The DIY Off-Grid Solar-Powered Walk-In Meat Cooler

[@thephilosopher13]

I build custom coolers, mostly in the southern US. Lol. You can use an AC that’s the appropriate BTUs for your cooler, the down box that turns the ac into a cooler just makes it run longer. It doesn’t change the dang BTUs lol. As the air gets cooler it obviously does get more dense, so going 40°-35° F takes longer than going from 70°-50° F. The biggest issue I find with coolers is when you use WOOD on the interior of the cooler. Woods is porous, it’s not a moisture or vapor barricade. The styrofoam has insulation properties, but it’s not a vapor barrier. You have to have it sealed air tight, otherwise you’ll have small leaks from everywhere, and they turn into ice below freezing temp and it’ll rip your construction apart when the water swells during freezing. So the appropriately sized ac would run none stop in a cooler that isn’t sealed well. Your ac is way bigger than necessary, you’ll have a ton of start and stop conditions because it pulls it down to temp, shuts off, leaks, turns on, stops, leaks, shuts off and repeat. So, get yourself some extra compressor capacitors to keep on hand, just in case. And I highly recommend using weather stripping, at least around the door. Coolers should be moisture and vapor tight. Painting the wood will help, but it shouldn’t be that big of a deal considering your massive ac. Again, I build coolers in the southern US for hunters and farmers so that they can store meat through OUR summers. Lol.

[@davihar]

lining the inside ply with foil would help

[@discipleofthemessiah1796]

Vapor Barrier like with a walk in box😁👍🏼

[@shermdog6969]

Well i was going to say something but you pretty much covered it all.

[@denisewilson8367]

Why did you remove my comment and 2 others?

[@thephilosopher13]

@@denisewilson8367 if that’s directed at me, I didn’t remove any comments.

[@occultustactical6138]

I know you folks are Canadian, but your family is so A-typical when compared to the average American family. Being off grid, home schooling, everyone working together for the benefit of the group… no kids constantly on mobile phones, etc. What a blessing you have. It’s beautiful and how things used to be everywhere until technology destroyed the family unit.

[@maracohen5930]

Socialism is a must for Families, not so much for governments.

[@matthews5560]

@@maracohen5930families are More like kingdoms.

[@BeeHiverson]

@@maracohen5930 They're more like dictatorships, one or two people make the rules and if you don't follow them, you're out!

[@kevinstrieter4915]

I completely agree.

[@allywolf9182]

Just move where there is no signal

[@trailerminer9650]

The most impressive thing about your videos are the skills that you're teaching your children. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@MrLandslide84]

Refrigeration guy here. Coolers have one major thing going for them. The walls are sealed inside and out. No condensation on the inside of the panels that way. Mold will eventually ruin your day, trust me. Best bet is just to find a restaurant being remodeled and offer the guy a couple thousand for the box. (Like a wendy's or taco bell). If you have to use wood, 1.5inch foam panels, then shower wall on the inside will prevent most of the condensation on the frame. It's all about temp difference on the outside of the box. Building it like a shower lets you hose the box too.

[@Steadfastly7]

Been in the HVAC/R business most of my life and was going to mention the same thing. Even if they painted the walls with a plastic paint would help.

[@adamstankus8301]

Hi, im a refrigerator technician and here is my 2 cents of info. Address the air and moisture getting in. Use a higher rated start capacitor on the compressor or two of the same size in parallel to help when it cycles on. Use rectangular ducting under the evaporator coil so the fans pull air from near ground level. Look inside your refrigerator freezer for inspiration on air flow. Y'all did a great job. I love seeing you invole the family in these projects. Essential life skill being taught.

[@fordguyfordguy]

OK so if he uses two in parallel - would this also mean at startup there would be a much larger power draw? (so perhaps a circuit breaker trip?)

[@davidsanders6957]

Just invest in a small, single fan coil, and like a 1/3 hp condenser. Like an old, re-purposed beer cooler set- up, a solor panel, w/ batt. Totally double

[@hedykarim3614]

Whooooooo whoooo whoooo

[@kevinli9331]

I like the ending when everyone in the family enjoys doing work together! Brings me back to the days when I was a little kid.😊

[@DonaldHayes-sb6vz]

You are a blessed man to have a family that is so talented and that works so well together !

