RRefrigerator or: How I learned to stop worrying about my cut coolant line

Background: So last night I cracked the coolant line in my perfectly functional kegerator.

I spent most of today crying, and thinking about how I was going to have to buy a new one, but then it hit me. If one refrigerator is good, then two must be better. The double refrigerator was born.

Idea: If I cut out one of the side walls of my GE 4.3 Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator (Model # SMR04DAPB), I can buy a new fridge of the same model, and make a RRefrigerator.

Proposed plan of action:
1. Cut hole in side of broken refrigerator
2. Remove door from new working refrigerator
3. Align door opening of working refrigerator with hole in broken refrigerator
4. Fill with at least 3-5 gallon cornies, a few 3 gallon cornies, a 5lb CO2 tank, and some random bottles.
5. ...
6. Profit

I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures.

You would think that they design the refrigerator compressor to a size that cools one box efficiently without any spare capacity. Why take a chance on burning out the new compressor doing double duty?

Food (warm) for thought!

At the lowest setting (just barely on) I was able to get the single unit to 42F (my preferred serving temp) in a 90F room. I figure I have plenty of extra capacity.

The cool part about water is that it has a really high heat capacity. Once I fill the fridge with cold beer, it will hold a temp without too much hassle. Everything going in will come from my basement which is ~70F. All the unit cares about is temp drop. It will be a lot happier dropping beer from 70 to 42 than it would dropping from 90-38 as it would pulling normal duty in a warm house. Anything not in kegs I can prechill in the house fridge (as I currently do with gatorade bottles that I use for thermal mass) so those won't be a problem.

So to recap, the point of this build was to have a mini fridge that can hold at least 3x 5 gallon cornies and still be carried by one person and moved in the back of my car.

Step 1: Cut a hole in the broken fridge and add bracing (the face is 2" wider than it is deep)


Step 2: Put a piece of foam between the fridges, and strap together


Step 3: Cut foam to access working fridge
Before

After

Step 4: Spray expanding foam insulation on all seams. Cut, and tape over.

Step 5: Wire 8" box fan to old thermostat so air circulates when the sides are uneven

Step 6: Add 3x5 gallon kegs and CO2 (the 3 gallon is a stand it to show the diameter fits, there is plenty of head room for the 5)



Step 7: Reattach door, and add taps Brazilian Walnut (left) and Applewood (Right two)


Step 8: Chill fridge and enjoy a homebrew

I Love It!!!

call it the "doublewide"

excellent idea and good work.

RogerMcAllen said:

5. ...
6. Profit

Click to expand...

ROTFLMAO!!! Underwear gnomes....

Is the title a Dr. Strangelove reference, or do I just enjoy dark comedies too much?

Combination of Strangelove and beers. If you look carefully you may notice that I spelled the word cut with an extra letter and said about instead of "and love my" as I had originally intended.

4 Tap update with chalkboards and magnetic drip tray.


No the temp isn't usually that high, I took this picture a few minutes after I had the door back on and it was still dropping back to temp.