Anniversary present to husband

Hi everyone!
I want to get my husband a conversion kit to convert our old whirlpool standard refrigerator into a kegerator. We have a local store I intend to get the kit from, but my question is: has anyone converted a standard whirlpool fridge (ours is a 2004) into one and if so, did you run the tap through a side wall or the door? I want to have some information for him so he can start quickly. Thanks!!

Iceman0697 said:

Hi everyone!
I want to get my husband a conversion kit to convert our old whirlpool standard refrigerator into a kegerator. We have a local store I intend to get the kit from, but my question is: has anyone converted a standard whirlpool fridge (ours is a 2004) into one and if so, did you run the tap through a side wall or the door? I want to have some information for him so he can start quickly. Thanks!!

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Personally, I'd go through the door.

But if you go through the side, the best bet is to get the parts manual online. The product code is usually in the freezer or in the fridge, then look up the manual.

You can see pretty easily if any hoses/tubes run through the area that you're attempting to drill into. A good bet is to make a small pilot hole where you want to drill and poke in there with a screwdriver to ensure that no coils/tubes run through that area.

Then, just drill the rest of the way through and install taps. Run taps with ~10 ft of line, and it should be all good.

Thanks for the reply! I tried looking up the manual, but maybe I got the model number wrong. Do you mind telling me why you'd do the door vs wall? Is it just so there is less likelihood of running into lines and wiring? Appreciate it! Thanks again!

Iceman0697 said:

Thanks for the reply! I tried looking up the manual, but maybe I got the model number wrong. Do you mind telling me why you'd do the door vs wall? Is it just so there is less likelihood of running into lines and wiring? Appreciate it! Thanks again!

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Well, really just the logistics of it for myself. I put my tank line through the one side and the other side is inaccessible where it sits now, so the front makes the most sense.

It's really personal preference. I've seen fridge lines that run through the sidewalls of the fridge before, but don't know for your specific model. Actually, a call to Whirlpool might clear it right up.

Hopefully someone else can chime in, but I think you'll be fine going either direction.

If the sides are warm to the touch when its running, go through the door.

Just remember, if you go through the door, you have to use short tap handles. 1. Because if there is a freezer on top, someone will eventually open the freezer and pour beer all over the floor. 2. The big tap handles have some weight and someone will eventually close the fridge door too quickly and pour beer all over the floor.

It's really a good rule of thumb that if the sides are warm when running, it's a bad idea to go through the side. I wouldn't rely on a lack of warmth as a 100% indicator that you're ok to go through the side, but to me any warmth would be a 100% indicator to avoid the side.

The risk vs reward is really what you must factor, and since it works the same either way, I chose the door.

The important question is: do you have a sister and/or are there any more like you back home?

Only girl in my family, sorry. In western new york, us ladies love our cold beer and football, I'm sure there's a few single ones out there cheers!

Thanks for all the insight on the fridge everyone!

If you post the model number we might be able to help even more.

I personally went through my door, even though I know the cooling coils are only in the back wall and in the freezer compartment inside the fridge. Since the freezer door is in the inside, I don't' worry about the freezer door interfering with the tap handles. But my taps are mounted fairly high on the front, so I do have to worry about something on top of the fridge pulling forward and opening the tap.
Good thing my cats aren't interested in checking out the top of my kegerator!

I have a Sonic Screwdriver from Dr. Who as one of my handles currently. The other one is Darth Vader's Lightsaber. They both reach over the top of the fridge (It's a smaller fridge.)

Iceman0697 said:

Only girl in my family, sorry. In western new york, us ladies love our cold beer and football, I'm sure there's a few single ones out there cheers!

Thanks for all the insight on the fridge everyone!

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Did I find the only lady in wny who doesn't like cold beer and football? :what::thumbdown:

I'm converting an 18 cubic foot Whirlpool here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=542907

I'd like to know how opening the freezer causes you to spill beer?

But I'd like to second the choice of the door. There will be no coils in the door. Some refrigerants are flammable, and you MIGHT cause an explosion if you try to go through the side and hit a coil.

If, however, you can verify that there are no coils in the sides, then go for it

Venari said:

I'd like to know how opening the freezer causes you to spill beer?

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Faucets installed near top of door. Tap handles extend upward past the bottom of the freezer door. Open freezer door and it bumps into tap handle. Beer on floor.

We only warned to make sure the faucets are mounted low enough that tall tap handles won't extend up to the freezer door height.

Double post

This used to happen all the time on my old keg fridge out at my cabin... luckily it was outside.
Replaced it with an old 40's fridge that has the one large door... muck better.

SupervisingChildren said:

Did I find the only lady in wny who doesn't like cold beer and football? :what::thumbdown:

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No, I can Attest that their are plenty in the area...

I went through the door on mine. I didn't even try the side (not accessible anyway) because of the possibility of hitting a coolant line.

I have to use the standard black handles so that the freezer door will open. I didn't go lower so that I could use longer handles because it would have put them so low I would have to 1) lean way over to make a pour, or 2) have to build a box to raise the fridge.

I have the co2 on the hump in the back but will eventually make a way to move it outside and possibly get a couple more kegs inside.

To check for lines I would use an alcohol slurry... Mix rubbing alcohol with baking soda and rub it on the area to check lines. The alchol should evaporate if its warm due to the lines. My kegerator taps on in the side wall which gives me more room to store beer and supplies. If the taps are in the door, you have to account for the hoses to be run to the taps. Also if the air tank is stored in the kegerator, typical regulators are on the left side of the tank and single door refrigerators open on the right, causing the air hoses to be on one side and the draft lines on the other, which to me means less room for beer. Just my opinion since I prefer to have everything as compact as possible.