Chest freezer to kegurator question

[newell456]

I talked to my stepfather who worked 20+ years as a supervisor in a refrigerator factory about converting my chest freezer into a kegerator. Since my freezer is tall enough for cornies, he said there would be no need to add a collar because I can put the tabs through the freezer walls above the coils. He suggested running the freezer to see where the frost line develops at the top of the inside of the freezer and that there would not be anything besides insulation in the freezer wall above the frost line. I’m not home right now, so I have yet to find the frost line, but he said I will probably find a good three inches of workable space above the frost line? Does anyone have any information to the contrary?

 

[olllllo]

Here's how to find freon lines.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=96804&postcount=5


Still. I recommend the collar.

 

[newell456]

Here's how to find freon lines.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=96804&postcount=5


Still. I recommend the collar.

Why is a collar preferable if I can avoid the lines and the freezer is tall enough?

 

[olllllo]

It allows you to re-purpose the freezer back to a freezer.

or

Maybe you fall into a kegerator and you want to use the freezer as a conditioning chest or long term storage or lagerator. Now you have to address those holes.

Not a big deal per se, but ya never know.


Here's what I did to my old (now gone) fridge to cover up a hole:

 

[newell456]

Here's how to find freon lines.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=96804&postcount=5


Still. I recommend the collar.

Is he painting the inside or the outside of the freezer with the mixture in the link? Hard to tell, but I would assume that it's the inside because he shouldn't get a big temperature variation from the outside.

I also won't need to re-purpose the kegerator back into a freezer as I already have a large chest freezer, so are you in agreement that it's safe to drill above the freon lines?

 

[olllllo]

It's the outside. The metal will show variation in temperature better than plastic.
No harm in doing both sides.


My advice is as good as what you paid me for it...
I know for sure that a collar will not break a freon line.
I know that the cornstarch + vodka method has been known to find freon lines.
I know that freon lines have been where people did not expect to find them.

 

[newell456]

Thanks for your help.