[@louielou2012]

Congratulations on hard working children nice to see your daughters crushing helping dad build

[@DTOM76]

I build a 10x10 cool bot meat cooler almost a year ago. I’ve hung beef and deer in it and most recently stored a ton of apricots as I slowly worked through processing them, pigs are next month. I used a 240v 24k btu window air conditioner and it works well in New Mexico. When it’s 95-100 degrees F outside it keeps the cooler at 42. If it’s 80 outside the cooler will get down to 38, and 70 outside will get to 36. I have 4” foam insulation on the roof and walls and 2” on the floor on top of the slab. I have the same unistrut rails, I love them. My decision on using a window unit over an old commercial unit is cost and availability. If my cooler goes out on a weekend I can go to Walmart in the middle of the night and replace it. With a commercial unit like yours you will have to call out an HVAC tech, it will cost a lot of money and they will probably have to order parts, meaning you will get in a major bind if your used AC unit has any problems while you have meat hanging.

[@rontaylor3403]

fill every inch of it with water filled 2 liter coke bottles , little by little a few every day. if the cooler malfunctions the frozen water in the coke bottles can really help to keep your meats from spoiling so fast. also as the outside temperatures fluctuate the frozen water bottles can help to maintain your desired inside temperature. also if your winters are already cold mostly you might not even have to run your cooler much at all depending on your insulation. I really like the way you guys are not only surviving but thriving.

[@whitetailhunter7202]

You most definitely can use a residential A/C to make a walk in cooler. In my dad whose been HVAC for the past 50+ yrs in TX. We used an old ac condensing unit from the late 80s and he did some special ways of running the refrigerant lines so they wouldn't liquid slug the compressor. I could get the walkin down to 20* when it was 95* outside..

[@PabloP169]

Your family is just amazing. If you could bottle that, you would be a millionaire.

[@mafp22w]

You two are raising the most awesome daughters. I’ve had to learn basic building skills on my own and I didn’t learn them myself early enough to teach them to my sons.

[@Gridlessness]

Thanks, that’s what we’re hoping for!

[@lesthompson5907]

@@Gridlessness Yes I have followed you since 1994 regularly popping in for a look at what you have posted well I first logged on in 1984. Or there about, On your way out to the holding. braking trail. & the first image I got was Rose with all the kids on the back of that quad As she drove it through one of the wetter parts of the journey & the toddlers hanging on & enjoying their time As I studied their faces I witnessed No fear & cram confidence in mother ability to get them to the destination. & once they had found their feet, the outspokenness Of their opinion. The six girls when they decided to play cards. & get away from the mosses & flying mannish, My work kept me away from the channel for a time But when I turned in you had got on with the building of your house. I often drop in to see what you are up to But today your wood gas project is one of my favourite subjects In 1962 I ran one to give us power at home, I was born of grid in 1952. By 12 years of age I had got my dad's gas generator running That was once on his old Truck. It fascinates me because it gives the off-grid. a way to provide gas to run to generate electricity & pump water for its needs I developed the charcoal colom that one can use to provide gas on a sustainable level & Hydrogen without using Eerlctrolyciss as was once done with a hot pipe in charcoal. to fill hydrogen balloons.

[@madwaxer83]

I'd add a small fan inside to move the air around and maybe car the wood for the interior of the freezer. Thinking of splashing or fluid against the walls over time and bacteria. If you used pvc you could spray wash the interior yearly. was awesome to see the whole family involved. missed my uncle watching this. thank you.

[@lesthompson5907]

do not have to use any stainless. Glass or plastic sheets will do so as long as it can be cleaned For food protection. Les England

[@archangel20031]

Before you build a door like this, angle the door frame so it's smaller on the inside and wider on the outside, then do the same to the door so that as you close it, it seals like a glass bottle stopper and you will need minimal sealing to close the gap as there will be little to no gap when the door closes.

[@jehosaphathasenpfeffer9915]

Fun project. Great job! Cool kids! Looks great as is. Cost effective. Sufficient. If you feel like going further, you may consider possible improvements such as: air lock (losing cold air when door is opened), spray foam sealant for all cracks, hard, cleanable surface for interior floor and walls (PVC, poly board, etc.) over Reflectix or other radiation barrier, metal cage with screen (easily removable for cleaning) to protect cooling unit, thermal mass, a few feet of duct work for air intake from top and also for cold air coming out (eliminates short circuit air circulation), drain tube from condenser coil drip pan with screen over external opening (prevents wasps plugging drain hose), back up power supply, eventually a back up cooling unit in case main unit fails or needs maintenance, white primer and paint for outside walls to protect wood and reflect sunlight, shade awning for south side of building. Part of the fun I had building things with my kids was adding improvements, learning how each improvement works, and how much impact it had (was it economical?) I considered the extra cost to be a form of tuition paid in learning science, engineering, building, economics, and project management.

