Vintage Kegerator Options

[ZackN]

To get a few more hours at work while during the school year i offered to clean up some the old buildings on the property.
I came across two older fridges. One a hot point and the other an admiral. They are both built like the mini fridges of today as in they just have one compartment, and no separate freezer section.
When i saw the Hotpoint i immediately thought Kegerator! But it is old, and probably has quite a few years on it by now. The admiral in newer, and not as cool looking but probably more reliable.

As mentioned, i am in college, and dont have the funds to restore or do a fancy build... at this point in time, but im sure i will give it the love it needs once i graduate.

The Admiral works, and is currently plugged in and running. And also has about 8-10 in of ice built up on the coils.
The Hotpoint also works, i plugged it in while i was there one day and the coils were frosty a little while later. It also is on R-12 not the newer stuff (134a i believe).
The Admiral would fit better in my garage, but the Hotpoint would look much better.

I asked about the Hotpoint, boss said if i could remove it i could have it. I would assume the same goes for the Admiral.

Any info about either of these fridges is desired, like what year they might be, how reliable ect. also opinions or ideas are welcomed and thanks for helping me decide.

Zack

Admiral Pictures are first, then the Hotpoint ones.

 

[JRems]

Go with the hotpoint. It's way cooler looking. The old ones are built to last. I wouldn't worry about the age.

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

You can buy kits to convert them to kegerators online for like 150$. The Hotpoint defiantly looks better though

 

[Erroneous]

Only concern with old fridges is that they can be very inefficient. If you have a kill a watt or similar device, I'd check to see if it is using too much.

 

[JRems]

Only concern with old fridges is that they can be very inefficient. If you have a kill a watt or similar device, I'd check to see if it is using too much.

That is a huge misconception. It will most likely use less electricity than a modern unit since it doesn't have a defrost feature.

 

[kerber]

That is a huge misconception. It will most likely use less electricity than a modern unit since it doesn't have a defrost feature.

You have no idea how often I have to correct people on that. Inevitably, someone will see a post about my kegerator and feel the need to 'inform' me about the inefficiency of it. One of the first things I did after picking mine up was to connect it to a kill-a-watt. It draws ~170 watts when the compressor is running. There's some more info on here.

 

[Erroneous]

Interesting, first time I've heard of that. Assuming that the insulation is good enough that the compressor doesn't have to run any more than on a more modern fridge then great. I was just relaying information told to me when looking at fridges on craigslist.

 

[DUNDASJ]

I've got an admiral fridge like the one you have pictured made into a dual tap kegerator. I painted it black and it is awesome!

 

[ZackN]

After some though i think im defiantly going with the Hotpoint. It just has a much cooler look. Ill have to get a kill a watt meter thing and hook it up and see how it does. Hopefully they will let me store it there until i have a spot cleared in my garage for it. Ill talk with work on Friday when im there.

I already have a mini fridge set up as a 1keg kegorator which works well, but it would be nice to be able to get both my kegs in there at once. It would also be interesting to see the difference between my modern (fixed because i cracked the coil and had to makeshift recharge it) fridge and the older Hotpoint one.

Anyone have any idea how old it might be? looks 50's to me.

 

[JRems]

Looks earlier than 50's. The nice round ones like that are usually from the 40's. Most of the ones from the 50's also have larger more useful freezers.

 

[dmoore714]

My grandparents have an old hotpoint in their basement. Want to say its older than this one, and still runs like a top. I doubt it has ever been unplugged since it was brand new. They certainly made stuff to last back then (before business knew that "quality product" = less repeat busines)

This should make a killer kegerator with a little work!

 

[Transamguy77]

I think you already made your decision and I agree the Hotpoint looks cooler. I have to agree with Kerber on the "inefficient" misconception of these older fridges, I have a Fridgedair from 1949 that works great and I did not notice an increase in my energy bill. It only runs for a few mins a few times a day to maintain the temp.

 

[JRems]

Here is mine for a little inspiration.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/vintage-kegerator-282345/

 

[ZackN]

Awesome guys, thanks for the inspiration. Work said i could keep them there for a while. Also gunna pressure wash them out, since they both work they may as well both be used right?

I plugged in the hotpoint today around 9am, ill go in there tomorrow and check the temp and see if its running or if there is ice. Should really let me know what the life is on it, because i know it gets cold, but dont know if it stays cold.

As of now if would just be a clean and fix if anything is broken, and restore later once i graduate college and have more time and money.

Ill take some more pics tomorrow and post sometime this weekend.
Also, how do you guys know what year yours is? I looked but couldn't find anything with a date on it on the hotpoint.
Thanks again!

 

[ZackN]

So i checked it out while i was at work today.
The freezer section was at about 10F and the fridge section at about 30 to 40.
I didn't leave the thermometer in the fridge section as long, and i had opened and closed it a few times, so i think its probably high 30's.
That was with the thermostat cranked to coldest.
I then turned it down, because the pump was running the whole time i was there. When i went back later to check it out the pump was still running. i dont think the compressor ever turned off. Not sure if this is a faulty thermostat problem or if it doesn't have enough coolant or what.
I have a friend who is an appliance repair man, i might give him a call and ask him a few questions.

