Vissani MVWC52B kegerator conversion

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mcubed45

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Has anyone tried turning one of these into a kegerator?

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/appliances/wine-coolers/vissani/52-bottle-wine-cooler-black-26102.html

I've been trying to find a fridge to convert that will fit two 1/6 kegs. The popular frigidaire 4.4 is a little too skinny. I took some measurements in this Vissani and it's 18" wide at the front, 12" from the hump to the front. Might be a little snug, but it looks like it would fit two pinlocks or two 1/6 kegs.

The coils look like they're all along the back of the unit. There's space between the thermostat and light on the top to run a tower.
 
Wine fridges typically don't have temp settings that go as cold as you might like.
Another warning, if you read the Micromatic forums(they make keg dispensing ahrdware for bars/homes etc) LOTS of people have issues with Vissani pre-built kegerators. They don't get cold enough etc.
 
skibumdc said:
Wine fridges typically don't have temp settings that go as cold as you might like.
Another warning, if you read the Micromatic forums(they make keg dispensing ahrdware for bars/homes etc) LOTS of people have issues with Vissani pre-built kegerators. They don't get cold enough etc.
Click to expand...

Hmm, that's just a problem with the thermostat though, right? Not sure if it'd be worth the hassle, but if you just bypass the t-stat you can make it as cold as you like? Or does it just not get cold enough with the compressor constantly running?
 
I know this is an older thread, but I just picked one of these up last night. Put a small PC fan in there and it's currently holding steady at just over 36*F (temp probe submerged in a glass of water), with the temp knob sitting about halfway between 4 and 5.

EDIT: I had actually turned the thermostat knob down to 4, and it was sitting at 32.7* when I posted this last night. Then the compressor turned off, and it started heating back up to somewhere in the upper 40's or 50ish before the compressor would finally come back on. Compressor turned off at around 10pm and still hadn't come back on by 1:30am.

So I cranked it back down to 5. Just checked it this morning, it was at 28.7* with the setting on 5 and the fan in there. It would appear the fan makes a huge difference, but I think bypassing the thermostat and using an external control might be necessary for it to maintain any kind of reliable temp.
 
tcindie said:
I know this is an older thread, but I just picked one of these up last night. Put a small PC fan in there and it's currently holding steady at just over 36*F (temp probe submerged in a glass of water), with the temp knob sitting about halfway between 4 and 5.

EDIT: I had actually turned the thermostat knob down to 4, and it was sitting at 32.7* when I posted this last night. Then the compressor turned off, and it started heating back up to somewhere in the upper 40's or 50ish before the compressor would finally come back on. Compressor turned off at around 10pm and still hadn't come back on by 1:30am.

So I cranked it back down to 5. Just checked it this morning, it was at 28.7* with the setting on 5 and the fan in there. It would appear the fan makes a huge difference, but I think bypassing the thermostat and using an external control might be necessary for it to maintain any kind of reliable temp.
Click to expand...

Hey tcindie, any updates on the wine cooler? I'm planning a new kegerator project, and this wine cooler looks perfect if it can maintain temps in the high 30s/low 40s.
 
tcindie said:
I know this is an older thread, but I just picked one of these up last night. Put a small PC fan in there and it's currently holding steady at just over 36*F (temp probe submerged in a glass of water), with the temp knob sitting about halfway between 4 and 5.

EDIT: I had actually turned the thermostat knob down to 4, and it was sitting at 32.7* when I posted this last night. Then the compressor turned off, and it started heating back up to somewhere in the upper 40's or 50ish before the compressor would finally come back on. Compressor turned off at around 10pm and still hadn't come back on by 1:30am.

So I cranked it back down to 5. Just checked it this morning, it was at 28.7* with the setting on 5 and the fan in there. It would appear the fan makes a huge difference, but I think bypassing the thermostat and using an external control might be necessary for it to maintain any kind of reliable temp.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. My Vassani Kegerator only gets down to about 43*F, checking in a glass of water in the front.

I have a computer fan feeding air from the back bottom to up in the tower now. I'll have to leave it running and see if the temp drops.
 
Cpt_Kirks said:
Hmmm. My Vassani Kegerator only gets down to about 43*F, checking in a glass of water in the front.

I have a computer fan feeding air from the back bottom to up in the tower now. I'll have to leave it running and see if the temp drops.
Click to expand...

Is your kegerator based on the wine cooler, or is it one of the pre-made kegerator models? And does it have a glass door?
 
pfleming said:
Is your kegerator based on the wine cooler, or is it one of the pre-made kegerator models? And does it have a glass door?
Click to expand...

It was a single tap kegerator when I got it, it would hold a 15 gallon sanke.

Now, it holds two 5 gallon kegs and a 3 gallon keg, and it it has a three tap tower.

No glass door.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd reply in case someone is researching for a kegerator build. -- I successfully converted this exact model of wine cooler into a kegerator.

for the slightly wider pinlock kegs, you need to trim the shelf holder, which was easy to do, but regular ball locks will probably fit fine as they are a little thinner.

Also, as others have said, it doesnt get cold enough with the standard thermostat, mine was getting 42ish. I used an ebay temp controller that I already had left over from a previous project. (not the stc1000 - a cheaper one that looks similar, but only does heat OR cold, not both) I think when I bought it, it was $13 incl shipping for the controller.

Care must be taken when drilling into the top for your beer tower. If you do the thermostat mod first, you'll know the powerlines run along the top.

Works great, and looks nice too. - though mine is in a utility room, so looks isn't much of an issue.
 
crajax said:
I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd reply in case someone is researching for a kegerator build. -- I successfully converted this exact model of wine cooler into a kegerator.

for the slightly wider pinlock kegs, you need to trim the shelf holder, which was easy to do, but regular ball locks will probably fit fine as they are a little thinner.

Also, as others have said, it doesnt get cold enough with the standard thermostat, mine was getting 42ish. I used an ebay temp controller that I already had left over from a previous project. (not the stc1000 - a cheaper one that looks similar, but only does heat OR cold, not both) I think when I bought it, it was $13 incl shipping for the controller.

Care must be taken when drilling into the top for your beer tower. If you do the thermostat mod first, you'll know the powerlines run along the top.

Works great, and looks nice too. - though mine is in a utility room, so looks isn't much of an issue.
Click to expand...

Do you have a picture of where you cut your hole? I am considering this as I can't find a normal refrigerator that is less than 33 inches in height and this one is 32 inches (I have one already for my fermentation temp control).
 
Has anyone done a side mount pour spout on one of these? A tower setup wouldn't really work for me.

I've been searching and googling but I've only seen tower and picnic style setups.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
 
Hey Lumpy, sorry, I only just saw this reply.
Did you figure it out OK, or do you still need measurements ?



Lumpyyyyy said:
Do you have a picture of where you cut your hole? I am considering this as I can't find a normal refrigerator that is less than 33 inches in height and this one is 32 inches (I have one already for my fermentation temp control).
Click to expand...
 
The coils are embedded in the sides of this refrigerator, so not the best choice for drilling holes into the side of it.


mcmski said:
Has anyone done a side mount pour spout on one of these? A tower setup wouldn't really work for me.

I've been searching and googling but I've only seen tower and picnic style setups.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Click to expand...
 

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