[@jehosaphathasenpfeffer9915]

One more thing: after they had some experience, I would make each child at age 15 become the project manager and make all the decisions. The whole family would follow their orders for better or for worse. Having to sweat through the decisions and bear the consequences of the successes and mistakes is always difficult at first, but it prepared them to excel as adults both as a boss and as a worker.

[@gimmeabreak-h2h]

Whoever gave you that BTU "advice" didn't know what he was talking about. We use a coolbot to cool a walk in beer cooler three times that size of your meat locker. Keeps it at 34F all through the southern summer. July and August here are 85-90F nearly every day.

[@myCloudWatcher]

Add all of the water containers and stones you have to the cooler days before you chill the meat. The heavy items, when cool, will help smooth out the load on the cooler. When the new hot meat arrives, the heavy objects will help take a load off the system. A stone floor would be great, also. Once you have 100 gal of cold water in the room, you can also enjoy nice cold water.

[@podegenst0ner303]

Great information ty for sharing 👍

[@VernonBoone-s5m]

I say it and say it again I been watching you and your family sence they were children and you have given them something they will never forget. Respect and

[@ahh-ti-ana1093]

12°c-18°c roughly equals 53°f-64°f is still not cold enough to keep the meat from spoiling, typically you'd want it at 0°c-4°c (32°f-40°f) with 4°c (40°f) being on the high side and taking a chance of spoilage. I'm anxious to see how this is going to work for you, it's absolutely phenomenal that you're able to build this and get it down to temperature. Great work

[@despraterado588]

Red meat is fine for quite a long time as long as it's below 60f

[@thomaswallace3987]

You need use a second t stat set 26 on the coil to keep from freezing up the coil and you will save the compressor keep the fan running to keep from icing up I have been an HVAC 20yr if you have any questions hit me up

[@leoncarpenter958]

Shouldn't he also have a start up delay so it can't start at some given amount of time after turning off

[@william6223]

​@@leoncarpenter958 I agree

[@thomaswallace3987]

@@leoncarpenter958 5 min time delay is what it should be

[@tracenixon5487]

I live in a house built with sips panels, that includes the attic floor, only use ceiling fans to cool the house even in triple digits. What a great idea.

[@glyngibbs9489]

Excellent project and analysis, well done! Refreshing to see the ladies contributing and learning their independence, you should be very proud.

[@barbgardiner5719]

My sister and I were raised as Dad’s Sons! We had the BEST DAD! 7th grade education and was a Brilliant LOVING MAN!💕💕💕

[@Debbie4729]

What a great addition to your place! This will really make your whole life better.There's nothing like being able to control how you process a pig,having time to cool it down,and work on it at your schedule,instead of the frenzied rush to get it done before it goes south!

[@ronaldshort9819]

I believe that this whole idea of using a cool bot to trick a repurposed air conditioner into creating a cool room ( for extending the shelf life of produce) was originally proposed by Curtis Stone aka the urban gardener about 5 years ago, I think the main idea was to give an inexpensive diy for backyard gardeners and after that the KZbin community just ran with it 😊

[@thephilosopher13]

@@ronaldshort9819 they’re generally referred to as a “down box” in my area, and they’ve been used for at least ten years, that’s when I built my first game meat storage cooler. With electrical skills you can actually just change a few components inside the AC and make it work at low temps.

[@n411xbushpilot]

I am very impressed at how hard working folks are.

[@Tewbum]

Great job guys and girls, more girl power really. I'm a Kiwi living in Southern China and went to the local wet market across the road today to buy some fresh pork that was slaughtered in the early morning hours, there is absolutely no refrigeration whatsoever, all meat here is super fresh off the bone, not what I'm used to back home in NZ, my late father was a butcher and would be horrified at the fact that they don't hang the meat to let it set, but that's the way it's done here and most of south east Asia. Anyways great viewing as usual, take care 🙏🙏🙏

[@monicareid8858]

If you add a small channel and a fire box off to the side you can turn your cooler into a COLD SMOKER. This gets the bark deep into the meat while preventing it from spoiling before the curing process kicks in. Best of both worlds!! Great channel, terrific video!

