How the CoolBot Temperature Controller Works
The CoolBot transforms any well-insulated room into a walk-in cooler by harnessing the cooling power of a standard air conditioner.
Traditional walk-in cooler refrigeration systems sell for $7,000* with installation and electrical setup. Traditional systems use a “brute-force” approach to cooling: lots of coolant (which is bad for the environment), a big motor, a large surface area, and multiple fans (which can dry out your vegetables and account for up to 60% of the cost of operating electricity).
Here’s the crazy thing: That $3,500+ walk-in cooler compressor you see on a small 8′ x 8′ vegetable cooler may only put out 8,500 BTUs of cooling power! That’s fewer
BTUs than you get from a $600 window air conditioner from Home Depot!
Why not just use an A/C unit then? First, they are electronically limited so that they can’t go below 60° F. With some electrical bravery and skill, you could snip, solder and bypass the electrical controls so you could go lower. It will work better, but still not very well as your ability to actually utilize that cooling power drops drastically as you approach 60° F. This limitation at 60° F vs. a traditional walk-in cooler refrigeration system is driven by the lack of extra fans and surface area built into traditional walk-in cooler compressor / condenser / evaporator units which dissipate the cold without freezing up the fins of the unit.
*Quote in Denver, Colorado for a standard walk-in cooler refrigeration system installation [quote received on 5/17/2016]
Traditional walk-in cooler refrigeration systems can cost several thousand with installation and electrical setup. Traditional systems use a “brute-force” approach to cooling: lots of coolant (which is bad for the environment), a big motor, a large surface area, and multiple fans (which can account for up to 60% of the cost of operating electricity).
Why not just use an A/C unit then? First, they are electronically limited so that they can’t go below 60°F. With some electrical bravery and skill, you could snip, solder and bypass the electrical controls so you could go lower. It will work better, but still not very well as your ability to actually utilize that cooling power drops drastically as you approach 60° F. This limitation at 60° F vs. a traditional walk-in cooler refrigeration system is driven by the lack of extra fans and surface area built into traditional walk-in cooler compressor / condenser / evaporator units which dissipate the cold without freezing up the fins of the unit. As your temperature goes down you increase the chances of freezing the coil and you need to find a way to tackle that second hurdle. Not a simple task for those without the electrical bravery and skills previously mentioned.
The CoolBot’s patented technology intelligently controls your air conditioner – so you can harness its cooling power and keep temperatures in the 30s without freezing up your air conditioner.
The CoolBot uses multiple sensors, a heating element and a programmed micro-controller to direct your air conditioner to operate in a such a way to cool the room to 36° F without ever freezing up. Additionally, our innovative interface which links the CoolBot controller to your air conditioner allows for 5 minute installations without any training, cutting, soldering or even taping.
CoolBot cannot give you 100% use of the listed BTUs on your air conditioner, so you will need to buy a higher BTU air conditioner than the BTU size you would buy on a traditional cooler compressor. However, the price of a larger air conditioner and a CoolBot is a fraction of the cost of a traditional walk-in cooler compressor, saving you $1,000s in upfront equipment costs.
Most importantly, when the air conditioner is close to freezing or when the room has reached the desired set temperature, the CoolBot is programmed to shut off the compressor on your A/C unit, so you do not pay for extra electricity that you won’t use! That saves you money on your monthly electricity bill and helps the environment. As long as you size your air conditioner correctly following our sizing guidelines and insulate your cooler well, you’ll have no problem keeping your room as cold as you want it to be.
The CoolBot uses multiple sensors, a heating element and a programmed micro-controller to direct your air conditioner’s compressor to operate in a such a way to cool the room to 36° F without ever freezing up. Additionally, our innovative interface which links the CoolBot controller to your air conditioner allows for 5 minute installations without any training, cutting, soldering or even taping.
CoolBot cannot give you 100% use of the listed BTUs on your air conditioner, so you will need to buy a higher BTU air conditioner than the BTU size you would buy on a traditional cooler compressor. However, the price of a larger air conditioner and a CoolBot is a fraction of the cost of a real walk-in cooler compressor, saving you $1,000s in upfront equipment costs.
Most importantly, when the CoolBot begins to lose efficiency when accessing your BTUs of cooling power (when the air conditioner is close to freezing), it is programmed to shut off the compressor on your A/C unit, so you do not pay for electricity to make BTUs that you can’t use! That saves you money on your monthly electricity bill and helps the environment. As long as you sized your air conditioner correctly and insulate your cooler well, you’ll have no problem keeping your room as cold as you want it to be.
