BrandonJ
I <3 Eric.
Awesome brother, can't wait to see it all up and running again!
Wine Cooler 101
- Thread starter twenty5
- Start date
The thermal grease is intended to create better surface to surface contact between the plates and the heat-sink. It's really critical in CPU applications as it fills the minute cracks and crevices that would otherwise hamper heat dissipation. Spread it thin though, a little bit goes a long way, and since it is conducive, any overrun could short your peltier all over again. The peltier should have a gel or silicone seal around the four outer edges, so you're probably good.
twenty5
BoM 11/09, 4/10 BoY '10
Thanks, I did a bit of reading and came up with some of that info. Question I have not been able to find the answer to is does the thermal grease go on both sides or just the one side? And if it is only one side, is it the hot or cold?
I think when I took it off it was on the cold side but cant remember exactly (of course it was white too, so it was barely noticeable)
the thermal grease should go anywhere in between a heat-sink and the hot surface on a pc. If there is a cold surface heatsink, i would use thermal paste as well to help transfer the cold off the plate onto the heatsink.
Thermal grease is used to fill the air holes between two surfaces for heat to transfer more efficiently. I apply it sparingly to one surface and allow the pressure of the other surface spread and fill it. You use the grease were ever you are transferring heat between two surfaces.
How porous are the surfaces your connecting? What holds them in place, clamps, screws?
How porous are the surfaces your connecting? What holds them in place, clamps, screws?
twenty5
BoM 11/09, 4/10 BoY '10
Well, it is finally all together (minus the rear panel for now). It cools, actually it cools a lot more than it did when I first got it. Too tired to do the write up tonight but it is coming.
Finally............
Finally............
BrandonJ
I <3 Eric.
Nice Justin, cant wait to see!
Same thing happened to me this week. I actually replaced the external fan with another and my temperature seems to have dropped to 65 degrees. I searched youtube and found alot of useful information about how the peltier effect works. I was able to use some of that information to diagnose the issues I was experiencing. I might look into purchasing another peltier to see if I can experiment with it.
twenty5
BoM 11/09, 4/10 BoY '10
Alright, I hope this helps someone. It was easier than I thought and mine is working better than when I got it (used).
Remove rear metal protective panel.
Panel Removed:
Close up of circuit board:
Heat Sink w/ cover: (In this pic, the fans below the heat sink have already been removed. Maybe 2 screws and a wire to disconnect)
Heat Sink:
Heat Sink screws: (one on each side, the screws that have the glue like material over them are used to hold the heat sinks together)
Cooling unit removed:
Wire order: (These three wires needed to be pulled out to not have stuff dangling all over the place.)
Fan wire unplugged:
Cold Side:
Peltier: (not sure if this was the new one or the old one, it is very important to put this little bastard in correctly, otherwise you will be blowing hot air into the cooler) Snip the wires to remove the peltier (leaving the at least 1'-18" attached to the circuit board) Buy your peltier from: http://www.customthermoelectric.com/customtecs.html?gclid=CMb-7_Tp_qECFSQ65QoduEAcFQ Just call them up and read them your model number if different than mine, they were very knowledgeable and helpful in picking up the correct unit, they also shipped the same day for me.
Peltier removed: (model #TEC1-12706 custom thermoelectric replacement part is: 12711-5L31-06CQ + add the 2$ option for moisture protection)
After removing everything, you will want to remove as much of the existing thermal grease that you can. To do this I used acetone and some cotton and paper towel. Not everything would come off but try to remove as much as you can leaving a smooth clean surface. DO NOT touch the foam or insulation materials w/ the acetone, it dissolves it.
Before cleaning: (heat side)
This is basically where I stopped taking pics.
Place a small amount of thermal grease (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007&cm_re=thermal_grease-_-35-100-007-_-Product there are cheaper alternatives but the metallic compounds do a much better job transferring heat than the ceramic ones do.)
I used just a small, maybe the the size of a pencil eraser, on each side and smeared it around with a small piece of plastic. Wipe off all extra. DO NOT let the thermal grease drip from one surface of the peltier to the other, transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side will ruin the unit.