[@bills1669]

Fantastic! I am inspired! I'm Canadian and a hunter. So are a lot of my neighbours. I am seriously thinking of building a solar powered meat cooler with an attached freezer. I have a sawmill and 150 acres of woodland so there is no shortage of lumber for me. lol Thanks for the great idea!

[@bills1669]

lol lol lol I have been studying plans so that I can build a solar powered meat cooler out by the sawmill (I already have an 8'x8' concrete slab there that I salvaged from a barn I tore down) I was just thinking about that today!

[@markpennella]

Duse, this is resonates perfectly with my situation. You da man!!I have a 600lb hog and 2 other 250 lbers. I always wondered what to do if they broke a leg in this heat. Plus, I go for surgery in a month and won't be able to feed for 8 weeks. This video is spot on. Your family rocks!

[@bradjon7231]

To seal your cooler as one commenter made perhaps you could use FRP Panel, that will also allow for simple cleaning of your cooler.

[@royfazenbaker3139]

You may want to consider using FRP wall boards to make clean up easier if you would happen to splash blood etc on them. The wood will hold bacteria eventually

[@russellwatters5891]

Heres a suggestion, protect the wiring from critters with 1/4" hardware cloth. You could build a cage out of it and seal out especially rodents. It wont take long before the squirrels and mice locate nesting material there. Love the build though, and especially the processing at the end.. 😊 Love ya'll ❤️

[@NinjaMagoo]

I would recommend putting some thermal ballast in there. (Anything that'll hold onto that cold temperature. Jugs of water, beer, juice, etc.) the less food you have in there more thermal ballast helps. It'll help maintain your set temperature, so your compressor runs less. It also helps in the event of a refrigeration failure. It'll extend your room for repair before your food goes bad.

[@MushInSkull]

I was going to say that he should have tested it out by cooling/freezing 5 gallon buckets of water. So if you are going to put 1000lb of meat (assume 100% water 🤣) then at 8.8 lb/gal, that would be ~114 gal. And you would need 23 five gallon buckets. Put those in filled with water and when they freeze you are successful. 👍

[@JohnDoe-id9hi]

Nice setup! I like your choice of design. I didn't like cool bots inability to freeze, their website said 34-35 was coldest. Solar is expensive but pays back fast without power bills. Another option i considered was a reefer unit from a semi truck trailer, they run on diesel and can be refrigerators or freezers.

[@justpatty7328]

VERY COOL! LITERALLY! Definitely a bonus to have on the property. Vapor barrier the inside and seal gaps- golden. Great job done!

[@stonesoupmix]

As a forty year electrician, I would strongly recommend using a Spec/commercial grade device/receptacle For your install's durability. Also I would advise not taping your device as it will retain moisture and corrode faster. Maybe a few other things that I'd do differently, but all in all, a very nice install.

[@SevenOneTv.]

Absolutely love this.. you have given me good ideas about off-grid living. Stay blessed guys

[@adventure_scapes5039]

insulation and a layer of metal sheet inside in combination with maybe a canopy for the front so its not getting hit by the sun would do wonders in keeping that thing more energy efficient 👍 nice project

[@smitty2986]

Especially the door.

[@kenreynolds1000]

I’d add a small barrel of water to give you thermal mass. That would help you regulate when the warm meat needs to drop temp quickly. Doesn’t cost much and could save you during a short term power outage.

[@Prometeus21LcEvent]

Nice projekt. Add a condensation pan on the inside to prevent the wood from rotting.

[@russelltackett4779]

Experts coming out of the woodwork😆

[@georgeburke6336]

I just found your channel. You have the coolest family that I have seen on KZbin.

[@Gridlessness]

Wow, thanks! And welcome!

[@bobhmail7161]

Great display of family dynamics. You are using information well IMO, but don't stop thinking when you think you don't know (like mounting the cooling unit). If it doesn't have a mounting location - make it. The girls will figure it out for sure. Place the thermostat sensor in the hardest location to cool in the cooler and run that to your readout source because if you had six sensors varied at different heights / locations you get six different readings. Maybe its small enough that you don't have to be concerned with variance. Outside of not sealing the door and having the inside material made of a material that mold can't grow on, I think it's okay for now. Good luck.

