I ran a Thermo King reefer for many years. There are dependable and reliable, they have to be because of the perishable cargo. Using one to cool your building is a great repurpose and genius solution for your purpose.
For close to thirty years, I was convinced that a reefer unit would make the optimal cooling system for a work shop. Having seen your system in an actual operating setup, my theory has been proven. Thank you for confirming my hypothesis correct. Really nice job.
I've had plans on doing this very thing for years. Just never got around to it. I worked in the tractor trailer industry for years myself. Seeing this has rekindled my interest. Thanks
I love that big Euclid radiator. I would like to say you have made something whose mere visage and presence I would enjoy. It's well decorated basically. Like to me it's as pretty and wonderful to be around as the more beautifully made steam radiotors for rich people in the 1900's
dont know why you appeared in my feed, but WOW! love your idea on using the thermo king. i actually bought a 53 foot reefer trailer in 2017 from a friend who told me the thermo king still ran. was planning to put the engine in a s10 blazer eventually, BUT i know exactly how to best use it now!!! i instantly subscribed to your chanel and will check your other videos. im a 65 year old disabled mechanic!
Went looking to see if anyone else is doing this and sure enough lol. I have a S600 on my 50x75 shop and it works great . Cool to see im not the only crazy person
The most important take from this presentation is that across this beautiful land there are guys and gals inventing at great pace. There is nothing more exiting than getting in front of a farmer or a shop owner and asking " What are you working on Today ? " and then looking around at all the other past projects. I am convinced that with one investment of a pick up truck or van that one could create a very beautiful life. With the age of materialism we produced a lot of " junk " in my view there is gold in that junk.
This is absolutely amazing, I love the way you think and your ideas. The reefer for the AC and the DIY heat pump are both mind blowingly amazing ideas. You really nailed it with these setups. I love unconventional ideas and oftentimes wonder why they are so unconventional when they are usually easier and cheaper, and work better on top of that. I drive a truck with 53 ft reefers, also TK units, but ours have Yanmar engines. We haul frozen meat occasionally and the customer wants the reefers set to 20 below (-20F) and these units have no trouble whatsoever getting down to that temperature and keeping it there. And as you probably know you can set it to start/stop mode, or leave it on continuous so it will idle while cooling to help maintain the temperature, which might be helpful on really hot days.
Nice! I always wondered why more folks don't have that set up for cooling a shop... the TK unit. The ground water heat and cool is also a great idea. Nice work!!
Just subscribed to your channel. I am very glad I found your video page. Would love to speak with you privately to ask some questions and give you some background on what we are doing in Northern Nevada. Great videos - thank you for posting!
That's awesome. I work on transit buses that have Thermoking systems. I love working on TK, they're very well designed. We have some older buses with that same a/c compressor that's in your reefers, the X430. They originally came with R22 but we fill them with R407c now. Our newer TK units have screw compressors which are very interesting but much more complex than that indestructible old X430. After tearing one down for the first time it's incredible just how robust their reciprocating compressor is. It's no wonder they last so long.
@dieseldoctor25 I've not seen a reciprocating compressor in any air conditioning unit made in the last 20 years. Most scrolls are actually simpler, they usually only have one or two moving parts (rotor and the orbiting scroll) no oil pumps or anything like a recip and tend to cope with a fair amount of liquid flood back. Have a look at the copeland scroll compressors, their oil pump is a channel cut in the rotor on an angle to pull oil up with centrifugal force and the oil is more or less used to keep the plates together, if you get liquid in the compressor the liquid overcomes the force of the oil and seperates the plates. You usually burn the paint off the top of them before they fail from liquid. I know they're not too popular in medium/low temperature applications as they don't tend to like running at low pressures/into a vacuum but I believe they are becoming more common in refrigeration. The other advantage of them is unlike a recip they don't lose capacity due to gas re-expanding as the piston comes back down.
@@luke5518 I misspoke, I meant to say screw compressor not scroll. Our newer TK units 2015 and up have screw compressors. Everything before that in our fleet uses the X430 reciprocating compressor like in this video. We haven't had any problems with the screw compressors except for some unloader valve solenoids.
If you have the doors with the sound insulation on them like the whisper versions. you can actually carry on a conversation beside it when it's in low speed. I always enjoyed pulling one of those whisper units you never really noticed it. The new ones with the plastic case have always been louder than the old whisper unit. However the new president actually seems to be doing a good job being quiet. Whatever you do stay away from carrier. I hate pulling them loud and has this droning sound in the cab. And always seem to be something small going wrong with him. But Thermo Kings very reliable however when they go down they go down hard.
I always wanted to cool the shop. Have woodstove and L.P. for heating but nothing for cooling. This is an awesome idea. Have to start looking for a unit I can salvage.
