Frigidaire Model FRC445GB Mini-Fridge Kegerator Conversion

Thanks for the advice!

AJ_in_HD said:

first I applaud you for being a great wife and buying this for your hubby as a xmas gift!

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I'll have to pass on the "great wife" comment. I'm going to appreciate the kegerator as much as he is, though, so it's sort of a gift to myself as well... I call that gifting success!

I'm buying this fridge tomorrow and I am really excited not to have to keg condition or bottle any more. Has anyone tried to get two cornys and a 10 lb CO2 tank in the fridge at the sametime. SWMBO doesn't want the large bright red CO2 can exposed.

I don't think a 10 lb tank with two corny's will fit. My 5 lb tank just barely fits (height wise) on the back hump/shelf. My two ball lock kegs also barely fit on the lower shelf.

Oh well, I guess she'll live with it. Ill post again if it fits though.

I just finished converting this fridge to have a tower with two taps. However, I would like to store my CO2 tank outside of the fridge. Has anyone tried this? Where is the best spot to drill out (without removing the top)? Are there coolant lines on the sides and rear?

Thanks!

for running your co2 tank to the outside checkout post 97 on page 10, thats what i did and works great. I love have access to my tank without having to move kegs around

Finished my conversion for pin-locks.
Some kinks, but overall went very well.





I do not recommend using packaging tape for dry fits. Left residue I am still cleaning off.



I had to buy some steel tape to get the door gasket to function properly, but if you have pin locks the conversion works.

More pics. Note the custom made light switch.
I also recommend deep thinking before pulling off the interior door panel...

I just bought the Frigidaire FRC445GM (silver door) for $80 bucks off of Craigslist. I was originally looking for the Sanyo 4912M for the longest time on Craigslist but no one is ever selling them in my area. And I didn't feel like paying $190 + tax for a new 4912M from Fry's Electronics when I am going to be cutting into it. I also spent most of my money on a stainless steel double tap tower with Perlick faucets from KegConnection.com. Anyways, the guy I bought this FRC445GM from had just bought it in October 2009 but he was moving and needed to sell it. I got the paperwork and warranty and it is still in new condition. I think I will be better off with this fridge over the Sanyo due to the locking door, considering I have a 19 month old son wreaking havoc and another son on the way.

My biggest question is -- is there any best location to drill/cut the hole for a beer tower on this Frigidaire model just like on the Sanyo 4912M? I am extremely nervous about the coolant lines.

Thanks!

Aside from the very front where there are no lines, there are lines all across the top. All you need to do is first remove the plastic top. Then determine the approximate area where you want your tower to be and carefully chisel away the foam insulation until you get to the coolant lines. Then drill your hole between two lines. Replace the plastic top and then drill from inside the refrigerator up through the hole you previously drilled, into the plastic top.

You drill between these two coolant lines...

What tools do i need to do this i bought the fridge and the kit.

Im guessing these are the correct steps?

Unscrew the freezer and temp bracket in the fridge. Pull out the shelves, drill a hole through the top of the fridge after taking off the top and digging though the foam then drill a matching hole to the top and mount your tower?
Is the tower wobbly when mounted to the plastic top? also what size holes do i need to drill?

Steven4est said:

What tools do i need to do this i bought the fridge and the kit.

Im guessing these are the correct steps?

Unscrew the freezer and temp bracket in the fridge. Pull out the shelves, drill a hole through the top of the fridge after taking off the top and digging though the foam then drill a matching hole to the top and mount your tower?
Is the tower wobbly when mounted to the plastic top? also what size holes do i need to drill?

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Yes, but you may want to put a sheet of plywood under the tower.

Here is the build I just did. The metal you have to drill through is about as thick as foil. You could probably get through it with a regular bit, but I did use a hole saw and it worked fine.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-frigidaire-kegerator-build-150576/

what size holesaw did you use?

I want to say it was 3/4" only because they didn't have a smaller one. I'd go the same size as the copper pipe you plan on running through there. If you don't plan on doing the copper then I'd make it larger so could air could get up there (may require a fan).

how about scraping away the foam did you just guess on getting the plywoods depth or was there a way to make it more accurate to fit nicely

Thanks for sharing your experience. I just received a Haier 4.6 ft3 fridge that looks very similar and was wondering about drilling the top. The inside width of mine is only 17" so I can forget about doing a double corny set up (sigh) but heck, a single is better than bottling 5 gals.

I do note that even on the lowest setting , the temp is 37 degrees, I'm afraid to set it at 6 .....the pint bottles might freeze.

Regards

Got mine transported here and set up last night. Kegs cold and carbed today, so thanks for all the work setting this up. FYI, a 10# CO2 tank fits in with two kegs easily. no problem at all.

togabear said:

Got mine transported here and set up last night. Kegs cold and carbed today, so thanks for all the work setting this up. FYI, a 10# CO2 tank fits in with two kegs easily. no problem at all.