[@BVN-TEXAS]

Yea it’s volumetric efficiency. As the temp gets lower the gas gets less and less dense so for each stroke of the compressor it moves less and less cubic feet of refrigerant.

[@jmb9642]

I'm a JM refrigeration mechanic who works on these units semi regularly. Im pretty sure your unit is made to mount through the celling, so your compressor is sitting on its side right now, which could cause issues with the oil that lubricates the compressor. compressors are not designed to run this way, and will probably result in pumping all the oil out of the compressor, plugging up your expansion device and destroying the compressor.

[@osseo9947]

Yes the compressor is on its side. Amazing it works at all.

[@jmb9642]

Appears to be working, for how long is the question lol

[@mikeandnoleane07]

I disagree, everyone I've seen had the antivibrations mounts were on the bottom of the compressor, but better safe than sorry, look at the model number, and look it up from the manufacturer. NOW, the door needs to be tighter, trim the door edges so there's about 5 cm over hang and run some form of a weather seal so when you close the door, it won't let the cold air out.

[@mofbombay6290]

He has the cooling unit mounted correctly , take another look at how the compressor is mounted to the base plate .

[@kawaiisenshi2401]

Quick question, does the unit he's using use compressor refrigeration or absorption refrigeration???

[@barrydeacon3551]

Fantastic video… It’s always makes my day when your videos come out👍 Such a great family: your girls have grown up to take on challenges like their Dad. You have raised them so well. Your an inspiration to people around the World 😊Best meat cooler out in the bush run from the Sun : that I’ve ever seen! Looks like your outdoor meal was Quite the Success 👍 Barry Deacon Mb. Canada 🇨🇦

[@earlwright9715]

I know you're proud of all those gal's, you have yourself a very capable crew! Hello from Alabama!

[@esuelak]

great work! i'd add a small vestibule with a door, so that you have an "air lock" - and when entering-exiting wouldnt let so much cool air out. then extend the rollers through the vestibule, and even loading does not let that much heat escape.

[@publiclandhunter3896]

I love your content!!!! As a girl dad myself It’s helped me on my 14 acre property. Appreciate you guys!!

[@RK-rj2sc]

Isn't this Time you spend now together will become an ERA tomorrow...... A memory..... Guess making a long video will only preserve the past..... WAITING FOR AN HOUR LONG VIDEO OF HOW YOU SPEND YOUR DAY FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET AND TILL MORNING AGAIN.... 😅😅😅😅 EXCITED WAITING

[@NarnianRailway]

Awesome mentoring Jeff and Rose, the girl's skills and talents shine. And the comments great too, homeschooling at its best. Happy grilling! LOL got the same tear above the knee on my work pants.

[@doncastor4807]

Wow your teaching workshops are some next level Tom Sawyer jujitsu. Genius.

[@Anderbender]

I love your daughters! Theyre all beautiful and amazing young ladies! And you’re an amazing dad! ❤❤

[@9realitycheck9]

Smart to have the structure.. especially the heat exchange of any type of cooler unit in the shade.

[@mikehaltom3339]

Your hangars aren't rolling right because theres probably metal in the area your wheels come in contact with the unistrut. I've had this same problem installing privacy curtains and track in hospitals. Quick blow out with an air compressor will fix it right up. And nice video I enjoyed it a lot👍👍

[@Kai-n7i]

Great job. You laugh like Tucker Carleson. All we inovators tend towards a slight Hypomanic edge I guess. The fridge vs AC thing.... I get the impression that ACs dry things out more. Walk in Fridge coolers twnd to condense and trap a lot more humidity. I dont know why that is, but my neighbor here in Venezuela is a diy fridge technition, and agrees. Since my walk in needs to be dry for storing seeds, a years grain harvest, and sacks of coffee and cocoa beans, as well as dried meats, Im tempted to opt for the AC unit, and counteract the diferential by building it into a hillside like a concrete tank lined with ceramic.

[@picklesgherkin]

meat cooler on a off-grid Homestead, all ran by solar that's awesome. 👍👍

[@arowberry]

Great presentation, ideas and insights! Thanks. I wonder though why you didn't go underground to take advantage of cool earth temperature requiring less for your refridge to do. I've done this with a greenhouse and also ran out a 100' of ducting 6' in the ground for ventilation and cooling. It worked awesome.