Hey Mike, just stumbled onto yiur channel, yiur a crazy dude.. used to work on them units alot, the model name has a 30 in it, SB3 -30. The ones I use to work on had a 50 in the model name.. these units had electric standby, with an electric motor, much much quieter. Yiu should do a retro fit..you'd need to add a clutch to the compressor and also a motor and belts with an idler pulley . Runs around the same speed as low engine speed..lol... Nice use if an old reefer 😂😂
You can run a low speed switch on those units if you want to be able to control the engine speed more efficiently. That's one of the first thing we would do with those old reefers when we bought them. Also, I haven't tried it, but I've been told from friends at our local thermo king dealer that if you swap the pulleys on the jack shaft, it will cool more efficiently.
A tk super 2 will fit in a standard doorway. That's what i used in my shop. Whisper unit with a yanmar in it. Cut the door on half to cover up the engine and be able to open for serviceability. I have a rear remote setup at the front door of my shop to control it. Fuel tank is inside. Flipped the tank brackets over and put casters on it.
I did that 20 years ago in the basement of my house used a steam radiator for the exhaust, we had a couple of beers one night & fired it up when my wife came home, she could smell The diesel fuel and said GET IT OUT OF HERE!! good idea thou. LOL!
I worked for a railcar manufacturer as a test technician on large passenger railcar roof mounted Thermo-King HVACs for SEPTA . They had to provide cold clean AC air in a 75' railcar for 10 hours in a subway tunnel at 200F in case the consist ever had a extended third rail power failure and therailcar was trapped with pasengers within. It iced over the windows and doors while we spent only seconds at a time in the compartment during the 10 hour acceptance QA test. Very reliable and very efficient. Never had a under-performer in over 50 married pairs.
I’ve always wanted to try a belt drive unit and use a brushed motor like a forklift powered by solar panels directly. That or a water wheel. Rotational shaft power is universal.
nice setup you got there , i bought a insulated 53 ft container that was damaged but the reefer still runs it's a S600RR and will likely do the same and set it up for cooling
From what I have been told by techs for mobile beverage trailers they said they went away from thermo king because the repair costs were insane, they went to using conventional walk in cooler units and said it cost them 1/4 of the cost in repairs and maintenance
I had this idea a while back as a otr refer driver i wanted to take a trailer and insulate the outside and funish it and build a bathroom to make a guest house and use a refer to heat or cool it. My only thing was how load it can be inside that trailer. After seeing ur setup i still have that idea just making the guest house out of a actual house
I have done this for 15 years I worked at a scrap yard they scrapped a bunch of trailers took the TK units off they were just sitting there the boss gave me them to haul off . Mine has a Mercedes engine it also heats with reverse cycle
Boss. You sir are a legend. Love it! What's a real world value on that thing? I guessing 50 to 100k? PS - Love that you just failed to mention the bad ass Generac setup. pure awesome toys!
Thanks for sharing this, you just gained a new subscriber! ....i have an sb2 max that I am pondering doing the same thing as you at our shop. I work on mobile AC units on trucks and equipment all the time and have had my technician's license for over 20 years, but I don't know anything about those reefer units. I think mine has 410 a refrigerant that has leaked out over the past few years. Reckon I can use 134 a in the SB 2? and if so, what kind of oil should I use and what should the system operating pressure be?..... that under ground system is brilliant and I bet fairly cheap to operate and maintain.
One day i had a slightly similar idea for the use of an old Pete if i ever had enough money to build a shop. Build the shop to live in and lift the truck to second level and put the wall between the cab and sleeper with the sleeper out side. Dispose of the rear axles and mount the propane tank on the frame rails. Cab section left complete all tricked out, chromed gauges, all working functions, PlayStation drivers station, full stereo controls.... yadda yadda yadda Well, it Was a dream. There may have been alcohol involved.
Things I would have done in the past but then I learned how easy HVAC really is so now I just do that. Now I just use heat pump systems for the shop and when I really need the heat, there is a 200,000BTU gas indirect heater that is sufficient (auction find for $12). I run everything full variable speed on the air handler heat pumps so it stays about perfect for very little cost (23 SEER). The air handlers operate on three stages of air filtration because, well, shop use... So it goes screen, Merv 3 then Merv 8 for the three stages with the Merv 3 and screen being washable. People loving the idea of reefer unit should consider the cost of maintenance which can be a monster on those reefer units (refrigerant, seals, pumps, valves, filters etc...) and small diesel motors. People should also consider that it may cool too fast increasing the moisture content in the air, for some machines this is not good. It's best to match the BTU's or tonnage to the space your heating or cooling both from a cost and management perspective. As for the ground system, that's rather genius use of the land. From a cost perspective, it's all about the KW used in the time it takes to make the air comfortable plus cost of build divided over 4 years (a nominal figure to recoup expenses and time spent).
