Tried this in Physics, said try here

[mufcdiver]

Hi,
Something weird happened the other week and I was wondering if anyone here could explain why. I run a pub and our cellar operates at about a steady 11°c all year round (cooler assisted). The other week we were enjoying some pleasant weather for the time of year(16/17°c) then wham! in the space of about 15/20 mins the outside temp dropped to 9°c. The next thing I know someone complains that the beer is warm, I roll my eyes and to pacify them say I'll check the gas, I go to the cellar and the temp is nudging 16°c(in a heatwave[30°c] it only gets to 13°c)
So in a general physics kind of way, what went on?

PS cooler was working fine!

 

[matthyaouw]

The drop outside could be due to a cold front passing. Temperature can drop pretty quick when they do. Don't know why that should affect your beer... coincidence?

 

[mufcdiver]

The drop outside could be due to a cold front passing. Temperature can drop pretty quick when they do. Don't know why that should affect your beer... coincidence?

Its not so much the beer or the outside temp drop, it the fact that the ambient temp in the cellar should suddenly jump up 5c. I told my customers that the sudden drop outside had sucked all the warmth out of the ground and it had got trapped in the insulated cellar, they bought it but I don't know

BTW thanks for answering

 

[Andre]

There is no way to know what happened. Did somebody reverse the airco. Has somebody operated a heater dryer down there? Or baked something?

What happened to the temperature next?

You're not sitting on a volcano, are you?

 

[mufcdiver]

There is no way to know what happened. Did somebody reverse the airco. Has somebody operated a heater dryer down there? Or baked something?

What happened to the temperature next?

You're not sitting on a volcano, are you?

Now that's what gets me, the only heat source near are two coal fires directly above which hadn't been lit in six months.The cooler only has two settings(on & off) and it sucks air from outside which like I say was way cooler so the only source of heat could have been from the ground but volcanoes in northern England, not this side of the last ice age

It shall remain a mystery

 

[mufcdiver]

after about 2 hours it clawed its way back down to 11c

 

[jmnew51]

Is the cooler a heat pump also? Alot of coolers (mainly outdoor ones) are also designed to heat the cooler in the event that the outside temp drops below 0 C, or close to it, to prevent the contents of the cooler from freezing. Could be one of the sensors got a blast of cold air? telling the heat pump to kick in.

That would be my only logical answer other than coincidence.

Jim

 

[ray b]

so the english really do drink warm beer

lucas make your cooler?

ok enuff joking

colder air can trap warm air below it called an inversion
maybe that happened and forced warm air into the cellar ?