Kegerator tap placement question

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am all ready to build my first keggerator. I have my handy kegco kit together and plan to start this weekend. However I ran into a problem.

The fridge I am using is an old kenmore, easily capable of holding three kegs. The issue is this: the spot I want to add my first tap up high on the door has a shelf wall right in the middle of it. I would have to offset my three taps, which would look awful. The next available spot below the shelves isn't flat. It has a wavy wall. How much of an issue is the wave pattern? Can I just use that spot anyway? Or should I just use the top spots and not be so picky about centering the tap? I added pictures of the door to show what I am explaining.

Any help would be most appreciated. Cheers!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Just an FYI, if you use the top flat spots for your taps, depending on the height of the tap handles they might interfere with your freezer door. The standard short ones would be ok, but the long ones might be a nuisance in the long run. But if you don't ever plan on using the freezer, no problem!

Example: (pic is from google, not mine)

Good point, I didn't consider that initially. I do have some long tap handles I would like to use. Thanks for the info, and good looking keggerator!


Cheers!

Coltaw said:

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am all ready to build my first keggerator. I have my handy kegco kit together and plan to start this weekend. However I ran into a problem.

The fridge I am using is an old kenmore, easily capable of holding three kegs. The issue is this: the spot I want to add my first tap up high on the door has a shelf wall right in the middle of it. I would have to offset my three taps, which would look awful. The next available spot below the shelves isn't flat. It has a wavy wall. How much of an issue is the wave pattern? Can I just use that spot anyway? Or should I just use the top spots and not be so picky about centering the tap? I added pictures of the door to show what I am explaining.View attachment 199574

Any help would be most appreciated. Cheers!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Click to expand...

Remove the shelving plastic portion from the back of the door. Replace with foamboard or some thin plywood. Paint with appliance paint to protect it from moisture and you will have a nice open inside of the door that looks not too bad. If you want to keep most of the shelves, you can do the same, but cut off the top section with the offending shelf and just make a new inner part of the door for that portion where you would mount the taps.

At least thats how I would do it. You obviously arent planning on converting it back since you are drilling the door, and if you were you would most likely be replacing the door or selling it off on CL.

I have either that same fridge, or a similar model. gdbrewer is definitely correct about the tap height- I have mine on the top and they obstruct the freezer. It's a bit of a hassle, but not reammy too bad and I prefer the height that they are at. I have 2 taps, but If I wanted 3 I would do 3 across spaced equally from the hinge side on the top shelf. Closer to the hinge means less swing of tubing, etc. when you open it up. This leaves space for a potential 4th tap later (mine can hold 4 pin locks if the CO2 is on the outside). The other option is to mount them on the side, which I think is pretty slick. You can do them at any height. Something like this:

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the texture of the inside of the fridge. Either get a big washer, or mount a slim strip of plywood (it doesn't even need to be attached to the fridge, just drilled with the shanks through it tightened down will hold it flush).

Thank you all for the replies! After consideration I think I will opt for the lower placement and use the small piece of plywood against the textured door to hold the shank flush. It will be a little bit lower, but I will be able to use my fun tap handles and still have a functioning overflow freezer. I will post an update once I get it put together.

Thank you all!


Cheers!

You could:
Mark where you want them for sure, ( if on the wavy part), mark the location through the inner and outer skins with a "pilot drill", remove the inner liner, lay it horizontal, scuff the area, build a small "dam" around the areas you want the taps, build up the "dammed" area with Bondo or the like, let it cure, hang the inner liner and re-establish your pilot hole, and then drill to your tap or shank size, and use a large fender washer under the retainer nut to mount.

I kinda' like the side mount shown........

Stealthcruiser said:

You could:
Mark where you want them for sure, ( if on the wavy part), mark the location through the inner and outer skins with a "pilot drill", remove the inner liner, lay it horizontal, scuff the area, build a small "dam" around the areas you want the taps, build up the "dammed" area with Bondo or the like, let it cure, hang the inner liner and re-establish your pilot hole, and then drill to your tap or shank size, and use a large fender washer under the retainer nut to mount.

I kinda' like the side mount shown........

Click to expand...