I don't know if you ran a duct to the top of the building on the inside. Cold air falls so having your condenser outlet high will run more efficiently. Thermo King SBI or SBII or SBIII are all good reefer units. I ran all of them over the years and always stayed away from Carrier as they seemed to be in the shop a lot. Good to see these old reefers being repurposed. Amber light for defrost and green for cooling.
This video and comments has me wondering about picking up a thermoking and strapping her to my house just in case the power goes out during the summer in Alabama. Happened to me once, my apartment got to at least 120°F. I say at least because, that's as high as the thermostat would read and the windows were open. I made it one night before I took my credit card to the store and purchased a portable unit.
I've heard that diesel engines without electronic fuel jet controls run well on well-filtered waste kitchen oil. If the chiller pack could be fueled by this, the bill could be cut even more.
@@JBF-GST-Tanda yeah pretty much anything that's electronically injected doesn't do that well with waste oils if it's mechanically injected then you can pretty much run anything in it.
I used to haul reefer units ( thermo’s and carriers) and had one shut down in extreme heat one day and 4 hours later at the destination $180,000 worth of not so frozen bulk goods down the drain...
o-boy, I was lead mechanic & called me in middle of night said reefer not cooling stuf dripping out of floor box drains 40000# of pop sickles !! NOT GOOD!
I used to work in a reefer wash bay and we used to talk about doing something like this with an old reefer unit all the time and I think I might just have to give them ol boys a call and find one for my shop
Very Innovative! 👍👍😜🤣😁😎 PS 🤔 Here's A Way To Improve On Your Outside Refer Setup For Pickin Up Extra Heat + More Silencing Of The Unit? See I Invent, Sell & Install Green Living & Self Sustaining - Off Grid Products, I Custom Build Solar - Wood Burning Sheds + Water Heating Boilers, ETC! Now, Build A Simple Metal Stud - Slopped Roof - 3- Walled Metal Shed Around Your Refer Unit, Up Just Below That Big Window, Afew Feet Wide From Both Sides Of Refer & Out Say 6'-8" From Shop Wall? Use 2" Foam Insulation Board On All Interior Walls + Wide Alum Duct Tape To Seal All The Cracks To Make It As Weather Sealed As Possible + Put A Walk Door In On Any Of 3-Exterior Walls You Want + Weather Strip Seal It Good Also, Plus I'd Install A Larger Balanced Louvered Vent Backwards Into Side Wall Somewheres w/Insulated Heat A/C Flex Duct For Outside Air Intake To The Refer Unit, High Enough Off Ground So Snow Levels Won't Effect It? Now Build An Elevated Stand On Either Side Of Refer & Put Another Squirrel Cage Blower w/Hole Thru Building To Blow Hot Captured Air Outta Metal Shed Up High As Possible To Blow Into Shop + A Return Duct Down Low For Return Air Into Shed, w/Auto Attic Fan Thermal Switch To Operate Blower Fan, Set At 70* Or So + I'd 3" Gravel On Floor To Also Retain Heat... Soo In Essence Then You Would Retain, Recycle & Utilize All The Heat From Around The Refer Unit Whilst It's Running... For An Addition You Could Build A Plate Steel Wood Burnin Fire-Box Thru A Side Wall w/Exterior Facing Door To Burn Wood - Used Oils, Etc For Even More Heat Outta Solar Shed For In Winter? Plus Add A Cast or Stainless Water Heater On Top Of The Wood Fire Box To Heat Water Also? Thanks & Stay Hot or Cold... 😁😎
I considered the reefer unit for my off the grid cabin (24' x 40') years ago and when I talked to an HVAC guy he said it probably wouldn't work (can't remember his reasoning anymore but it have something to do with airflow). Now I'm going to have to reconsider. Given than I have a much smaller volume to heat/cool, do you think a unit off a straight truck is what I should consider?
I had the same idea going back 15 years I wish I had followed through on my research I was led to believe that the thing had the condenser unit running the full length of the trailer which would have made it a complete pain unlike what your video is showing that it's a standalone unit. So I guess I'm back on the hunt cuz I want to do the exact same thing got a 40 by 60 ft garage that one of these will be perfect for. I'm right on the California Arizona border if you know if there any places out here that might be a good source I'd appreciate any info. Thanks
Reefer trailers have a curtain/duct hanging from the ceiling that carries the cold air all the way to the back. Before I saw that set up I was imaging a plumbing nightmare too.
There are multi temp setups that you'll want to stay away from. They will have remote evaporators mounted to the ceiling and will all be plumbed to the host unit. I installed a lot of them.
This is what is called naturkyla - there is a far number of factories in sweden which nowadays uses water cooled by the ground water and circulates the cooled water through convectors. As long as the house is fairly well insulated and no one let hot summer air in naturkyla will keep things cool.