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so you have the 10# on the back hump and it fits? kegconnection has special with upgrade from 5# to 10# for free with packages for new years. was going to just get a 5# after everyone on this thread has said that a 5# just barely fit. i am curious where you got your co2 tank as they do differ in size to some degree.

braduva said:

so you have the 10# on the back hump and it fits? kegconnection has special with upgrade from 5# to 10# for free with packages for new years. was going to just get a 5# after everyone on this thread has said that a 5# just barely fit. i am curious where you got your co2 tank as they do differ in size to some degree.

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Yeah, its on the back hump. I got my 10# at kegconnection, actually. It is the red painted 10# tanks they have. Really like it so far and it was much cheaper than anywhere else.

Thanks to all who have added to this excellent thread. We just found out a couple weeks ago that we're moving back to Tampa, FL, and with that we'll be able to afford a real house instead of the cramped condo we're living in now... So that means we'll have a lot more room and I can build me a kegerator! SWMBO is NOT thrilled about this proposition, but it's going to happen.

I know this question has been asked many times in this thread, but after reading through all 22 pages I never saw an answer.... Has anyone tried to fit a 3 gallon ball lock on the compressor shelf along with the two 5 gallon kegs? If not, can someone who has this fridge measure the distance from the front edge of the compressor shelf to the rear wall, and also the distance from the top of the compressor shelf to the ceiling of the unit? I'm trying to decide if I should order a 2 tower or 3 tower kit. Thanks!

Just joined the forum to first say thank you for all the pics, it really helped during my setup. Just wanted to throw my pics on here as well

I have pin lock kegs and my be acquiring some ball locks. I don't want to mod the fridge for pin locks so would one pin lock and one ball lock fit in there at the same time?

Just got done with my build. Now i just gotta wait for some beer to be ready! This was actually a lot easier than i thought. If you can use a drill and a tape measure, you can do it.

Here are some pics. I took the top off from the back like someone else suggested. That is the hardest part of the whole deal. Just go slow and work your hand under the cover so you can ease it off without cracking the top.

Top removed:



After looking at others pictures, this is the area i targeted. Its nice that the top makes a grid in the foam for you, so it should look like this on every fridge:



After digging out the foam, i located the lines easily. The plastic scraper that comes with the fridge comes in handy, as does a metal spatula. After locating center, i used a 1" hole saw to cut 3 holes that connected to let my lines through, and i was using a serrated steak knife (cheapo) to help cut away foam. This ended up working perfect for rounding and smoothing out the cut lines between holes. The metal in the top of the inside of the fridge is really soft, so both it and the plastic cut easily.



After getting everything cut out i trimmed away foam and cut a piece of old shelving that i had to fit the slot. Again, using the grid makes cutting out the foam to size really easy, then just measure your cutout and cut your board. I did it all freehand just by guestimating, and it worked out perfect. Once i got it cut and fitted, i roughly put the top on and drilled the pilot hole to match the hole i had drilled in the top, then pulled the board out and finished cutting the hole for the tower as to not have the hole saw come through and hit the lines.



Putting the top back on is a real pain. You basically have to get the post in the door, then get the tabs in the front into the sheetmetal while tilted up, the pull towards the back while pushing down. I forgot to dremel out the gridwork where my board was so that held me up till i realised. Once i got it on, i couldnt get the back of the top to pop down, but there are two holes in the back of the top on some tabs with matching threaded holes. I ended up getting the top pushed down enough to get some screws in there to hold it until i could get the tower bolted down.



I also left the plastic sheet on the top until i was ready to bolt the tower down so i wouldn't inadvertently scratch the top while working.



Top on and tower bolted down



Finished with kegs sitting in there



Thanks again for everyone who has contributed to this thread. Without others hard work, it would have been a disaster to try it for a first timer like myself.

Hmm I may replace my screws with bolts.
I stripped the hell out of my screws. The holes in the tower were too close to the vertical part that when I used my drill with a screw bit it was all angled. If you look really close I couldn't even get the front left screw in all the way before it was too stripped to use.
I even predrilled holes before using the screws but it still went crappy. Oh well just something on the do to list.
MAME cabinet is next on the list though

Does anyone know if home depot carries this fridge or an identical one in another brand? I got enough HD gift cards for this for Christmas. I was originally going to get a chest freezer and build a keezer but I think this fridge/kegerator might be better for us. Great thread!

My HD only carried Magic Chef fridges. Simple solution though. Go buy a $180 dollar tool, keep it a day, then take it back unopened and get a refund. THen go to Lowes and get the right fridge. My home depot always refunds in cash if you use a giftcard as long as you have the reciept.

I just completed a tower conversion as well. I used Tee nuts in a scrap of wood under the tower. This way, the tower can easily come on and off without having to remove the whole top or worrying about stripping anything.