Some pictures from today.

 

[Transamguy77]

If the thermostat is bad you could just rig up a temp controller and set it to whatever temp you want.

 

[ZackN]

If the thermostat is bad you could just rig up a temp controller and set it to whatever temp you want.

Very true and im hoping thats what the problem is. I made a single stage one for my current kegerator with the same exact problem. It was pretty easy.

 

[ZackN]

Well I started taking a few pieces off yesterday. Here is what I have so far.
This is the hotpoint fridge.
There is rust on the fridge sides (Both sides) down were the floor of the inside is.
There is also rust where the door seal comes in contact with the body, in a seam there.

If the thermostat is bad you could just rig up a temp controller and set it to whatever temp you want.

Undid the thermostat, and I have a controller to wire in, I just need to find the wiring for replacing a thermostat, and not using an outlet. (Controller is the STC 1000 type)

 

[ZackN]

Hey guys i could use some help here.
Im in the process of trying to wire in an STC 1000 type controller. Im having some difficulty with the wiring, mainly the old relic wiring still in the fridge. I am somewhat familiar with standard household wiring, just need some help with this fridge's particular wiring.

Edit, i also just realized something. The wire i have going up to the ice box is a group of 3 bonded wires. Two are traced with a multimeter to the two prongs on the wall plug.
The other one i traced to the black box physically. You can see it branching off of the 3 group, but i cant seem to get continuity with the multimeter to confirm this.
I was thinking that its so corroded that its no longer able to have continuity. There is a green looking juice that has oozed down from junction in black box.
My boss is putting the pressure on to get it out of storage, so id like to get it working and bring it home. Thanks for the help!



It plugs in to the wall with a 2 prong plug, and picks up a hot and neutral wire.
(Picture 1)
In to the fridge go two visible wires from the outside. But on the inside i have 3 coming in!?!?!?
2 of the wires go up to the previous regulator in the freezer box. One wire goes to the motor(i think) *black wire*
(picture 2)

Another wire from the black box joins the two from the wall and end up in the ice box at the top where old regulator was. (I thought this was just a ground until after i soldered and explored more and found it appeared to not be)
(Picture 3)

The mistaken ground wire goes to this black box, where two other wires are (blue and white), blue and white go to motor.
(picture 4)

Overall picture
(Picture 5)

Sorry for the poor quality pictures, old flip phone and flashlight pics :rockin:

Breif review
2 from wall, 3 in from outside. (1 mystery wire).
3 in ice box, 2 to wall (this seems wrong now) and 1 to black box.
3 at Black box, 2 (white and blue) to motor, 1 to ice box.
3 at motor, 2 to black box. 1 to mystery out.

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Not sure about your problem... but that fridge should be grounded. I've heard stories of people getting nasty shocks from these fridges.
Add a 3-prong cord and ground it to the frame.

 

[JRems]

It's hard to see from the pics but the box thing is the start relay. Don't remove it. It's a mechanical switch that kicks tge compressor on. You won't have continuity on one of the wires until the relay kicks the power to the third wire. It is hard to see but there should be one wire going to the old thermostat and them back that is the one you can cut and then connect together since you want it on full time the switching will now be done by the temp controller. Also when you hook up the temp controller use a 3 wire plug and hook the ground to the metal frame by the compressor.

 

[ZackN]

Ok, i wont remove the start relay now that i know what it is!

I attached a "wiring diagram" as far as i know.

The new regulator i am installing (STC 1000) needs a constant supply of power, and also needs to be able to switch the power to the motor on and off. I think i can do that with the 3 wires provided there.
But i am unsure what that mystery wire is. Any Insight to it Jrems?
I can take better pictures tomorrow while at work.

I also bought a proper 3 pronged power cord that i can replace this old fashioned non grounded one with.

Thanks for the help so far!

 

[kerber]

I finally found my project notebook for my kegerator. Here's a relevant bit.

Here's a drawing of how everything is connected to the compressor relay (black wired box connected to the compressor). The fridge has one difference from this. Instead of the relay (thermostat) having it's own 2 wires, it shares one of them with the lines going to the butter warmer and light. In the next photo, you'll see how everything above the control box is wired.

The black and green are the ones you want to switch to turn on the compressor.
Pretty much anywhere you can run the black and white into your thermostat's power.


These notes definitely aren't pretty, but hopefully they can be at least marginally useful!

 

[ZackN]

Thanks Kerber,
I was going to message you if you hadn't replied.

 

[kerber]

Thanks Kerber,
I was going to message you if you hadn't replied.

Hopefully it helps!

 

[ZackN]

Well i did some more wire chasing and came up with some different results.

I had forgotten about the lighbulb (just a socket right now, no bulb)

So now i think i have everything figured out how it was stock, and just need to figure out how to wire in the STC 1000.

I think im justs more confused now and dont know what to do.

