drilling in a refrigerator

I want to drill a hole in the side of my refrigerator for my CO2. How can I avoid hitting anything important?

Any other advice? I can't decide which side to put it on. I just need to base that on what kind of space I have around it, right?

Also, how do I seal it when I get it done? I'm thinking about just duct tape for now.

Unless this is a dorm fridge you shouldn't have a problem on the side. Feel to see if there is a temperature change where you are drilling.

As a precaution:
Drill just enough to puncture the metal skin. The inside between the metal outside and the inner plastic skin should be creamy foamy goodness.
Root around the hole and clear out the foam with a screw driver and see that you don't hit wires or coils.

As for seal, I used weather grade calk.

olllllo said:

As a precaution:
Drill just enough to puncture the metal skin. The inside between the metal outside and the inner plastic skin should be creamy foamy goodness.
Root around the hole and clear out the foam with a screw driver and see that you don't hit wires or coils.
.

Click to expand...

That is pretty much what I did. Most , if not all, off the "components of the fridge are in the back or on the bottom of the fridge. The side walls are thin and are just insulators.

Sweet, thanks.

That's not the case if the fridge is Japanese (like Sanyo). They tend to put the coils inside the walls and bond them to the skin. The Sanyo 4912 has coils in the sides and the top. My chest freezer has the condenser coils bonded to the outside metal and the evaporator coils bonded in a strip around the lip of the chest.

When the fridge is running, any metal over coils will be warm to the touch.

The Sanyo 4912 is a dorm fridge IMO. If that's the case then David is correct. Do a search for... cornstarch and alcohol...

Click here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=9923&highlight=sanyo+cornstarch

WELL OK!

But my 11 cube chest freezer wouldn't fit in any dorm room I ever had. Nor would the 14 cube Sanyo fridge I had about 15 years ago. I guess dorms have gotten bigger.

The cornstarch idea is great. Thanks for the link.

I'm very fond of canned insulating foam for sealing holes. Sticks to anything and is easy to trim.

That's not the case if the fridge is Japanese (like Sanyo). They tend to put the coils inside the walls and bond them to the skin. The Sanyo 4912 has coils in the sides and the top. My chest freezer has the condenser coils bonded to the outside metal and the evaporator coils bonded in a strip around the lip of the chest.

Click to expand...

Boy, is that the truth! I can tell you from first hand experience. I went to Best Buy and bought a Sanyo fridge. Got home and drilled the hole in the top for the two tap draft tower. Perfect! Was I excited. I can now pour two 5 gallon cornies of homebrew right in my living room. But wait, there's no room for the CO2 canister. I know, I'll drill through the side, put in a pass through and keep the tank next to the fridge. I get out the drill and....Sssssssssssssss....Nooooooo! I drilled right through one of the copper coils running through the side of the fridge. $200 gone. So be careful.

I thought that two cornies and a 5 or 10 pound CO2 tank would fit in a Sanyo 4912???

I've got a 25.5 lb. tank.