Kegerator temp issue.

When you say the temperature won't go below 43F, do you mean that's the built in thermostat's lowest setting, or do you mean that even when constantly running, it never gets below 43?

If the former, yes, a temp controller in the way to go. A muffin fan will do nothing at all to reduce the average temperature.

If it runs constantly but won't go below 43F, that's a defective fridge and should be returned.

 

A temp controller will not help. If you set it at say "36" it will command the unit to run constantly which leaves you at the 43. Same with a circulating fan, this will only help distribute cold air equally throughout the interior, which in your case is 43 . . . no cold air is created by either option.

If you've tested the unit with say a 5 gal bucket of water and it max'es out at 43 your best bet is a return. If determined to make it work there is a "coarse temp adjustment" which I hesitate to bring up as it's a bear to set correctly and should never be required on a new unit.

You might want to hang out in Home Bar forum as we talk about this sort of stuff all the time . . . plus, we need the business over there.

EDIT: What brand? Also, it may take as long as 2 days for temp to stabilize (depending on start temp).

 

Too late to edit, so replying. I meant to mention that in the case of 43F being the lowest setting for the built in thermostat, you'd need to bypass the built in thermostat when adding an external controller.

 

So, if it's not running constantly, it's a thermostat setting issue. You could add an external controller and bypass the internal thermostat (which would require some rewiring). Or you could try the coarse adjustment @PortLargo mentioned. The latter would be easier, particularly if the adjustment (screw) is easily accessible. You might find it to be fixed in place with something like loctite, which would have to be removed.

 

If your ferm chamber can get to 35F with an external controller (assuming you haven't rewired), it can also get there without the external controller. When you (simply) add an external controller (no rewiring), you're not bypassing anything, you're just adding a layer of (finer) control. Normally, the idea is to set the internal thermostat as low as it goes (or at least low enough to get lower than your target), then set the external controller for your target.

Your mini fridge and your kegerator both operate the same way.

 

I don't think we have sub-forum dedicated mods anymore, so there's nobody specific to page. But you could hit the Report button and ask for it to be moved in the Report Reason dialog box.

 

My cheapo Insignia kegerator had a similar issue and wouldn't get below 40° (maybe 45°?). It was purchased used so I went with the 'coarse' adjustment.
On mine, the temperature manual adjustment knob is inside the kegerator at the top-right, immediately in front of a protective cover plate. The 'coarse' adjuster screw is located behind that cover, which I had to remove to access the screw. Been a while but IIRC the area near the screw is marked with "+/-" or "Warmer/Colder", or something similar.
As mentioned, a new unit shouldn't have that issue. Consider exchanging it if there's nothing to prevent that.....like "all sales final on floor models".

 

This is not a good test, you want to measure liquid temp. Forget the wireless, get a decent thermo and calibrate it (ice slury). Then measure either beer temp (after second pour) or easiest to test a 5 gal bucket of water and let it stabilize (day+) as a pitcher might not be representative. Liquid temp is the only thing that matters.

That's not how it works, the controller does not produce any cold. Instead, it commands the unit to run until it senses (temp probe) a determined temp. It will never make the unit colder than it already is. It's perfect for something like a fridge (40'ish) to be converted to a ferm fridge (60s) or a freezer (-20) converted to a keezer (38'ish). The lowest temp is achieved by the compressor/evaporator coil working at max capacity as regulated by the thermostat. If your 43 is the actual lowest temp one of these two variables is out of tolerance. But an air temp of 41 on top of keg is does not tell you what you need to know.

Can't stress enough the need for time to stabilize and measuring of liquid temp.

 

What do you want the fan to do? If it's to decrease the avg temperature wherever the thermostat (or external controller probe) is, it won't do that. But if it's to move already cold air into the tower and help reduce first-pour-foam, it might do that, regardless of whether you are hitting your desired temps with the internal thermostat or with an external controller.

IOW, an external controller and a fan serve two different purposes, so I wouldn't say that both together are overkill.

FWIW, my keezer doesn't have a tower. I've seen too many people struggle in attempts to move air in/out of them effectively.

 

There were three easily accessible phillips-head screws securing the cover. Had to pull the knob off so the hole in the cover clear. Removing the cover exposed the adjuster screw. I left the cover off until satisfied that no additional adjustments were needed.


Mine's not an Insignia, but a Nostalgia (still a cheapo).....shows how much attention I paid to the brand

 

If you don't mod your kegerator in some way (bypass the thermostat or coarse adjust it), adding an external temp controller will definitely not get your temps lower than they are now, because your internal thermostat will keep shutting the power off when its own target is reached, just like it's doing now.

Think about it... all the external controller can do is switch the power off once your external controller's target temp is reached (and turn it back on again when the temp rises). Think of the relay in the external controller as a smart robot that manually plugs/unplugs the power cord at the wall outlet. If you set the target temp on the external controller to something lower than what your (unmodded) kegerator is capable of reaching, the external controller will simply be "on" all the time, and won't have any impact at all. Just like the robot always leaving the power cord plugged in.