I am curious, do you have the exhaust angled at the top? or anything to prevent water from getting in? Or is it just a straight pipe that if rain were to fall, it could fill it up easily (that's my worry)
I pull reefers hauling fresh and frozen chicken. The only time the hoses on the units I pull (TK and Carrier) are running water out like you have the spigot on is when they go into defrost. Most especially if it’s a frozen load at -10 in the summer.
Yeah a lot of people don't know that a lot of the R-12 equipment is still in use using R-134a and with a few components swapped like with the r-134a conversions you can run it on the new Refrigerant gas (R-y1234 I believe is the new one they're putting in cars). So in a couple of years you'll just have to do it again but it'll still be kicking and screaming....
@@dieseldoctor25 I feel ya it's the new Refrigerant they're using to replace R-134a and they've already started making R-134a to R-y1234 "kits" So in theory (even though they're saying you shouldn't do it) you could convert any R-134a system to run the "new" refrigerant.
I ran a Thermo King reefer for many years. There are dependable and reliable, they have to be because of the perishable cargo. Using one to cool your building is a great repurpose and genius solution for your purpose.
thanks!
What's the fuel consumption? Must be pretty huge.
@@NicholasLittlejohn It’s less than a gallon an hour.
@@NicholasLittlejohn about 0.9gal per hour running wide open.
@@NicholasLittlejohn He said about 9/10ths of a gallon an hour going balls out. $4.00/$5.00 and hour or less using diesel.
As an hvac tech I can appreciate your setup. I like to think outside of the box myself.
Me 2 thanks!
For close to thirty years, I was convinced that a reefer unit would make the optimal cooling system for a work shop. Having seen your system in an actual operating setup, my theory has been proven. Thank you for confirming my hypothesis correct. Really nice job.
Thank you!
Ive always wondered the same thing, "why dont people use old refers"
awesome work Mike
@@squirrelmaster1225 ty!
Thanks!
That radiator setup is an absolute work of art.
ty!
I've had plans on doing this very thing for years. Just never got around to it. I worked in the tractor trailer industry for years myself. Seeing this has rekindled my interest. Thanks
Cool!
I love that big Euclid radiator. I would like to say you have made something whose mere visage and presence I would enjoy. It's well decorated basically. Like to me it's as pretty and wonderful to be around as the more beautifully made steam radiotors for rich people in the 1900's
Thanks
dont know why you appeared in my feed, but WOW! love your idea on using the thermo king. i actually bought a 53 foot reefer trailer in 2017 from a friend who told me the thermo king still ran. was planning to put the engine in a s10 blazer eventually, BUT i know exactly how to best use it now!!!
i instantly subscribed to your chanel and will check your other videos. im a 65 year old disabled mechanic!
Sounds good!
Went looking to see if anyone else is doing this and sure enough lol. I have a S600 on my 50x75 shop and it works great . Cool to see im not the only crazy person
LOL that's cool Thanks!
The most important take from this presentation is that across this beautiful land there are guys and gals inventing at great pace. There is nothing more exiting than getting in front of a farmer or a shop owner and asking " What are you working on Today ? " and then looking around at all the other past projects. I am convinced that with one investment of a pick up truck or van that one could create a very beautiful life. With the age of materialism we produced a lot of " junk " in my view there is gold in that junk.
You are so right!
The ground loop is super impressive. Just enough parts to work and keep tabs on system health. All the parts are accessible for service or replacement
Thanks!
Hey i think i would leave one outside to keep the outside the temperature you want it. Bery cool man
@@user-su5ft8lc9q LOL thanks.
I have a mini-split system in my garage. I guess you call that a "maxi-split"
Lol you bet!
Indeed
@@Tjousk
Eg4 Hybrid 24,000 btu for sure
Package unit
Get this genius a million subs already! We need more of this
thank you!
This is absolutely amazing, I love the way you think and your ideas. The reefer for the AC and the DIY heat pump are both mind blowingly amazing ideas. You really nailed it with these setups. I love unconventional ideas and oftentimes wonder why they are so unconventional when they are usually easier and cheaper, and work better on top of that.
I drive a truck with 53 ft reefers, also TK units, but ours have Yanmar engines. We haul frozen meat occasionally and the customer wants the reefers set to 20 below (-20F) and these units have no trouble whatsoever getting down to that temperature and keeping it there. And as you probably know you can set it to start/stop mode, or leave it on continuous so it will idle while cooling to help maintain the temperature, which might be helpful on really hot days.
Thank you!
Thanks, Mike! Video greatly appreciated! We might look into doing this in Northern Nevada on top of a mountain north of Sparks, Nevada.
I always wondered if this would work. Great idea!
