Freezers?

[SmokeySquid]

I think this would be an interesting topic for the new supplies and accessories group so I will propose the question. If it doesn't really fit here please move it or I can delete it.

Would it potentially make a difference in longevity of the peptides if they were stored below -20c? Now I know that at -80c they supposedly last an indefinite amount of time but the scientific freezers that can get that low are ridiculously expensive and probably not practical for most people. But could there be a middle ground that might buy more time in storage at a reasonable cost equipment wise?

I know from years of fixing old junk that most cheap freezers (freezer only freezers) have a manual thermostat that controls set points for the compressor cycle and they can usually be adjusted up and down a bit to account for different environmental conditions or just drift as they age. I was once able to get a chest freezer to reliably get down to -32c after changing out a thermostat that had failed and wondered if I could get one of those little cheap amazon freezers to do the same.

Something like the Honeywell H11MFB might be modifiable to get much colder than it otherwise would and would be a good size to store peps in without burning a bunch of electricity.

Would a difference of 12c really make that much of a difference? Could a little freezer like that even stand to hold that much of a temperature differential? Not sure but for $150 I'm tempted to try just to see if it's possible.

But I suppose that wouldn't mean anything if it wouldn't allow them to last any longer

Any thoughts?

 

[clevesand]

This shit from China isn't going anywhere. Just order every 6 months or so and put it in your regular freezer like a normal person

 

[scarywood75]

I think this would be an interesting topic for the new supplies and accessories group so I will propose the question. If it doesn't really fit here please move it or I can delete it.

Would it potentially make a difference in longevity of the peptides if they were stored below -20c? Now I know that at -80c they supposedly last an indefinite amount of time but the scientific freezers that can get that low are ridiculously expensive and probably not practical for most people. But could there be a middle ground that might buy more time in storage at a reasonable cost equipment wise?

I know from years of fixing old junk that most cheap freezers (freezer only freezers) have a manual thermostat that controls set points for the compressor cycle and they can usually be adjusted up and down a bit to account for different environmental conditions or just drift as they age. I was once able to get a chest freezer to reliably get down to -32c after changing out a thermostat that had failed and wondered if I could get one of those little cheap amazon freezers to do the same.

Something like the Honeywell H11MFB might be modifiable to get much colder than it otherwise would and would be a good size to store peps in without burning a bunch of electricity.

Would a difference of 12c really make that much of a difference? Could a little freezer like that even stand to hold that much of a temperature differential? Not sure but for $150 I'm tempted to try just to see if it's possible.

But I suppose that wouldn't mean anything if it wouldn't allow them to last any longer

Any thoughts?

I love that engineering thought!

I was looking at a few freezers on Amazon and none are getting lower than -24c and lab freezers are like 5k+ so

I'm sure we could replace the thermostat and directly control the compressor to get it to run often and longer

 

[SmokeySquid]

This shit from China isn't going anywhere. Just order every 6 months or so and put it in your regular freezer like a normal person

I know it's not going anywhere I just figured it would be a neat thought experiment to see if it could be done in the pursuit of making it last longer.

I love that engineering thought!

I was looking at a few freezers on Amazon and none are getting lower than -24c and lab freezers are like 5k+ so

I'm sure we could replace the thermostat and directly control the compressor to get it to run often and longer

I am definitely going to do a little more research and pick up one of these little cheapo freezers from amazon and see how cold we can really go. I might just temp wire it to run constantly just to see what can be achieved and how much power it draws doing it. If it doesn't really work that well then oh well I can just use the freezer at work or something and if it does work then it might be a nice little thing for people to be aware of and potentially do themselves. I can imagine that not everyone wants their medicines to be accessible or visible to everyone else in the house.

 

[scarywood75]

I know it's not going anywhere I just figured it would be a neat thought experiment to see if it could be done in the pursuit of making it last longer.


I am definitely going to do a little more research and pick up one of these little cheapo freezers from amazon and see how cold we can really go. I might just temp wire it to run constantly ji bet ust to see what can be achieved and how much power it draws doing it. If it doesn't really work that well then oh well I can just use the freezer at work or something and if it does work then it might be a nice little thing for people to be aware of and potentially do themselves. I can imagine that not everyone wants their medicines to be accessible or visible to everyone else in the house.

I bet it would work well, my only concern is shortening the life of the compressor

 

[IGezs]

I think this would be an interesting topic for the new supplies and accessories group so I will propose the question. If it doesn't really fit here please move it or I can delete it.

Would it potentially make a difference in longevity of the peptides if they were stored below -20c? Now I know that at -80c they supposedly last an indefinite amount of time but the scientific freezers that can get that low are ridiculously expensive and probably not practical for most people. But could there be a middle ground that might buy more time in storage at a reasonable cost equipment wise?

I know from years of fixing old junk that most cheap freezers (freezer only freezers) have a manual thermostat that controls set points for the compressor cycle and they can usually be adjusted up and down a bit to account for different environmental conditions or just drift as they age. I was once able to get a chest freezer to reliably get down to -32c after changing out a thermostat that had failed and wondered if I could get one of those little cheap amazon freezers to do the same.