Here is wiring as it was before... (First picture)


Im thinking if i jumper the red wire over to B on the STC and then solder the two wires at the light socket together and then run the orange wire to terminal A on the STC that it might work.

Any thoughts? Please tell me if im wrong, and which wires should be connected where if i have it wrong.

 

[ZackN]

Moderators, could you move this over to the DIY section? I think it will get more interest there thanks.

 

[ZackN]

Its been quite a while since i updated this, figured i should add the end, so that others can refrence it!

I ended up calling the neighbors grandfather, who used to be an appliance repairman for years. Over the phone, he told me EXACTLY what I needed to do, it was awesome.

Two of the wires going up to the old thermostat were probably jumpered inside the thermostat then the other was where the power went after it closed. He said to just UNPLUG the fridge, twist two together, plug back in and see which pair turns the fridge on. (The third should be for the light socket?)
He knew exactly what each part was, how the wire clip held the Bakelite cover over the Bakelite box ect, really neat to talk to someone who knew exactly what I was looking at.

I ended up running a 'jumper' wire down the back of the fridge in order to power the STC module. I just used some old telephone wire. The STC just needs enough power to light up a LCD screen and close some contacts on a relay, so you shouldn't need large wires, speaker wire would probably work too.
Wiring below...

The finished product is a working fridge that holds 3 kegs!



I do have a problem though I have a large condensation problem, lots of water collecting on the bottom of the fridge. I can clean it out every few days, but Id rather put a drain in or something. Any thoughts?
Thanks all for the help getting this fridge running again!

 

[ZackN]

As of now it would just be a clean and fix if anything is broken, and restore later once i graduate college and have more time and money.

Well its been just about 9 years. I did eventually graduate, and thankfully I now have more money, but seemingly even less time than before. I made a bunch of wine, fell out of both wine and beer making for a few years, but now im back in to the swing of things. The poor fridge has moved 2-3 times with me and sat unused for probably 3ish years at one point. The STC1000 is still working great at regulating the temperature.
Now that I have found the way again (making beer) I am in need to either put some taps through the door or make a collar for the taps to go through and preserve the door. I am leaning toward the taps in the door as this fridge will probably never be used as a standard food refrigerator for the rest of its life. Through the door solution is also the easiest and will look the cleanest in the long run.
Comments and opinions are welcome.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

It's cool you still have it. I love my '56 Philco. Thing just runs. But it's a huge PIA to move. Weighs a ton, literally.

I'd say go thru the door but make sure you plan out how the lines will run. Especially when opening and closing the door. Also make sure the shanks will not interfere with anything when the door is closed. You need to plan that out and double check before drilling holes!

 

[Dr_Jeff]

@ZackN There are too many bottles in there, you need to send some of them to me.

 

[Transamguy77]

Wow man that’s awesome that you still have it! Congrats on graduating! So I put the taps through the door of mine for the same reason you mentioned I’ll never use it for anything other than beer.

That door is thick and you’ll need like 5” long shanks to go through both panels, I didn’t realize this until I had already drilled my holes, I ended up taking the inner panel off and it turned into a bigger project than it needed to be so my advise is measure the door thickness so you can just drill and assemble, and I know that sounds so simple and so simple it could get over looked.

 

[madscientist451]

I've been using picnic taps in my keezer and it works fine. No, its not as cool as the taps in the door, but I didn't have to build the collar for the keezer or buy the shanks/faucets and I only pour a pint or two a day so I'm not changing anything.

 

[odie]

Very old thread...I'm running a 1946 Westinghouse as my kegerator and a 1947 GE and 1946 Frigidaire as yeast/hops storage and bottle beer fridge.

The STC1000...get rid of it. You do not need it. The original t-stat is fine. These old fridges will run forever on their original Freon and compressor. The old relay is all they need.. Just upgrade the power cord to a 3 prong so you can ground the cabinet.

A new door gasket is the only thing these need, after a decent cleaning. Likely the only rust issues you will need to deal with is inside the lower door. Remove the door, completely disassemble and treat rust, reassemble and put a new gasket on.

Antique and Vintage Refrigerator Door Gaskets

Go thru the door for your taps. Measure like a thousand times...consider carefully how many kegs you can fit and room for the shanks when you close the door.

From the picture, I'm guessing you can fit 3 of those kegs in there. I would suggest putting 3 taps above the door handle higher than the shelf

 

[Transamguy77]

@odie do you have any pics of them? I’d like to see some pics, I love those old fridges.

 

[bracconiere]

looks like you might have a co2 leak? 9 years? your tank is almost empty? probably a slow leak though!

 

[odie]

here ya go...it came out of a meat market...that's blood, not rust...

 

[day_trippr]

[...]..that's blood, not rust...

Funny how you think that's better...

Cheers!

 

[Transamguy77]

That bloody one looks like mine. From 1949

 

[Tom R]

A friend had a '50's fridge, I think it was a Philco.
It had a big "V" shaped handle in the middle of the door, and depending on which way you turned it, it would hinge on either the left or right side.

Coolest fridge I ever saw!