How to add 2nd Faucet to tower?

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cpbergie

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Anyone try to do this?

I have a single 2 1/2 inch tower right now, and i think im going to try and drill another 1 inch hole to add a second faucet. I may have to make it lower than the first, but i think it will work.
 
I had a single that I made a double. I drilled a small tap hole and then used a step bit with a little oil and it worked like a charm. The chrome didn't even chip.
 
Well, you can't put it right above the first one, obviously, and if the tower is connected firmly to it's base your main problem is that the tower might look goofy since the first tap is centered. Maybe you can make it a 3-tap tower to look good - add two holes, one to either side of the original, and put them slightly higher or lower than the original (so they are closer to one another. Or blank out the center hole somehow and then add two holes just above or just below the original...

Is your tower stainless? If so, it will be hard to drill. If it is chrome, it will be really hard to penetrate the plating, but then it will drill ok, but you may snag onto some chrome plate and peel it off and ruin the tower (only cosmetically). Using strong tape over the area you plan to drill will minimize the risk of chrome plating peeling off, just drill through the tape and make sure there is tape all the way around the outside of the hole for a good 1/2".
 
I'm thinking about adding a tap to my tower. Should I bother making a video showing the steps?

I ask because it takes twice as long to do any project when trying to film it. If you guys are interested, I'd be happy to oblige. If there isn't much interest, I'm not going to spend the time on it.
 
Alright, no video this time. Here's what I wound up with:

4688-twintap.JPG


Guess I need to invest in a nicer tap handle for the second tap. Sometime I'll replace the faucets with some forward seal ones.
 
Thanks for the advice, i have a step drill bit and i think im going to give it a try.

Yuri, that looks pretty good. Whats the diameter of your tower? How tight are the connections in there? did you go with two elbow shanks?
 
3" tower.

Top one is an elbow, bottom one is straight (it's what I had on hand, and the straight shank on the bottom faucet made it easier to tighten the hose clamp).

Connections are a little tight, but it wasn't too tough to get everything connected up.
 
If it originally came with one tap hole, and the hole was centered and facing forward, how did you get it to offset? Is your tower tube not welded to the flange base? From the photo it looks like each tap is a bit to right and left of center front. Do you understand my drift, not explaining well!?
 
The tower has a flange base with 4 holes in it. It's simply screwed to the top of the kegerator. I just unscrewed it, made my modifications, then screwed it back in so that the taps were centered over the drip tray.
 
OK, I understand unscrewing the flange from top of kegerator, and process to drill holes. What I don't see, though is this. If the original single tap hole in the tower was centered in the tower, so that when mounted to the top of kegerator it is also centered between the two front flange screws, then did you block off that hole and turn the tower 180 degrees around and drill new holes? Or was the original single tap hole in the tower already off center? From your photo of the two taps, neither one is dead center and forward facing, they are both offset slightly. Just curious how you made that happen... (Better wording this time?)
 
I'm pretty sure the only way to get it set up as Yuri has it set now, he had unmount the tower and re-mount the modified tower to new (drilled or self-tapped) holes in the top of the kegerator, about 45 degrees different from the old holes... The old holes would still be covered by the flange, so no biggy.

No need to fill the old hole and rotate the tower 180 degrees and drill two new tap holes or any of that. Just drill in a new tap into the tower about 90 degrees from the original tap. And remount the entire tower to new drillholes in the top.

I'll try to draw a paint picture of my understanding. Haha...
 
Let me try this; sorry for making it so elementary:



EDIT: Please note my drawing makes it look like you should offset the new tap exactly 90 degrees from the original, however that may not work with clearance in the back for the hoses, etc. I think that's why Yuri offset his maybe 55 degrees or so instead of 90 and also put one higher than the other. So, take my picture with a grain of salt. I drew it for purposes of explaining his procedure, not as a "how-to". I don't want to be blamed for someone screwing up their tower! Heck, I don't even own a kegerator yet! :)
 
My taps are 60 degrees apart, so the tower was rotated 30 degrees to center them. One is higher than the other to keep the faucet fittings from interfering with one another.
 
My Tower already has 8 holes for mounting (not sure why), but it will make it easier for my. I will just unbolt, drill and install the new faucet 90 degrees to the right, and lower, and then just rebolt the tower using the "2nd" set of 4 holes.
 
DOH! I don't know why I had assumed you mounted into the original screw holes in top of fridge, easy thing to do was just drill new ones like you did! Major brain cramp! Thanks for the clarification, guys!
 
I wonder if you can look up replacement parts for the kegerator, and get a price on those high rails -- almost exactly what you described wanting, Bill...
 
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