Tower needs to be colder

You can buy a tower cooler on eBay for 40 bucks, or make your own with an old cell phone charger, a PC fan, some flex tubing and a project box from Radio Shack (just like it details in the link at the bottom of the article). I made mine, works great.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kegerator-B...613?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e788c1e5d

 

I just bought these on Amazon over the weekend:

http://www.amazon.com/Coolerguys-Du...F8&qid=1378863181&sr=8-3&keywords=cooling+fan


http://www.amazon.com/Generic-2-Port-Travel-Charger-iPhone/dp/B002FFG6JC/ref=pd_bxgy_pc_img_y
Up to you.

 

I use a small desk fan.

I place it on top of the keg and point it at the tower.

Also - I insulated my tower with foam.

 

Purpose of the tower cooler is to carry the cold air to the top of the tower and let it return within the tower. You need as much return flow as you send the air in with or it's not going to work properly. I can't see a fan carrying air to top of tower and its also interrupting return air.

 

^^^^^^^ what he said. Won't work.

 

Mine works fine. Noticeable improvement. It's a high velocity mini stainless steel fan. I've had it for years.

 

Big difference between improvement and solving the problem. Any time you go after making something work like the best product available (commercial unit with tower cooler in this case) you should consider how they accomplish the task. With coolers, they plumb the cold air directly to the shanks. Not a single manufacturer tries to blow air up the tower without a tube. You are cooling the line up to where it enters the tower, but not actually into the tower because your set up doesn't allow for return air. Without return air, no fresh cool air will enter the tower. This may be perfect for what you are willing to invest in time and you may be happy with the results, nobody can call that except you.
To the OP - the goal is to maintain the exact same temperature of the beer from keg to faucet, any temperature changes cause foaming.

 

Very true

 

Hey, it's your money.

 

I made the one in your link. I don't consider myself particularly handy, especially with this kind of stuff, but it was easy and I did it with <$20 in parts. Took me a couple hours and works like a champ.

 

I just built one of these and planned on using 1" tubing. However, my tower has two taps and beer lines, meaning that a 1" tube will not allow for any return air. I opted for 1/2" ID tubing but the air is barely blowing through the tube. I'm using a 80mm computer fan and actually feel some air (not all) blowing the out around in front of the fan. I have a feeling it's just the resistance of taking in 3" of air and trying to push it out 1/2". I've got room in the same box that's holding the fan and tube to add a second fan, anyone think that will help or just continue to have the same problem?

Or any other thoughts that will let me get adequate air in and out of my tower given the tight space?

 

Can you use a lower voltage power adapter to run it? You are pushing 10 lbs of air in a 5 lb tube.

 

square fan round tube? that's a problem.

you don't need much air flow. 15 cfm will do it. more is not bad though. a commercial forced air system can have 50 cfm or more at the endpoint and it practically blows the lid off. cold air seeps from the metal edges.

a return vent is not really needed for a simple upright tower, just get the vent all the way up to the top and the air will fall back into the conditioned space on its own.
Cheers.

 

I did replace the very thin "insulation" in the tower with 1/2" thick dense foam and I'm sure that's helping.

The CPU fan will take 12v, but I have a 9v power adapter on it. What's the concern with the square fan and round tube... or am I dense and that was just a round peg in a square hole reference?

Actually, I just replaced the 1/2" tube with 3/4" garden hose, still allows for some return air, but is flowing better.

 

I use flex tube going into a length of copper tube - it allows you to maximize diameter while minimizing wall thickness to keep return air moving. Are you trying to correct first beer foam, or are you fighting foam every glass? The tower cooler will help with the former, not the latter.

 

Actually, I only get about 1" of foam in the first beer and almost none in the next. I'm pretty happy with it but it's an old kegerator I just bought off Craigslist and it doesn't seem to stay consistently as cold as it should. I'll soon be adding a second keg and am fearful it will have more trouble maintaining temp then so I want to make sure all components are cold and insulated.