Something like the Honeywell H11MFB might be modifiable to get much colder than it otherwise would and would be a good size to store peps in without burning a bunch of electricity.

Would a difference of 12c really make that much of a difference? Could a little freezer like that even stand to hold that much of a temperature differential? Not sure but for $150 I'm tempted to try just to see if it's possible.

But I suppose that wouldn't mean anything if it wouldn't allow them to last any longer

Any thoughts?

You will probably not find a cheap mechanical thermostat or controller that will set for under -50C. You could diy a digital controller easy enough. The little 1.1cuft freezers could probably get cold enough but the run times on the compressor would likely burn it up as the off cycles would be too short to cool down properly. The heat transfer into the freezer is too high at those temps. You would need a much better door seal and ideally better insulation all around.

-30C is easy enough though and often the included thermostat can be adjusted to get there. All my chest freezers are setup to maintain -30C for maximum temperature. I use 7cuft ones for beef storage. The compressor is the same as the larger units and the size and weight are manageable solo. I have had no problems maintaining -30C long term and no failures so far with some going on 10 years old. They do consume more power though. I recommend using a wifi temp monitor with battery backup in case of failure.

I like the Midea built units. They are rebranded all the time. Check Walmarts website. Also the refrigerators are typically identical as the freezer with a different thermostat.

As for long term storage. I don't see any point. Hoarding years worth of product isn't a good investment and you will get 2-3 years if kept below -20C. The important part is that the upper temperature is -20C. Chest freezers are better because uprights gain heat rapidly when the door is open and peps don't have much thermal mass to stay at a stable temperature with the temperature fluctuations. Consider a high thermal mass container for the peps in an upright.

 

[cta7978]

This cheap little 1.1 cu ft manual defrost, regularly on sale for $125 keeps at -20 C, not even at it's lowest setting. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4TNFLBL/

 

[mostlydamp]

If you're a risk taker (of course you are a little bit) there are -80 freezers used on ebay for around $600. If they break and you need to service them don't ask me how you do that or how much it costs lol! I have not bought one though. It's tempting.

 

[brentm]

If you're a risk taker (of course you are a little bit) there are -80 freezers used on ebay for around $600. If they break and you need to service them don't ask me how you do that or how much it costs lol! I have not bought one though. It's tempting.

Don't forget about the generator backup for your power should you encounter an outage.

 

[SmokeySquid]

I bet it would work well, my only concern is shortening the life of the compressor

At $150 dollars if it lasts at least 3 years, while not optimal, wouldn't be TOO bad $ wise.

Chest freezers are better because uprights gain heat rapidly when the door is open and peps don't have much thermal mass to stay at a stable temperature with the temperature fluctuations. Consider a high thermal mass container for the peps in an upright.

Yeah I currently got them in one of the chest freezers in the garage because of how much better the chest freezers are at keeping temp and not fluctuating when opened. The only stinker is that setting them below -20c causes them to run constantly and they really struggle in the hot garage. I installed a heat pump water heater last year to help out with the garage temps and while it helped a little bit, going from 90F to 86F isn't that much of a difference. Did drop my power bill quite a bit though.

If you're a risk taker (of course you are a little bit) there are -80 freezers used on ebay for around $600. If they break and you need to service them don't ask me how you do that or how much it costs lol! I have not bought one though. It's tempting.

It's really tempting and I will keep an eye out to see if they get any cheaper but imagine how much research 600 dollars could buy

Don't forget about the generator backup for your power should you encounter an outage.

I wouldn't be caught dead in hurricane land without a generator. We are big on bulk buying in my house (whole cow, half a pig, etc) and the garage freezers have like 4 grand worth of meat in them. I actually went ahead and ordered another generator this week. Don't think it's going to show up before this hurricane does though

Honestly, it really doesn't make sense to get another freezer in my case given how many I already have but I was, and still am, more curious how well we could get one of those little cheapo's to work. Not necessarily for me, but for someone who is on a tight budget and or doesn't want to keep meds in the communal fridge/freezer. I see that there are some on FB marketplace for like $25 I might go pick one of them up just to mess with.

 

[brentm]

It's really tempting and I will keep an eye out to see if they get any cheaper but imagine how much research 600 dollars could buy

This.

I wouldn't be caught dead in hurricane land without a generator. We are big on bulk buying in my house (whole cow, half a pig, etc) and the garage freezers have like 4 grand worth of meat in them. I actually went ahead and ordered another generator this week. Don't think it's going to show up before this hurricane does though

Hindsight being what it is, I'd wish I'd purchased generator that ran on natural gas. I have a gas powered generator which will do everything except the heat pump, which we don't need. But an extended outage and a panic run on gas makes me wonder if just getting natural gas would have been better.

In most cases, natural gas continues to run if you have it. Or if you have propane storage, then you're probably good too for an extended period of time.

