TiGa

I just stumbled upon a TEC wine bottle cooler half-off at a local store.
http://www.shopzilla.com/wine-cellar...05100/products

What would I find if I take one of these apart?
How powerful are the peltiers in an appliance like this?

TiGa

meticadpa

Don't get any ideas about cooling your computer with that, the cooler is designed to keep something within certain temps, not to be on all the time.

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flak-spammer

TECs are TECs those just won't be powerful enough for anything to do with your computer. Most likely what you'll find is a power supply unit, 2 heatsinks one big and one small, A TEC or possibly two (doubtful) and a circuit board. The TEC's you'd find in one of those are going to be 80w-100w max.

TiGa

Just to satisfy my curiosity, how could I determine the power of a TEC module?
Simply measuring Volts x Amps with a meter?

I was looking for a scaled-down TEC setup to make a beverage chiller before trying a real one on my computer.

TiGa

ChielScape

V*A=P(used)
P(moved) is a little harder. and it all depends on eachother and the temps of both sides of the module.

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Scarlet Infidel

Also the ceramic surface of a TEC will often have a model number printed on it which can be used to look up the characteristics.

Also a rough idea can be gleaned form the power rating on the back of the wine cooler (take into account fans and PSU inefficiency).

zipdogso

The division of OSTER that manufactures their compact refrigeration/wine chillers has gone bankrupt that's why they are being sold cheap and it is pretty difficult to find out anything about these chillers.

Having said that refrigeration to the order of 5-15ºC for storing wine can be achieved by surprising small TEC's because once it's cold...it's cold. Not like the constant heating of a CPU. IT is HIGHLY UNLIKELY the TEC is rated higher than 80w but when you stick your neck out there is always one around to prove you wrong !

I can't see what you will gain from dismantling a wine chiller to make a beverage chiller - they are pretty much the same.
The TEC will be no use in a computer on it's own - If you constructed something like your freezone it is possible but you'd need more than one TEC (It is 50/50 that it probably contains exactly the same TEC ! ) or if you had a dozen of them maybe......

Hopefully as Scarlet said it will have a number on it but often standard TEC's supplied in bulk to order for installation in products like this aren't marked unless they are a special spec.

TiGa

I got 2 of them since they were really cheap. One to use as a mini-fridge and one to play around with.

Minimal temperature is 46F, enough for cold drinks but not food.
Flak-spammer was right on the money. There is a power supply, a big heatsink and a 92mm fan.

I haven't had time yet to completely dismantle it so I don't know what kind of peltier is used. From the visible wiring, I could guess that there is only one module.

I understand the theory of how a TEC works on paper but I'm sure I can learn much more from playing with a live one.

I can probably replace the actual power supply with a variable one that I will make from an old ATX one and plug the pelt directly on it or jump the temperature sensor so that it is always on and goes colder than 46F. When I get tired of it, I'll just turn it into a beverage chiller so it can still be of use.

You might have done this years ago but that's where I am at presently. Theory on paper is not enough for me anymore but I'm not ready to go full-out and buy a real one that is good enough to cool a computer.

TiGa

ATME

I'm sorry but this information is wrong. We're not talking chillers with gas compressors here. We're talking TECs with electricity running through a pelt block and usually 2 fans (similar to a PC case fan) - one blowing air into the heatsink, and other blowing air inside the chiller to cool the inside down. The only thing that's going to die would be the fans - probably rated between 30000-50000hrs. mtbf.

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overclocker333

12706 modules in most.... 15v/6amp with an air cooled heat sink n the hot side... and a smaller aluminum heat sink on the cold side.


Not sure what they use in the Coolit Elimintor in the picture below as they are unmarked on the exposed side and I'm not sure how to unglue them from the waterblocks.


I made a water chiller out of some severely scratched & dented wine coolers I picked up for next to nothing. I used the the chiller on my vreg loop.