Danby Kegerator Improvements

[lunkhead]

Originally Posted by tx_jrod

got my danby, but the wires on the top are red, brown yellow, and green. is it the red and brown that need to be cut and connected?

There should be a diagram on the back of the unit, does it look like this one?danby_IMG_0811.jpg
Not sure where the brown wire is coming from or do you mean dual colored brown yellow wire?

[srmcglothlin]

I have done the basic mods - resistor (33k - set my unit at 38 to get 33 degree beer) - move the temp sensor to top front by door. I did the tower with a 3/4 inch rubber hose and a dc fan/box blower. Works great - first draw is 33 degrees.

But what about the big swing when the unit goes into defrost mode? I don't really want to bite the bullet on a comtroller hack. Has anyone come up with another way to defeat the defrost? Does anyone understand the electronics behind it? Is it a timer or temp driven? What if I set my unit on a cheap timer (like I use for Cristmas lights) that would cycle it off once a day for a minute or two - would that defeat it? It would be great if I knew what was triggering the defrost, so I could attack it.

Thanks everyone for the great info!!!!

[lunkhead]

The danby defrost cycle has been discussed plenty on this forum. From what previous posters have provided the unit seems to count (time)the number of hours it runs. After it counts to about 24 hours it start the defrost cycle and depending on the unit it can last awhile especially with the resistor mod, I know mine did, unless you have a broken unit like cubby swans. The timer can be reset by pulling the plug for at least 5 minutes. Any less and it still remembers the hour count. Now if you put it on a timer to shut it off for 5-10 minutes every day, when it turns back on it reverts back to it's higher inital temperature, so it will need to be reset lower or your beer will still warm-up. I too was searching for a way mod the danby, a scehmatic, when I found this forum some 18 months ago. Never did find one, but I worked around it and finally went with the external temp control.

[psychodad]

I think the power cycle from a timer may very well defeat the defrost. I know back when mine defrosted, unplugging it and plugging it back in would restart the compressor. Make sure you have a substantial enough timer though. The compressor will draw more current than Christmas lights.

One other wrinkle in the timer idea is that you don't want to short cycle the compressor. Were the compressor to have just started running when you shut it off and then you restart it shortly thereafter, it may not be best.

[srmcglothlin]

I guess I'll have to go with the temp control mod - sounds like the best long term solution.

Thank you both - you have contributed greatly to the exchange of information and providing us with the opportunity to drink cold beer !!!!

[lunkhead]

Your welcome and thank you psychodad too again. His post some 244 ago got things rolling on this. And there's plenty of info on external temp controlling on this forum too.

[neil_stanton_99]

I'm sure this has already been asked but I'm by no means an electrician. WHat is the best way to reconnect the wires? Use some sort of wire connector or just solder back with the resistor in place? Does anyone have any clear pics since I'm more of a visual guy?

Also without spending alot of money what is the easiest blower fan to install?

THanks guys sorry for the redundant questions.

[sriescher]

I read Pshycodad and Lunkheads posting and found the info very helpful. I had been using 1/6th kegs in my Danby up until recently and noticed the temp problem when I started putting full 1/2 kegs in. I assume this issue arises by the refrigerator having to work harder. That said, one question I do have is if I only do the 33 ohm resistor modification and nothing else, is that sufficient to fix the defrost cycle problem? What is the function that resistor performs?

[psychodad]

The resistor modification will not change the defrost cycle.

[sriescher]

what is the function of the resistor mod? How costly is the full modification that you suggested? Thanks again for your help.

[kenb123]

Not to step on psychodad - cause if it wasn't for him and lunkhead my Danby wouldn't be at a constant 38 degrees pouring perfect no foam beer everytime.

Mods accomplish different things (assuming you already have proper PSI, beer length etc..):

Blower Mod - adding a blower to get cold air into the tower gets that first glass of beer without the foam. And subsequent ones if you aren't pouring one after the other. Think of it like you have 8 feet of beer line and six of it is cold, but the last 2 feet is at room temperature.

