Mini fridge with freezer compartment help

I learned a lot about refrigerators this week. I found a cheap GE model mini fridge on CL. When I got it home, I found it had a metal freezer compartment. No problem, I'll just take it out! Oh wait, there seem to be lines attaching to the metal tray...oh wait, thats the coolant line...oh wait thats how the whole damn thing cools itself!

So thats where I am. After reading around here, it seems that some people bent the freezer compartment down. I have not been able to find any definitive results/pictures of this being performed. Seeing as how I just learned that some fridges worked this way 2 days ago, I don't want to mess something up.

I'll try to get some pics tonight. The line comes in from the back and attaches to the right side of the metal compartment. Should I bend it down so the metal is flush against the right side of the fridge? Or the back?

It would be a HUGE help if someone who has done this to post some pics of the actual compartment. I've seen pics where someone says they did it, but it is small and has kegs in it.

Also, I'm not trying

This is what it looks like in my Magic Chef 4.4 that I too am scratching my head at how to bend it/fold it out of the way. If anyone has any advice?

You will notice that my freezer area is slideable, I am thinking of taking it and folding the sliding area.

Seems we are both looking for the same answer Edcculus, not trying to hijack.

No problem Matt. Hopefully we can get an answer.

I haven't done this but from what I've ready you can carefully bend the tray out of the way:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/question-ge-fridge-90444/
mini fridge with freezer - Keg Beer Dispensing Discussion Forum - Kegerator

That second link helps quite a bit.

Ok, epic fail. Just tried to bend the tray down and cracked the coolant line. I just couldn't get it to bend right without kinking. Anyone else attempting this mod, either go VERY slow, or just relegate it to a bottle fridge.

I'm going to hit up CL for a chest freezer. I guess I should have done that in the first place.

Edcculus said:

Ok, epic fail. Just tried to bend the tray down and cracked the coolant line. I just couldn't get it to bend right without kinking. Anyone else attempting this mod, either go VERY slow, or just relegate it to a bottle fridge.

I'm going to hit up CL for a chest freezer. I guess I should have done that in the first place.

Click to expand...

Ouch, sorry it didn't work out for you.
I've been looking for a chest freezer on CL too, because I wanted to save my mini fridge for bottles.

damn! This is where I am thinking of waiting till someone comes over to help me out. I really don't want to have this happen only to turn it into a trip to the dump.

I just did this a couple of hours ago on a magic chef fridge I got for free. In my case, the freezer bent easily with no kinking or breaking...guess I got lucky...

did you just bend the freezer after you slid it out of the groove or before? what about the coolant line in the back?

Matt Up North said:

did you just bend the freezer after you slid it out of the groove or before? what about the coolant line in the back?

Click to expand...

My fridge is a Magic Chef...don't know the cubic footage or anything; a friend gave it to me so I don't know the exact model number.

But, in this case: the coolant line comes in on the top right-hand side (from the perspective of looking into the open fridge). On the left side of the fridge, there is one screw and a plastic stud that fits into a groove in the freezer. I removed the screw, then the "freezer" would slide out of the stud and hang by the coolant line.

At this point, I very carefully bent the freezer. It was really easy, and took almost no pressure whatsoever. I just made sure that I didn't crimp or break one of the embedded coolant lines. It now lays against the right side wall of the fridge. Well, it's still bent a bit but everything fits

Matt Up North said:

did you just bend the freezer after you slid it out of the groove or before? what about the coolant line in the back?

Click to expand...

On mine, the freezer itself was attached to the coolant line. I was trying to bend the entire compartment backwards against the back wall. The line would have bent to the right side easier, but the freezer would have protruded too far into the fridge.

Oh well. To the rest: be careful. If it doesn't look like its bending easily, give up and use it for a 6 pack cooler.

I just finished readying the fridge to accept a keg


First I bent the freezer out of the way to gain two inches needed to fit the keg height.


Then I undid all 15 or so screws on the door to take off the panel in order to fit the keg widthwize


I then sliced the center part of the plastic panel. This left me with a "frame" of plastic that I could then reattach the rubber strip in order to keep the door closed and the cold in. I had to put back in all of the screws while keeping the rubber underneath it, pinned down.


What used to be the door, now trash.


The as of now finished product.

I still need to manuver the thermostat control so that I can fit a second keg, however that is for another day. I will also drill two holes in the door for taps and one in the side for the C02 inlet. I finally have cold beer on tap at home!

Wow, that is a risky way to do it. There are lots of cheap fridges/chest freezers out there on craigslist that can fit more kegs and only require a temperature controller (most are like $30). I went a different way and bought a wine cooler (Basically a mini fridge with no freezer). It worked really well with no mods fit two cornies (they look pretty too, lol).

I bought the thing prior to knowing it was going to be difficult. I let it warm up for a couple of days and bent it. Was tough, but I got it done. I couldn't believe that it bent without breaking. Then I propped it up with a couple of things to make sure that it doesn't break when I am not looking. It will last until I upgrade.

I bent back the freezer part on a small GE fridge as well. The paint on the line cracked when I bent it and I thought for sure I had cracked the coolant line. Everything works though. The hardest part was getting the edges away from the plastic lining in the fridge. I used pliers and a long screwdriver to bend it away carefully. The whole process was nerve racking, I had to keep telling myself it was a cheap fridge.

Hopefully I'll have some kegs in a couple of weeks to put in it.

Matt Up North said:

I bought the thing prior to knowing it was going to be difficult. I let it warm up for a couple of days and bent it. Was tough, but I got it done. I couldn't believe that it bent without breaking. Then I propped it up with a couple of things to make sure that it doesn't break when I am not looking. It will last until I upgrade.

Click to expand...

I gotta admit tho, I cant believe that it still works. Thats pretty cool I may have to try it on my old mini fridge, theres never to much fridge space for some kegs + I dont use that fridge anymore.

on my ge i had no issues. i had to apply some force but not too much. mine was odd though as it wasnt a U shape but a L on its back.
the peice of rigid foam houses a muffin fan connected to a cellphone wallwort to move air around. i also doubled the size using the same rigid foam in the front. it can now house 2 kegs and a carboy. 2 carboys/buckets or 3 kegs

I like the idea of doubling the space. Can you post pics of that and some details? How well is it keeping temps?

ill try to snap some pics tomarrow. its nothing pretty and its a PITA to load but it works very well. was able to keep temp to 40 during the heat of summer and 90* in the house for several hours a day

I went really slow, but I didn't have any problems with my GE. The freezer was U shaped, but it was just secured with two screws in the front corners. I don't know what the model or the cf is, but it'll fit two cornies and a 5# gas bottle.

Xakk said:

I went really slow, but I didn't have any problems with my GE. The freezer was U shaped, but it was just secured with two screws in the front corners. I don't know what the model or the cf is, but it'll fit two cornies and a 5# gas bottle.

Click to expand...

I have the same model but problem is that Screws are quiet tight and Even trying so Hard they are not looking to move on. Can you Please just tell me the screw Gage Number. It will be great help.