Chest freezer height and taps

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dmbnpj

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My friend and I are leaning toward a chest freezer to convert to a kegerator. I have been eyeing one at Lowes but my concern is how low they are. They all seem to be too low to the ground to drill the side and put the taps on there. You would have to bend way over or almost kneel to pour a beer. Is there something I am missing here because I have seen many pictures on this site with the freezers drilled on the side? Are these built up onto a platform or something or are the owners midgets?

....is it possible to have the taps come through the top of the door? havent seen a picture of that yet.
 
I am actually looking to due the same thing you are except I plan on drilling my holes on the top. That way I would use a tower as my tap.
 
All of the above. You can raise it up on a platform, you can just bend down to pour your beer, you can build a collar. Yes, you can install a tower on the lid, but it's a little more tricky.

I just bought a freezer over the weekend and I plan on installing something in the lid, but I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do yet.
 
I'd say most people go for the collar because it offers several advantages.
1-it gives you more height, which gives you the possibility of putting another keg or our co2 tank on the bump in the bottom of the freezer.

2-With the collar, you have something you can drill through to run gas lines, temp. probe, etc. without worrying about hitting a coolant line in the side of your freezer.

3-It's a little easier to clean out your kegs and lines with the lid up and you don't have to worry about moving the freezer every time you want to open it.

having said that, I went with the tower on the top of my freezer which I just completed last weekend. Here's what I did if it helps.
 
Hopefully I'm telling you something you already know, but the coolant lines reside in the walls of chest freezers. By drilling through the walls you risk puncturing those coolant lines and ruining the freezer. That's the main reason why everyone puts a wood collar on the top: to drill through for the taps. I have a 5.2cu freezer with a 2x12 collar. I think the taps are the perfect height. Check out the pick in my profile if interested.

Good luck on the keezer. :mug:
 
I've seen many chest keggers with collars, but never one where the side of the freezer was drilled. Uprights, sure.
 
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