Works great, Thanks!
As a former TK mechanic, and HVAC guy, this was very interesting!
Thanks
Genius! Simple and effective. Thank you so much for sharing.
You bet!
Nice! I always wondered why more folks don't have that set up for cooling a shop... the TK unit.
The ground water heat and cool is also a great idea.
Nice work!!
ty
Just subscribed to your channel. I am very glad I found your video page. Would love to speak with you privately to ask some questions and give you some background on what we are doing in Northern Nevada. Great videos - thank you for posting!
Thats some slick work man...Nice job...👍
Again Thanks!
That's awesome. I work on transit buses that have Thermoking systems. I love working on TK, they're very well designed. We have some older buses with that same a/c compressor that's in your reefers, the X430. They originally came with R22 but we fill them with R407c now. Our newer TK units have screw compressors which are very interesting but much more complex than that indestructible old X430. After tearing one down for the first time it's incredible just how robust their reciprocating compressor is. It's no wonder they last so long.
The x430 is all i have worked on scroll compressor sounds cool! IM getting old!
@dieseldoctor25 I've not seen a reciprocating compressor in any air conditioning unit made in the last 20 years.
Most scrolls are actually simpler, they usually only have one or two moving parts (rotor and the orbiting scroll) no oil pumps or anything like a recip and tend to cope with a fair amount of liquid flood back.
Have a look at the copeland scroll compressors, their oil pump is a channel cut in the rotor on an angle to pull oil up with centrifugal force and the oil is more or less used to keep the plates together, if you get liquid in the compressor the liquid overcomes the force of the oil and seperates the plates. You usually burn the paint off the top of them before they fail from liquid.
I know they're not too popular in medium/low temperature applications as they don't tend to like running at low pressures/into a vacuum but I believe they are becoming more common in refrigeration.
The other advantage of them is unlike a recip they don't lose capacity due to gas re-expanding as the piston comes back down.
@@luke5518 I misspoke, I meant to say screw compressor not scroll. Our newer TK units 2015 and up have screw compressors. Everything before that in our fleet uses the X430 reciprocating compressor like in this video. We haven't had any problems with the screw compressors except for some unloader valve solenoids.
That is a really great idea! I saw someone use a BARD Hvac unit from a commercial building or big office trailers. They run on 240v.
wehen fuel is high electric will be cheaper!
Yep! In my line of work (big generators) I end up with a lot of free fuel. I have 7 diesel VW's that we operate for free basically.@@dieseldoctor25
cool!
If you have the doors with the sound insulation on them like the whisper versions. you can actually carry on a conversation beside it when it's in low speed. I always enjoyed pulling one of those whisper units you never really noticed it. The new ones with the plastic case have always been louder than the old whisper unit. However the new president actually seems to be doing a good job being quiet. Whatever you do stay away from carrier. I hate pulling them loud and has this droning sound in the cab. And always seem to be something small going wrong with him. But Thermo Kings very reliable however when they go down they go down hard.
yes ,worked on carrier never did like them.
Mike, you are an American hero. Keep the old ways alive and adapting.
OK
I always wanted to cool the shop. Have woodstove and L.P. for heating but nothing for cooling.
This is an awesome idea.
Have to start looking for a unit I can salvage.
Thanks 👍
Wow this is an amazing setup. Thanks for sharing
Glad you like it!
Hey Mike, just stumbled onto yiur channel, yiur a crazy dude.. used to work on them units alot, the model name has a 30 in it, SB3 -30. The ones I use to work on had a 50 in the model name.. these units had electric standby, with an electric motor, much much quieter. Yiu should do a retro fit..you'd need to add a clutch to the compressor and also a motor and belts with an idler pulley . Runs around the same speed as low engine speed..lol...
Nice use if an old reefer 😂😂
Thanks
Best informative video ever.
One picture one caption ,
Was perfect., and straight to the point.
Thank you ,congratulations on best video ever.
Thank you!
Thanks for posting Mike
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. I learned something new today.
Glad to hear it!
You sir are a genius!
Thanks!
You can run a low speed switch on those units if you want to be able to control the engine speed more efficiently. That's one of the first thing we would do with those old reefers when we bought them.
Also, I haven't tried it, but I've been told from friends at our local thermo king dealer that if you swap the pulleys on the jack shaft, it will cool more efficiently.
I have a low speed switch, but have not seen the pulley swap.
DUDE.....GENIUS...YOU ARE A LEGEND SIR!!!
Wow, thanks!
Kool Cooling set up i seen the two stroke exhaust manifolds on the bench thats my kind if engine
0-ya thanks!
Wait, what?! That's actually cool what you guys did
Thanks
Man that is great I bet it does an amazing job
Yes it will run you out of there!