Resistor mod - the Danby sensor is off - so you dial it in thinking you are at 38, and you are much higher. Adding a resistor gets the temperature colder, and moving it to a different location also helps with accuracy.

Temperature Controller - The Danby wants to defrost once every 24 hours - raising the internal temp (some say up to six degrees while it does it) So your beer temp fluctuates more than you'd like. Adding a different controller takes control away from the Danby - therefore the unit stays at a constant temperature.

If you do the temperature controller mod - then the resistor mod serves no purpose - other than giving you a more accurate display. And according to the experts you use a different resistor - I think 150K - if all you want is an accurate digital readout after giving control to an external controller.

All mods are worth it, I was hesistant - but it was SO worth it now.

[cubby_swans]

unless you have a broken unit like cubby swans

Hey man, it's not broken. It just happens to be the only one that's not broken. I've had it almost a year and have yet to notice a temperature spike due to any defrost cycle. A temperature controller would have been a complete waste of money for me. I wouldn't install one unless I needed to. It's not something I would just do because someone else said to do it.

[sriescher]

Kenb123 - thank you.

I now have a clear understanding of what each mod will do. I think I will just start with the resistor mod to get the keg colder and go from there.

[cubby_swans]

Originally Posted by sriescher

Kenb123 - thank you.

I now have a clear understanding of what each mod will do. I think I will just start with the resistor mod to get the keg colder and go from there.

I think that's a good and easy place to start. The resistor mod, in a nutshell, allows your Danby to get colder, by changing the signal your sensor sends to the control board.

Be careful with which resistor you use. Some people have frozen kegs by using the 33K resistor. Lunkhead determined that his cooled down an additional 2-3 degrees F and that the display on the Danby ended up being correct when he used a 150K resistor.

I split the middle and used a 100K resistor. If my Danby is empty or if I only have a sixtel inside, I get 30F-31F temps (measured with MM liquid thermometer inside kegerator, and measured beer temp from the sixtel) by setting the Danby to 36. When I have a 1/2 barrel I get 36F pours when I set it to 36.

[Scott Zuhse]

Not to create a fear factor here but out of pure curiosity and the fact that I know nothing about this field, will the resistor mod create any long term issues with the refrigerator itself? Again, just curious.

[psychodad]

I can't see any long term problems that could arise from adding the resistor. It is just that it is really a temporary fix most likely. For example, my Danby readout started reading 30 degrees the other day and it is nowhere near that cold or my ales would not be what I would want them to be. Had I had a resistor in the circuit, the display likely still would have changed not giving me the temperature control I want. There is certainly more wrong with the Danby control than the temperature sensor they use.

When the day cones that the display and circuitry finally die, my beer should still be at the temperature I want it to be as I am controlling it with better components. I think the refrigeration part of the thing is as good as anyone could expect. The control just doesn't pass muster.

[psychodad]

I get a lot of PMs wanting a link to the original writeup with pictures I had. That site rolled over and died a long time ago. I just don't have the time these days to do it again. However if you can follow a simple wire schematic, these pictures should be just as good if not better.

The first picture is the same one Lunkhead posted a few posts back and is how my Danby is wired. There are apparently a few variations on this, but the majority are like this I believe if not much different.

The second illustrates how I added the external temperature control to mine. Notice that the red wire is cut where it leaves the control board and wire nutted off to prevent shorting. The red wire is then wired in series with the overload to retain protection. A wire from the incoming hot is then taken to the incoming side of the switch.

The third picture would allow for using something like the Brewer's Edge temperature control.

Both options provide for a working digital readout. Hope this helps.

[Tomen55]

I installed the resistor and temp sensor re-location mods earlier today. I just had my FIRST cold beer from my kegerator ever today. I am ecstatic!! Thanks to all who researched and tried different things to overcome this problem. THANK YOU!!!

[lunkhead]

Here's the after wiring diagram for the JC controller I installed in my danby. I have included letters for the color codes on the switch, R for red, which is the common pole, B for blue, Y for yellow. danby JC temp mod.JPG Note that it shows the compressor running and will open when the temp falls