[Popit]

I am thinking about making a mini refrigerator and a drink warmer with a peltier cooler. One side gets extremely hot and the other side gets really cold. Do I need to put a heatsink on the hot side to prevent it from overheating or are the designed to handle all the heat?

[Mumbodog]

No, as long as it is exposed to outside air.

[JohnWill]

Well, if you have the plain junction, most of them will require a heatsink to operate efficiently. We'd need to know exactly what you actually have.

[Popit]

I do not have one yet, but I am planning on getting one that is about 138 watts.

Here's what I was going to try

I was going to take a plastic box (with a lid) and cut a hole at the top. Then I was going to take a mini PC fan and screw to a heatsink. Then put thermal paste on the other side of the heatsink (flat side and put the peltier on it, then put the cold side on the heatsink. Next I was going to put thermal paste on the hot side of the peltier and put a small sheet of metal on top (4" x 4") to make a drink warmer.

Will this work without any problems.

[JohnWill]

That sounds like a plan. I don't see why that won't work.