a number of different temperature and humidity controllers. The TS-13010 offers a control range of 14 to 158°F (-10 to 70°C), and a great digital display with controls. This units retails for around $70.

It is a good idea to install a thermometer of some sort into any kegerator so that you can ensure that you know just how cold your kegerator is getting. There are many varieties of digital and analog thermometers. Digital thermometers are commonly used in kegerators, as they have a low profile and are easy to install. Refrigerator thermometers are, of course, easily broken, but will only cost you about $6. For between $12 and $40, you can find digital thermometers from companies such as Roadpro or the Keg Meter Monitoring System that have the potential for being externally mounted digital displays. These units also have built in alarms to prevent beer spoilage!

We hope this compilation of possible temperature controllers for your home built kegerator has been useful.

Related Kegerator Articles :
Monitoring Your Kegerator Beer with a Keg Meter -- A great article listing the different kinds of keg meter devices there are for monitoring your kegerator beer levels.
How to Build a Homemade Kegerator -- Learn how to build a homemade kegerator from either a stand up fridge or the smaller half sized fridge.
How to Make a Kegerator -- Learn about the two basic styles you can go with if you want build your own kegerator at home and how to build a kegerator using a conversion kit.