[@BVN-TEXAS]

You can improve the performance of your cooler by building a duct / plenum to make the inlet and outlet of the inside of the cooler as far apart to avoid recirculating air. You ideally want it to pull hot air in from the top and discharge the cool air down at the bottom. This is how most commercial coolers are made.

[@RobertMcAdams-iu1le]

1st timer to the channel, great stuff (family) also some good information is coming across I actually learned a couple tips from the comments ( solar cooler box for my backyard garden) WHY DIDN'T I think of that.

[@cancelbubble6535]

I have property I'll eventually be building on and one thing I plan to do is to build an ice house. I'll have a source of ice in the winter so I'll just gather ice every day or two, put it in the ice house with straw and see how long it'll last. I'll be building it underground so as part of the site prep work I'll have a hole dug and as part of the concrete work, I'll have a roof poured for it. Mostly I'm doing out of curiosity, but I hope to actually be able to use it for a good part of the year. Otherwise it becomes the root cellar.

[@doncastor4807]

They have plenty of ice and saw dust to pack it in to do this too. It's what the Amish do.

[@glennwilck5459]

Sawdust is what you want

[@skyym3629]

Awesome build bro. I would put some hard plastic or even sheet metal (or aluminum would be the best) on the inside and seal it airtight. Your energy consumption will go down quite a bit. Just my two cents. God bless you and your family.

[@Mick.Porter]

I just found your channel and subbed. I followed your build and install of the cooler setup but have one exception. As a physics rule, hot air rises. Switch out the block you put in above the evaporator to place it below and put a screen to filter the inrushing air to the evap. Also build a screen box to cover the outside and check the screen often. You are in a wooded area and WILL have a problem with the condenser otherwise. I had charge of building maintenance for 15 years and had to climb onto the roof to clean the condensers every year after the spring buds. Closest trees were almost 1/4 kilometer away.

[@MushInSkull]

I'm assuming you are concerned about the tree pollen that would clog the condenser?

[@Mick.Porter]

@@MushInSkull That and anything that is in the air. Here in Michigan, we had a late fly for the Cottonwood fuzzies. I don't know if that is an issue there. Years ago, we lost our elm trees and the fast growing cottonwood was seeded. Long term thinking didn't take into account how prolific those trees are. In June, for 2 days, it looked like it was snowing.

[@patriot4258]

Nice I’m going to build one on my property . Inspired.

[@glenndodson1914]

I just love watching you guys building stuff together, the girls have mad skills.

[@MrTacklebury]

Should make a hardware wire shield for over the outside condensing unit, or you may have critters messing with your wiring/condenser. Plus you need to make sure you don't get floating plant matter like Cotton wood tufts in the condenser coil and motor, so it would be best to cover the majority of it with window screen also.

[@rancillinmontgomery2480]

Walk in coolers generally have the thermostat up by the evaporator so you will have he temp you need as high as your highest shelf. In your case up near the Hooks will get cold enough.

[@lordhytro]

Line the floor and up the walls a bit with something like linoleum, for sanitation purposes. It will keep the drippings from absorbing into the wood floor, and breeding bacteria. Then it will be easy to clean with a bleach solution. Overall, a great success!!!

[@CanadianDreamer]

That looks like a great project. Working with family is the best! (most times)

[@user-McGiver]

Mylar (Space Blanket) reflects heat (heat radiation, not direct heat, like an open flame] so covering this Meat Cooler from the outside will keep the summer heat away from the inside... space blankets are really cheap, 2-3 them would be enough to cover even the roof... I use this thing even on my windows, on the outside of the frame, not touching the glass panels, the summer time keeps the heat out, and the winder keeps the heat I generate in... I save on electricity a lot of money ... and you can see through it!

[@nahnotsomuch2292]

Probably just be able to use Reflectix eh?

[@eddieandjulieklysz458]

That's great to build your cool room. Good for Off grid as well that's great. Thank you guys ❤.

[@richardheeth6218]

You could build the interior lining with 1/2" poly board, the same material as a cutting board. It's not much more than exterior plywood. Totally waterproof when you silicone the gaps. No worries about meat juices soaking in. Easy to clean and decontaminate.

[@markogronfors3204]

An interesting project to follow is certainly better suited to your circumstances. Thanks for sharing, although that time flew by.

[@426superbee4]

That is SO nice to walk in with a heavy hog, to hang it.. Perfect size as well. Not to big, and not to small 👍👍

[@rienzihotrodsms6463]

Such a awesome family

[@Nelson_Nicholson]

Great video, I was thinking about something similar but based on the coldest day of the year where you live. Freezing water with high salinity. Maybe that could assist the system keeping it nearly perfect.

