Buying a used fridge

[TX_Brewing]

I am looking for a side by side fridge to convert to a combination fermentation chamber and kegerator. My question is on the age of a refrigerator, how new of one should I be looking for? are there any sort of breakover years where things changed such as going from r-12 to r-134? I have a fairly limited budget, and all of the ones I see in my price range tend to be older, but I would like the thing to last a bit since it is quite a bit of work to do the conversion.

 

[kh54s10]

I would go for the best combination of newest : least expensive.

"Refrigerator, 13-19 years: The top end of this life expectancy range belongs exclusively to increasingly rare single-door refrigerator units. More common freezer-top and side-by-side models can last 17 and 14 years, respectively.Oct 21, 2013"

Also look to the size. Can you fit what you want inside? How many taps do you want? Can you fit enough kegs inside?

I don't know how these are cooled. Is there separate systems for each side that can be independently controlled. If not to control the freezer side above freezing might make the refrigerator side too warm to be useful.

 

[ACbrewer]

Wiki lists the conversion time for r-12 to r134a as around 1994 for car a/c's. So figure a similar time for refrigerators. That is anything post 2000 should certainly be r-134a. At one point in time, I came across a chart of energy star for fridges. And to some extant that showed the coolant type change over. I don't recall where it is now.

 

[agrazela]

Wiki lists the conversion time for r-12 to r134a as around 1994 for car a/c's. So figure a similar time for refrigerators. That is anything post 2000 should certainly be r-134a. At one point in time, I came across a chart of energy star for fridges. And to some extant that showed the coolant type change over. I don't recall where it is now.

I saw the energy star chart of typical energy usage vs year fridge was made somewhere once too, but can't find it now. It is amazing how much more efficient fridges are than they used to be, and it improves yearly.

So to the OP, maybe you'll find a fridge a few years older for $100-$200 less, then find you're spending $300 a year more for energy than you would have been with a newer fridge.

Short version: the cheaper the fridge, the more expensive it tends to be.

EDIT: Here's a link that might help:
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/refrigerators.html

 

[Cyclman]

It would be interesting for someone to use one of those electricity meters on a beer fridge. Mine hardly ever seems to run. I don't open it as often as a fridge, it is not as cold, so I suspect it uses a fraction of the energy my main fridge uses.

And I am not sure the newer refrigerants are better, though they are more "sustainable."

 

[BigFloyd]

Personally, I'd stay away from a side-by-side for a ferm chamber. You'll get more usable space out of a fridge with a top freezer or, better yet, an upright freezer.

Age is important, but so is condition. Be especially looking at how well it cools, lack of grunge and a good door seal. If you find a nicer older fidge that's lived in someone's kitchen, I'd go for that over one a bit newer that's been sitting out in someone's back yard.

Craiglist is your friend. Check moving/garage sale listings as well as appliances. Remain ready with cash and a truck. Very often, a seller will take a lot less than the asking for someone who shows up with cash. My upright freezer was listed at $100 and sold to me for $60.

 

[TX_Brewing]

Thanks for all of the tips. I know the SXS is a bit limiting in size to some, but I have been brewing for a number of years so I am lucky to have established my parameters on potential growth, and they will fit in that size of fridge. Also space is a bit of a premium to me so the combination of a kegerator/fermentation chamber in one unit is a benefit to me.