Awesome. If l had the money this is what l want to do for my garage.😊
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
A tk super 2 will fit in a standard doorway. That's what i used in my shop. Whisper unit with a yanmar in it. Cut the door on half to cover up the engine and be able to open for serviceability. I have a rear remote setup at the front door of my shop to control it. Fuel tank is inside. Flipped the tank brackets over and put casters on it.
Cool!
We need a video of your setup
That's genius.
@@life_of_riley88 TY!
What type of square footage would this cool? How is fuel consumption on that setup?
I fixed a few of them in my day. Great units. I love to get one and set it with a 220 volt generator and capture waste heat from engine also.
I did that 20 years ago in the basement of my house used a steam radiator for the exhaust, we had a couple of beers one night & fired it up when my wife came home, she could smell The diesel fuel and said GET IT OUT OF HERE!! good idea thou. LOL!
@@dieseldoctor25i started following you from # YSW 🇨🇦 how do you have this unit hooked up generator to a main fuse box !!
There is no generator on this unit.
@@dieseldoctor25 i watched the video again you are a mad genius much respect back to you, I follow you 💯 from # YSW 🇨🇦
Thanks@@domenicomonteleone3055
I worked for a railcar manufacturer as a test technician on large passenger railcar roof mounted Thermo-King HVACs for SEPTA . They had to provide cold clean AC air in a 75' railcar for 10 hours in a subway tunnel at 200F in case the consist ever had a extended third rail power failure and therailcar was trapped with pasengers within. It iced over the windows and doors while we spent only seconds at a time in the compartment during the 10 hour acceptance QA test. Very reliable and very efficient. Never had a under-performer in over 50 married pairs.
WOW that is cool!
Pretty interesting concept thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it!
My father worked for Themo King in Bloomington Mn for 40 years. They built good units.
Yes they are.
Bob Riss?
I swear I was going to do the same thing!!!! When I was a kid I was obsessed with thermo king units!!!
That's cool!
I guess Hank Williams Jr hit the nail on the head when he sang 'A country boy can survive'. Sure wish he had seen this before he finished writing it.
Lol, love it!
That TK running brings back memories of hauling dairy/milk loads...could hear those TK units running a mile away...man they were loud.
Yes they are!
Very COOL system!!
ty
I’ve always wanted to try a belt drive unit and use a brushed motor like a forklift powered by solar panels directly. That or a water wheel. Rotational shaft power is universal.
That would be cool!
We all await your video sir
Very clever thinking to see the use of unconventional systems.
ty
Always thought about doing that.. I'm figuring the next shop will have one!
Cool!
nice setup you got there , i bought a insulated 53 ft container that was damaged but the reefer still runs it's a S600RR and will likely do the same and set it up for cooling
That is a nice unit double digit fuel savings & no dpf.
@@dieseldoctor25 is there a way to get into the remote system without having Fleet Dashboard?
@@2748941 you need to talk to TK dealer. I don't know.
From what I have been told by techs for mobile beverage trailers they said they went away from thermo king because the repair costs were insane, they went to using conventional walk in cooler units and said it cost them 1/4 of the cost in repairs and maintenance
I dont know.
Man awesome job
TY!
Very neat idea. Now I am going to have to look on FB marketplace to see if I can find one. LOL
good luck!
Merry Christmas, Lisa and everyone at Room To Room!❤
ty
Im a thermo king technician for a Thermo King dealer and this is a great idea
Ty
I had this idea a while back as a otr refer driver i wanted to take a trailer and insulate the outside and funish it and build a bathroom to make a guest house and use a refer to heat or cool it. My only thing was how load it can be inside that trailer. After seeing ur setup i still have that idea just making the guest house out of a actual house
sounds cool!
Love the ground source direct cooling
Thanks
I have done this for 15 years I worked at a scrap yard they scrapped a bunch of trailers took the TK units off they were just sitting there the boss gave me them to haul off . Mine has a Mercedes engine it also heats with reverse cycle
Cool can't beat the price!
Boss. You sir are a legend. Love it! What's a real world value on that thing? I guessing 50 to 100k? PS - Love that you just failed to mention the bad ass Generac setup. pure awesome toys!
LOL, you need to look for a good deal!
You're one smart guy, no question.
ty
Thanks for sharing this, you just gained a new subscriber! ....i have an sb2 max that I am pondering doing the same thing as you at our shop. I work on mobile AC units on trucks and equipment all the time and have had my technician's license for over 20 years, but I don't know anything about those reefer units. I think mine has 410 a refrigerant that has leaked out over the past few years. Reckon I can use 134 a in the SB 2? and if so, what kind of oil should I use and what should the system operating pressure be?..... that under ground system is brilliant and I bet fairly cheap to operate and maintain.
I would stay with the 410A & repair the leak.