[@KUEHLKUEST]

Nice job y'all!! Very nice off Grid cooler!! Cheers!! J & C

[@timtrammell3971]

I know it would be much more work and cost more, but pouring the walls and floor out of concrete, would help a ton. All that thermal mass will hold the cold, AC will run much less on e cooled.

[@michaelanderson5098]

Impressive! Sending the link to my brother!

[@bigwu100]

Those girls are great, im awfully impressed by thier skill.

[@smithrobbsmith]

Cool project, looks great! Google a Supco bullet piercing valve, they are a temporary diagnostic tool that will eventually leak refrigerant. There's one on your unit. Best of luck!

[@Gridlessness]

Good intel. Thanks!

[@osseo9947]

@@Gridlessness Looks like your compressor unit is on its side. Rad should be facing downward.

[@RoniCarbine]

Please consider putting a stainless steel tray on the floor. Will catch blood, etc, and make cleaning easy.

[@Gridlessness]

Consider it done!

[@RoniCarbine]

@@Gridlessness thanks for your reply. Regards from Auckland New Zealand

[@serversurfer6169]

29MJ to remove 13MJ is a coefficient of performance of about 0.45, but for a typical system you'd expect something in the 3-5 range, so you're getting about 10% of the performance you should. As others have said, you need air and moisture barriers. Spray foam is easy to apply and very effective. Good luck! 🤞🤓 Edit: Yeah, that meat isn't really safe unless it's kept below 4ºC. 😅 Edit2: Being in Canada, you may wanna look into a two-way heat pump, to prevent your meat from freezing solid in the winter. 🤔

[@TheBcBob]

Watch out for bird nests in the spring good job wanted to do this for a long time !!

[@charger7022]

I made a 4x4 x 8’ high cooler with a cool bot and 10,000btu LG air conditioner. It worked awesome and even in the hot summer I can easy keep it below 40. The problem with the cool bot is people build these huge coolers and expect a 10000btu ac unit to cool them.

[@jonathansayen631]

Most commercial meat lockers are lined with metal because they are taking advantage of the metals low emissivity (meaning that it reflects infrared/heat). I wonder if you got a roll of the foil that is used in attics as a radiant heat barrier and lined the inside of the container how much more efficient your system would be... might also be easier to clean a foil surface. Keep up the good work!

[@stonesoupmix]

At the 12:45 mark, when you refer to power consumption using extension cords, you can eliminate this problem by running heavier gauge wire and hard wiring your meat cooler.

[@Maxid1]

2:52 "Meat Hooks On Trollies" was the name of the band I started in junior high. MHOT was very popular by the time we dropped out of High School...

[@deernats]

You need to insulate the inside of the container completely! It will make a huge difference!

[@bennym1956]

Another great video. I got the same meat thermometer...it's awesome !

[@mongkolsomkid6831]

Interesting DIY meat cooler and it's work perfectly very useful 👍HBD Julia🎂💐

[@Dwade689]

I enjoyed watching this one, Jeff actually did some work 😂

[@AdamosDad]

How about the unit off of an old reefer trailer or use the whole trailer if you can find one. In that case you would need a supply of diesel fuel for the small motor, You all did a great job, and one that is great model worth the respect off grid community

[@Ex-pomjohn]

Inspired!!! have been looking to buy a second hand walk in cooler for when I butcher wallaby ,deer etc but are real expensive down here in Tasmania but can pick up the fridge unit for a couple of hundred bucks fireing up the sawmill as we speak wish I had your team of tradie ladies cheers ex-pom john

[@Ashtonsironhorse]

Great job for Your first time building a cooler.

[@gregharpo9369]

looking forward to your hunting videos you will doing to fill your walk in meat cooler!😊😊

[@Gridlessness]

Us too!

[@jsytac]

To save a shed-load of energy, have spare door-sized insulating panels. Use them to bulk fill the spare space around the meat. That will drastically reduce cooling requirements. From the old saying: a full fridge is an efficient fridge. As others have said: painting, sealing, improving vapour and thermal insulation will also help hugely.

[@peterc.anderson1840]

Great video/great idea--- I can think of multiple way's that I would improve it if it was my project. Again, great video!

[@tknoerle1451]

That's spectacular dude!