 

[SmokeySquid]

Hindsight being what it is, I'd wish I'd purchased generator that ran on natural gas. I have a gas powered generator which will do everything except the heat pump, which we don't need. But an extended outage and a panic run on gas makes me wonder if just getting natural gas would have been better.

In most cases, natural gas continues to run if you have it. Or if you have propane storage, then you're probably good too for an extended period of time.

I mean, if I had the option of NG where I was I would definitely consider a generator that could use it like a whole house unit if I could afford it. The new generator I'm getting is dual fuel so I can use propane if I need to in a pinch.

As a resident of a gulf state, I have gotten use to what I call the gas cycle. When June rolls around, I fill up my 35 gallon gas can with gas and sta-bil and if I need it for a hurricane, it's there. If it doesn't get used then starting in December, I just start putting it into one of the cars until its all used up. Takes all of the panic buying out of the equation.

 

[brentm]

As a resident of a gulf state, I have gotten use to what I call the gas cycle. When June rolls around, I fill up my 35 gallon gas can with gas and sta-bil and if I need it for a hurricane, it's there. If it doesn't get used then starting in December, I just start putting it into one of the cars until its all used up. Takes all of the panic buying out of the equation.

I do something similar... I'm not sure how long my 10 gallons would last in an extended outage.

I also get ethanol-free gas to reduce fuel system issues with my small engines.

 

[IGezs]

For situations like in Florida I would setup a solar chargeable power bank and inverter along with a propane powered generator.
I chose propane because it is easy to store, doesn't go bad, and is readily available. NG pump systems rely on electric grid to pump NG. It is completely possible for a residential homeowner to have a propane setup with 30+ days of whole house run time always available.
Adding a battery pack and solar you can keep your essentials running indefinitely.

Probably not great for long term storage but there are some 12v small freezers out there that can run off solar and batteries without an inverter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082SH11RC

 

[brentm]

For situations like in Florida I would setup a solar chargeable power bank and inverter along with a propane powered generator.
I chose propane because it is easy to store, doesn't go bad, and is readily available. NG pump systems rely on electric grid to pump NG. It is completely possible for a residential homeowner to have a propane setup with 30+ days of whole house run time always available.
Adding a battery pack and solar you can keep your essentials running indefinitely.

Probably not great for long term storage but there are some 12v small freezers out there that can run off solar and batteries without an inverter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082SH11RC

Good ideas and advice!

I live in a fairly moderate climate that, aside from freezing rain that took out power for several days, has had very few regional disasters. So chances are high natural gas would flow if there was an extended power outage. And even during the freezing rain storm that took out power in regionally, gas still flowed.

But yes... in a major event or regional disaster, I would expect it to stop flowing.

I was being a little light hearted in my comment about the generator initially. I'm not sure I'd boil the ocean with only my peptides in mind. They can probably go a week at room temp and be just fine. They didn't ship in a cold pack and survived.

But now, if you're considering this as a whole house solution, disaster preparedness, family safety type thing and your peptides get rolled into that... good on you.

 

[marigold_00]

This shit from China isn't going anywhere. Just order every 6 months or so and put it in your regular freezer like a normal person

there isn’t concern with the FDA shutdown on compounding that there will be some kind of crackdown?

 

[Onlyme]

Don't forget about the generator backup for your power should you encounter an outage.

Oh yes! We had our power go out for three days and luckily we had a whole house generator. It was wonderful. And yes, we used propane. The tricky part was replacing the propane when nobody had power. Found propane at a truck stop. We have three propane tanks that we cycle.

 

[Revo39564]

I think this would be an interesting topic for the new supplies and accessories group so I will propose the question. If it doesn't really fit here please move it or I can delete it.

Would it potentially make a difference in longevity of the peptides if they were stored below -20c? Now I know that at -80c they supposedly last an indefinite amount of time but the scientific freezers that can get that low are ridiculously expensive and probably not practical for most people. But could there be a middle ground that might buy more time in storage at a reasonable cost equipment wise?

I know from years of fixing old junk that most cheap freezers (freezer only freezers) have a manual thermostat that controls set points for the compressor cycle and they can usually be adjusted up and down a bit to account for different environmental conditions or just drift as they age. I was once able to get a chest freezer to reliably get down to -32c after changing out a thermostat that had failed and wondered if I could get one of those little cheap amazon freezers to do the same.

Something like the Honeywell H11MFB might be modifiable to get much colder than it otherwise would and would be a good size to store peps in without burning a bunch of electricity.

Would a difference of 12c really make that much of a difference? Could a little freezer like that even stand to hold that much of a temperature differential? Not sure but for $150 I'm tempted to try just to see if it's possible.

But I suppose that wouldn't mean anything if it wouldn't allow them to last any longer

Any thoughts?

My cheap freezer does well. Around - 23 normal….. Got it on sale from Amazon like around 115$…..lets see how long it last lol

 

[IGezs]

there isn’t concern with the FDA shutdown on compounding that there will be some kind of crackdown?

No

 

[moonpies4misfits]

there isn’t concern with the FDA shutdown on compounding that there will be some kind of crackdown?

China doesn't have to follow FDA rules