So, as the title reads I just pulled the trigger on a NewAir 281E. I found a coupon by googling "air and water coupon code" and saved 30% off the listed price. I know there's a few BOTL's on here that have this model. My question now is on how much beads I should buy…pound or pound and a half? Thanks to Smoqman and his thread I know where to buy my shelves and drawers. That is of course if the wait is not too long. Am I missing anything?
Just ordered a NewAir 281E
- Thread starter williegstyles
- Start date
i would do 2 lbs of beads. i felt like 1 was enough but would do two just for peace of mind during winter months. i recently switched to kitty litter and after bout 2 weeks i think its the way to go. i do have 65% boveda packs in each drawer. with the 1 pound of beads the RH dropped a little when winter hit here. depending on where you live, you may not have that problem. also, you could get temporary cedar trays from cheaphumidors until john can get you the drawers. the quality is excellent and well worth the wait.
i have the 280e (pretty much the same unit). the fan will probably stay on constantly which could have an effect on the RH. some guys have an external temp control installed which i will probably do soon so the fan doesnt run constantly.
I would say err towards 2 lbs of beads or KL in the 281. Depending on your plans for adding fans, etc, it can be good to be able to split the beads into different areas of the Wineador to keep the humidity even throughout the whole thing. I have 1 lb at the bottom and the other pound on the middle shelf. Keeps things at 65% +/- 1%
Does the ambient temperature in the space that you will be keeping the Wineador in vary greatly?
What I'm getting at is if your Wineador is going to be located in an unconditioned area that frequently gets hot then you will benefit greatly from the ETC controller.
Otherwise it is only the fan on the cooler that is running 24/7 not the Peltier unit. I installed a flat aluminum plate in front of the fan that allows the air to be deflected in all directions instead of blowing directly on the sticks. This worked well for me.
What I'm getting at is if your Wineador is going to be located in an unconditioned area that frequently gets hot then you will benefit greatly from the ETC controller.
Otherwise it is only the fan on the cooler that is running 24/7 not the Peltier unit. I installed a flat aluminum plate in front of the fan that allows the air to be deflected in all directions instead of blowing directly on the sticks. This worked well for me.
I haven't decided where I will keep it at this point. We generally have more summer than winter and my house is two story so heat generally rises. So, with that said I may wait until the summer months to decide on getting an ETC. Is there any harm in waiting?
Is your house conditioned? What temp do you keep it at? I don't think there is any harm in waiting but if you don't have big temp swings in the space you are going to have the Wineador then do you really need it??
I don't have big temp swings, but during the summer (which lasts about 6 months out of the year here in GA
) the house gets into the mid 70s even with central air. To keep it much lower would create a nasty power bill. I moved to a wineador because I don't want my sticks to be stored at these temps.
Same hereI don't have big temp swings, but during the summer (which lasts about 6 months out of the year here in GA) the house gets into the mid 70s even with central air. To keep it much lower would create a nasty power bill. I moved to a wineador because I don't want my sticks to be stored at these temps.