Sandwich the peltier device in between the 2 heat sinks making sure to have the correct surface on the correct heat sink (cold/cold - hot/hot :thinkidea)
Tighten the screws to compress the unit in between the 2 heat sinks. Get both screws hand tight then slowly tighten each one 1/2 turn at a time switching between screws to get an even compression. DO NOT over tighten, the peltier can break if under too much force!
From hear on out, re-assemble in the rest of the unit. To re-attach the peltier wires, I slid some heat shrink tubing over each wire, soldered them up and shrunk the tube over the solder. This needs to be a really good connection and would not trust just twisting the ends together with a little electrical tape.
I am sure there are a couple of things I missed and I would be happy to answer any questions. Hope it works for you guys!
Remove rear metal protective panel.
Panel Removed:
Close up of circuit board:
Heat Sink w/ cover: (In this pic, the fans below the heat sink have already been removed. Maybe 2 screws and a wire to disconnect)
Heat Sink:
Heat Sink screws: (one on each side, the screws that have the glue like material over them are used to hold the heat sinks together)
Cooling unit removed:
Wire order: (These three wires needed to be pulled out to not have stuff dangling all over the place.)
Fan wire unplugged:
Cold Side:
Peltier: (not sure if this was the new one or the old one, it is very important to put this little bastard in correctly, otherwise you will be blowing hot air into the cooler) Snip the wires to remove the peltier (leaving the at least 1'-18" attached to the circuit board) Buy your peltier from: http://www.customthermoelectric.com/customtecs.html?gclid=CMb-7_Tp_qECFSQ65QoduEAcFQ Just call them up and read them your model number if different than mine, they were very knowledgeable and helpful in picking up the correct unit, they also shipped the same day for me.
Peltier removed: (model #TEC1-12706 custom thermoelectric replacement part is: 12711-5L31-06CQ + add the 2$ option for moisture protection)
After removing everything, you will want to remove as much of the existing thermal grease that you can. To do this I used acetone and some cotton and paper towel. Not everything would come off but try to remove as much as you can leaving a smooth clean surface. DO NOT touch the foam or insulation materials w/ the acetone, it dissolves it.
Before cleaning: (heat side)
This is basically where I stopped taking pics.
Place a small amount of thermal grease (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007&cm_re=thermal_grease-_-35-100-007-_-Product there are cheaper alternatives but the metallic compounds do a much better job transferring heat than the ceramic ones do.)
I used just a small, maybe the the size of a pencil eraser, on each side and smeared it around with a small piece of plastic. Wipe off all extra. DO NOT let the thermal grease drip from one surface of the peltier to the other, transferring heat from the hot side to the cold side will ruin the unit.
Sandwich the peltier device in between the 2 heat sinks making sure to have the correct surface on the correct heat sink (cold/cold - hot/hot :thinkidea)
Tighten the screws to compress the unit in between the 2 heat sinks. Get both screws hand tight then slowly tighten each one 1/2 turn at a time switching between screws to get an even compression. DO NOT over tighten, the peltier can break if under too much force!
From hear on out, re-assemble in the rest of the unit. To re-attach the peltier wires, I slid some heat shrink tubing over each wire, soldered them up and shrunk the tube over the solder. This needs to be a really good connection and would not trust just twisting the ends together with a little electrical tape.
I am sure there are a couple of things I missed and I would be happy to answer any questions. Hope it works for you guys!
Last edited:
TravelingJ
Banned
- Joined
- May 23, 2010
- Messages
- 1,234
I installed my ETC today. I bought the one that you linked to-and they had amazing service! I was getting confirmation emails almost instantly, and it was at my doorstep in a matter of days. I love how the ETC will store the information in non-volatile memory. My only complaint about my Vinotemp, was that I had to manually reset the temps when power went out. It's an amazing piece of mind, to know I won't have to worry about that any more.
I used some industrial velcro and mounted the unit to the back of my Vino. It's out of sight, but still easily accessible if I ever need to. For extra security, I went ahead and took the top off, and locked the settings in. If this thing works at all, it's going to be a lifesaver.
I used some industrial velcro and mounted the unit to the back of my Vino. It's out of sight, but still easily accessible if I ever need to. For extra security, I went ahead and took the top off, and locked the settings in. If this thing works at all, it's going to be a lifesaver.