This is the best video on CZcams!
Thanks!
One day i had a slightly similar idea for the use of an old Pete if i ever had enough money to build a shop. Build the shop to live in and lift the truck to second level and put the wall between the cab and sleeper with the sleeper out side. Dispose of the rear axles and mount the propane tank on the frame rails. Cab section left complete all tricked out, chromed gauges, all working functions, PlayStation drivers station, full stereo controls.... yadda yadda yadda
Well, it Was a dream. There may have been alcohol involved.
O wow you sound just like me! LOL
Cool very cool!
Thanks!
Repurposing is a beautiful thing...good job!
Thank you!
We need more genius like you
Thanks
Great idea Mike. I want to see some pics or video of your "Get Togethers". What do you all do and eat and who cooks?
Potluck
I’m impressed
ty
Great stuff, so sorry for the 109 haters out there. New sub, thanks for sharing. Cheers.
ok
My uncle had a tk on the side of the building back in the early 90s I never saw it running but heard you had to wear coveralls in July
LOL love it!
That is a great idea
Thanks
This man's a genius!
lol,TY!
Brilliant 👍
Thanks
Things I would have done in the past but then I learned how easy HVAC really is so now I just do that. Now I just use heat pump systems for the shop and when I really need the heat, there is a 200,000BTU gas indirect heater that is sufficient (auction find for $12). I run everything full variable speed on the air handler heat pumps so it stays about perfect for very little cost (23 SEER). The air handlers operate on three stages of air filtration because, well, shop use... So it goes screen, Merv 3 then Merv 8 for the three stages with the Merv 3 and screen being washable.
People loving the idea of reefer unit should consider the cost of maintenance which can be a monster on those reefer units (refrigerant, seals, pumps, valves, filters etc...) and small diesel motors. People should also consider that it may cool too fast increasing the moisture content in the air, for some machines this is not good. It's best to match the BTU's or tonnage to the space your heating or cooling both from a cost and management perspective.
As for the ground system, that's rather genius use of the land. From a cost perspective, it's all about the KW used in the time it takes to make the air comfortable plus cost of build divided over 4 years (a nominal figure to recoup expenses and time spent).
A thinker. I like it.
Thanks!
I don't know if you ran a duct to the top of the building on the inside. Cold air falls so having your condenser outlet high will run more efficiently. Thermo King SBI or SBII or SBIII are all good reefer units. I ran all of them over the years and always stayed away from Carrier as they seemed to be in the shop a lot. Good to see these old reefers being repurposed. Amber light for defrost and green for cooling.
Ok tThanks!
This video and comments has me wondering about picking up a thermoking and strapping her to my house just in case the power goes out during the summer in Alabama. Happened to me once, my apartment got to at least 120°F. I say at least because, that's as high as the thermostat would read and the windows were open. I made it one night before I took my credit card to the store and purchased a portable unit.
Thats right , I have reefer & diesel 25kw gen, my power goes out all the time! LOVE BOTH OF THEM!!
I am wanting to go off grid but when the sun isn't shinning, and wind isn't blowing this would be a great back up air conditioner.
yes it would!
The non-freon cooling system with water and radiator plus fan is great! It’s great to not use compressors.
Thanks!
Very cool....
ty
That's genius especially because they sip fuel. No crazy electric bills. Excellent work !
ty!
I've heard that diesel engines without electronic fuel jet controls run well on well-filtered waste kitchen oil. If the chiller pack could be fueled by this, the bill could be cut even more.
@@JBF-GST-Tanda yeah pretty much anything that's electronically injected doesn't do that well with waste oils if it's mechanically injected then you can pretty much run anything in it.
Very Cool
Thanks
I used to haul reefer units ( thermo’s and carriers) and had one shut down in extreme heat one day and 4 hours later at the destination $180,000 worth of not so frozen bulk goods down the drain...
o-boy, I was lead mechanic & called me in middle of night said reefer not cooling stuf dripping out of floor box drains 40000# of pop sickles !! NOT GOOD!
I used to work in a reefer wash bay and we used to talk about doing something like this with an old reefer unit all the time and I think I might just have to give them ol boys a call and find one for my shop
ok good!