Solid advice. I may have to give the bondo job a look. I would side mount, and I know that people do successfully all the time, but I am
Just terrified of hitting a coil and destroying my fridge. It is an awesome setup though


Cheers!

gdbrewer said:

Just an FYI, if you use the top flat spots for your taps, depending on the height of the tap handles they might interfere with your freezer door. The standard short ones would be ok, but the long ones might be a nuisance in the long run. But if you don't ever plan on using the freezer, no problem!

Example: (pic is from google, not mine)

Click to expand...

If you do plan on installing taps like this, just get a flat bracket from Home Depot and screw it to the edges of the freezer and fridge doors. This turns them both into 1 large door. It does mean that your fridge gets opened and the taps get moved everytime you want to go into the freezer but at least you can use it. That is what one my friends did so he could store hops and stuff in the freezer.

Or drill it through the side. I don't think most standard upright fridges with freezers on top have cooling coils in the sides. I thought they just pump cold air down from the freezer into the fridge but I could be wrong about that.

worxman02 said:

If you do plan on installing taps like this, just get a flat bracket from Home Depot and screw it to the edges of the freezer and fridge doors. This turns them both into 1 large door. It does mean that your fridge gets opened and the taps get moved everytime you want to go into the freezer but at least you can use it. That is what one my friends did so he could store hops and stuff in the freezer.

Or drill it through the side. I don't think most standard upright fridges with freezers on top have cooling coils in the sides. I thought they just pump cold air down from the freezer into the fridge but I could be wrong about that.

Click to expand...

This is what I did as well. I used a sliding bolt latch positioned vertically. So it can be opened separately if tap handles are removed, etc. I'll probably attach another bracket, though, because it's wobbly.

I'm very curious to know about the cooling lines in the side, too. The easiest way to find out might be to make some small careful cuts in the sidewall.

Coltaw said:

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am all ready to build my first keggerator. I have my handy kegco kit together and plan to start this weekend. However I ran into a problem.

The fridge I am using is an old kenmore, easily capable of holding three kegs. The issue is this: the spot I want to add my first tap up high on the door has a shelf wall right in the middle of it. I would have to offset my three taps, which would look awful. The next available spot below the shelves isn't flat. It has a wavy wall. How much of an issue is the wave pattern? Can I just use that spot anyway? Or should I just use the top spots and not be so picky about centering the tap? I added pictures of the door to show what I am explaining.View attachment 199574

Any help would be most appreciated. Cheers!


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Click to expand...

Doing the same thing right now. That plastic shelf inside the door was surprisingly easy to cut through with a razor. There will probably be insulation of some kind behind it. I cut that out so that the nut would tighten up better against the steel door instead of the foam. But you can easily cut out the entire top shelf, including the divider.

Update!

I decided to remove all of the shelves on the inside of the door. I tried with a razor, but that old plastic was pretty tough so I switched to run snips. After an hour or so of removing the shelves (going slowly to prevent cutting myself on the plastic) I was done. Shorty after though I stumbled onto a DIY about how to unscrew the door panel after taking off the gasket.

*Epic facepalm*

So I did that and was left with the foam on the inside of the door.

I then cut to fit and glued marker board that I picked up from Home Depot over the foam insulation.

I am very happy with the results. I highly recommend it to anyone with shelf issues.


Cheers!

That's definitely the right way to do it. The board also gives you a firm backing. I'm not sure I'm ready to give up the shelves yet. I tend to do things in stages.

Stealthcruiser said:

You could:
Mark where you want them for sure, ( if on the wavy part), mark the location through the inner and outer skins with a "pilot drill", remove the inner liner, lay it horizontal, scuff the area, build a small "dam" around the areas you want the taps, build up the "dammed" area with Bondo or the like, let it cure, hang the inner liner and re-establish your pilot hole, and then drill to your tap or shank size, and use a large fender washer under the retainer nut to mount.

I kinda' like the side mount shown........

Click to expand...

I admit I'm several beers into my day here, but that's a ridiculous amount of work when you can just predrill a 1x6 (or better yet, 1/2, even 3/8" plywood) and use it as a jig, and use it for backing the shanks.