Ice Cream Temperature Monitoring: Ensuring Your Frozen Treats Stay Ice Cold
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In a bid to prevent ice cream from melting due to a failed freezer, Scott Baker has developed a custom DIY freezer monitoring system. This project makes use of a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, DS18B20 temperature sensor, and a monitoring setup with GoLang, Prometheus, and Grafana.
Hardware Setup
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W serves as the main controller for reading temperature and network communication. The DS18B20 waterproof temperature sensor is connected to the Pi’s GPIO pins, with a 4.7kΩ resistor required for the pull-up resistor between the data line and 3.3V.
To route the sensor’s wires into the freezer without breaking the door seal, techniques such as passing thin wires under the door seal and sealing with tape, drilling a small hole, or using existing openings such as the drainage pipe can be employed. Protect sensor wires with shrink wrap or electrical tape to avoid moisture ingress.
Software and Monitoring System
Scott Baker wrote a GoLang application to read temperature data from the DS18B20 sensor. The Pi’s Linux system exposes 1-Wire sensors usually under from where the temperature files can be read.
Prometheus is integrated by building a small HTTP server endpoint in Go that serves the temperature reading in Prometheus metrics format, allowing Prometheus to scrape it at intervals.
Prometheus is then set up on a network/server to scrape the Raspberry Pi endpoint and collect temperature data over time. Grafana is used to create dashboards visualizing the temperature time series data from Prometheus.
Alerts and Notifications
Alert rules are implemented in Prometheus for temperature thresholds, and Grafana or Prometheus Alertmanager is configured to notify users via email, SMS, or other channels when the temperature exceeds safe freezer operating range.
Additional Tips
Log data with high fidelity and unlimited retention, as you control the system completely (avoiding proprietary cloud services). Consider a local buzzer or sound notification direct on the Pi for immediate alerts even if the network is down. For best results, test sensor positioning and sealing thoroughly to avoid cold air leaks or condensation.
This approach was detailed in recent community projects emphasizing DIY freezer monitoring using the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and DS18B20, with GoLang-based exporters feeding Prometheus and visualized in Grafana dashboards. It enables local control, high-resolution data, customizable alerts, and historical data retention.
Scott Baker further developed a dashboard in Grafana to display two charts correlating garage energy usage with freezer temperatures, and used a daemonizing library from Sergey Yarmonov for his monitoring service. He chose to develop his own solution instead of using the bundled proprietary service from the white goods manufacturer, and the freezer monitor includes a monitoring and alerting system.
In the continuation of Scott Baker's DIY freezer monitoring project, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, a key gadget from the realm of technology, is utilized in conjunction with electronics like the DS18B20 temperature sensor to oversee the freezer's temperature. The software and monitoring system employ programming languages such as GoLang for data reading and Prometheus for scraping the temperature data, with Grafana visualizing the temperature time series data. This system also incorporates alerts and notifications for temperature thresholds, ensuring users are informed of any issues even when the network is down.