Also, the hardest part for me was removing the top. There's a thicker band of metal around the edges that's also glued into the foam. In the front of the fridge, the top came off clean. But in the back, the metal came up with the top. Had to work a knife along the seam to get the top off cleanly.

I found that the top went back on easier if you put the back on first. There's 2 small tabs that need to lock in the back, while the front just has a lip. You can put the back in place, sort of pull the top forward and downward, and over the lip and door pin.

The project was completed in a weekend, but really only about 3 hours of actual working time. Most of that was spent chiseling out my scrap of wood since the battery on my drill died on me halfway through putting the 3" hole through it.

One last tip - the rails at Ikea (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60138759) are the 13 7/8" (marked 352mm on the package) look great as rails, but the bolts needed to be trimmed down.

togabear said:

Yeah, its on the back hump. I got my 10# at kegconnection, actually. It is the red painted 10# tanks they have. Really like it so far and it was much cheaper than anywhere else.

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Really? I got the free 10# upgrade tank (the red one) from kegconnection a few weeks ago, and got just picked up the FRC445GB fridge today. The only way I can fit the tank on the hump is to lean it over diagonally with the gauges sticking out into the area where the other keg should go. I can't seem to get the red 10# tank in with two cornies at all. You have a secret? I got their kit with the dual body three gauge in-house regulator.

I finally picked up my fridge today, after planning and plotting for the past 3-4 months. I hope to have the conversion done over the next two days.

Thank you to everyone who had posted up their experiences in this thread!!

jaydub said:

Really? I got the free 10# upgrade tank (the red one) from kegconnection a few weeks ago, and got just picked up the FRC445GB fridge today. The only way I can fit the tank on the hump is to lean it over diagonally with the gauges sticking out into the area where the other keg should go. I can't seem to get the red 10# tank in with two cornies at all. You have a secret? I got their kit with the dual body three gauge in-house regulator.

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Yeah I just converted the Frigidaire too and you definitely can't fit the red 10#er on the ledge without leaning it.

So, i read through all 24 pages.... I havn't home brewed yet can you fit a 1/4 keg in this fridge?

governormt said:

So, i read through all 24 pages.... I havn't home brewed yet can you fit a 1/4 keg in this fridge?

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Ive thought about this and if you built a shelf to level with the hump you could in theory but i havent measured it to make sure, you might have to take the plastic peice off of the door since the piece going down the middle usually sits inbetween the kegs.

Overall Im not sure but Iwould be intersed in knowing and will eventally get around to measuring it

Im planning to pig up one of these fridges and do the conversion with two taps. I've checked out some of the kegerator conversion kits online but I'm not clear on which kit would be best. I want to be able to use 5 gallon kegs from the store as well as one I might put my own brew in. Can anyone offer a suggestion?

I dont think you could fit a 5 gallon keg in these, if you are talking about like a pony keg.

I'm referring to a sixth keg, someone earlier in the thread said they were able to fit a corny and a sixth next to each other. So I'm not sure which kit I should be looking at.

Purchased everything to convert one of these for my uncle. picking up the fridge next week

You can do a top mount easily.. it is prefered.. that cvondensation can be used to youir advantage. run copper pipe around your tap lines up into the tower. This will displace the cold up into the tower and even your first glass will come out perfect cold and with the right head as long as your co2 is right. BE CAREFUL with top conversion. the drill in the middle and u should be good idea is WRONG. you will hit multiple freeon lines. Peel the top of the fridge off from thwe front corners. then dig in the middle offswet tword the back into the foam with a spoon. you will expose 2 freeon lines 1.5 inchesd apart. use a hole starter to tap 2 divits an inch + apart. use a 3/4 inch hole drill to drill 2 holes into the fridge in between the 2 lines. Then i used a piece of cedar board and holloed out around the top to make room for it in the foam to make it all more stable. take measurements and tape paper to the side of the fridge on side and back and mark where the center of your 2 holes are onto the paper.. put the lid and board on top of the fridge back into position. use your side marks u just made to locate the center of your holes. now use the hole starter to tap an indent into the center point. now i did started my hole into the wood and top on the unit just to get the drills actual center hole started so i knew where to drill. I then removed it from the unit to put the holes through it.. run your lines from the tap into coper pipe 3/4 inch is what i used. reatach the lid. (i used spray adheasive. also use spray foam to fill in the holes. not inside the copper pipes though. my pipes may be 1 inch i dont remember now. if they have to be 1 inch your holes need to be 1 inch. anyhow.. mount it all up and tape the copper pipes so they dont slide down till the foam dries. and boom you have a kegerator better than one you can buy.. I also midified the light and dial so i could fit 2 corney kegs in mine.

What size shanks did you guys use for this fridge? Particularly the one with the wood blocks behind the door. Thanks