I live in Central Illinois in the middle of an large amish community, this is what use to cool their businesses and work places.
cool1
Very Innovative! 👍👍😜🤣😁😎 PS 🤔 Here's A Way To Improve On Your Outside Refer Setup For Pickin Up Extra Heat + More Silencing Of The Unit? See I Invent, Sell & Install Green Living & Self Sustaining - Off Grid Products, I Custom Build Solar - Wood Burning Sheds + Water Heating Boilers, ETC! Now, Build A Simple Metal Stud - Slopped Roof - 3- Walled Metal Shed Around Your Refer Unit, Up Just Below That Big Window, Afew Feet Wide From Both Sides Of Refer & Out Say 6'-8" From Shop Wall? Use 2" Foam Insulation Board On All Interior Walls + Wide Alum Duct Tape To Seal All The Cracks To Make It As Weather Sealed As Possible + Put A Walk Door In On Any Of 3-Exterior Walls You Want + Weather Strip Seal It Good Also, Plus I'd Install A Larger Balanced Louvered Vent Backwards Into Side Wall Somewheres w/Insulated Heat A/C Flex Duct For Outside Air Intake To The Refer Unit, High Enough Off Ground So Snow Levels Won't Effect It? Now Build An Elevated Stand On Either Side Of Refer & Put Another Squirrel Cage Blower w/Hole Thru Building To Blow Hot Captured Air Outta Metal Shed Up High As Possible To Blow Into Shop + A Return Duct Down Low For Return Air Into Shed, w/Auto Attic Fan Thermal Switch To Operate Blower Fan, Set At 70* Or So + I'd 3" Gravel On Floor To Also Retain Heat... Soo In Essence Then You Would Retain, Recycle & Utilize All The Heat From Around The Refer Unit Whilst It's Running... For An Addition You Could Build A Plate Steel Wood Burnin Fire-Box Thru A Side Wall w/Exterior Facing Door To Burn Wood - Used Oils, Etc For Even More Heat Outta Solar Shed For In Winter? Plus Add A Cast or Stainless Water Heater On Top Of The Wood Fire Box To Heat Water Also? Thanks & Stay Hot or Cold... 😁😎
wow!
I’ve always wanted to try that idea with the refer unit
GO for it.
very cool
Thanks!
Great shop tour thanks from old New Orleans 😎
Thanks!
Awesome
ty
I considered the reefer unit for my off the grid cabin (24' x 40') years ago and when I talked to an HVAC guy he said it probably wouldn't work (can't remember his reasoning anymore but it have something to do with airflow). Now I'm going to have to reconsider.
Given than I have a much smaller volume to heat/cool, do you think a unit off a straight truck is what I should consider?
Yes very small!
I had the same idea going back 15 years I wish I had followed through on my research I was led to believe that the thing had the condenser unit running the full length of the trailer which would have made it a complete pain unlike what your video is showing that it's a standalone unit. So I guess I'm back on the hunt cuz I want to do the exact same thing got a 40 by 60 ft garage that one of these will be perfect for.
I'm right on the California Arizona border if you know if there any places out here that might be a good source I'd appreciate any info. Thanks
No but find a used trailer dealer, or salvage dealer, or Facebook market place. Good luck 🤞
Reefer trailers have a curtain/duct hanging from the ceiling that carries the cold air all the way to the back. Before I saw that set up I was imaging a plumbing nightmare too.
That would be something lol!
There are multi temp setups that you'll want to stay away from. They will have remote evaporators mounted to the ceiling and will all be plumbed to the host unit. I installed a lot of them.
good to know.
This is what is called naturkyla - there is a far number of factories in sweden which nowadays uses water cooled by the ground water and circulates the cooled water through convectors. As long as the house is fairly well insulated and no one let hot summer air in naturkyla will keep things cool.
Cool!
I remember servicing the older units in the 80's.....lot's of R12 and R502..... $$$$$$$$$$$$$
That is the same time frame that I worked on them!
I am curious, do you have the exhaust angled at the top? or anything to prevent water from getting in? Or is it just a straight pipe that if rain were to fall, it could fill it up easily (that's my worry)
There is a drain hole in the unit exhaust pipe!
I pull reefers hauling fresh and frozen chicken. The only time the hoses on the units I pull (TK and Carrier) are running water out like you have the spigot on is when they go into defrost. Most especially if it’s a frozen load at -10 in the summer.
I have alot of lumber in the shop from the saw mill, that might be part of it.
How much diesel do you use a week in the summer ? What are you spending on diesel ?
When you changed refrigerants and oil on the one unit, did you have to change the metering device too? Just curious.
No , just using it for a/c. That's why I used 134a.
Yeah a lot of people don't know that a lot of the R-12 equipment is still in use using R-134a and with a few components swapped like with the r-134a conversions you can run it on the new Refrigerant gas (R-y1234 I believe is the new one they're putting in cars). So in a couple of years you'll just have to do it again but it'll still be kicking and screaming....
I don't know about R-Y1234.
@@dieseldoctor25 I feel ya it's the new Refrigerant they're using to replace R-134a and they've already started making R-134a to R-y1234 "kits" So in theory (even though they're saying you shouldn't do it) you could convert any R-134a system to run the "new" refrigerant.
Great inventive idea.
Where can I look to get one of these refer units?
Salvage trailer yard, or a truck unit in a salvage yard.