Converting a G.E. WMR04GAVBB Fridge to Kegerator

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czeknere

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Hey guys,

I've been preparing to convert a fridge to a kegerator and was wondering if anyone has converted this G.E. Model. Click on the other pictures for a shot of the inside.

My concern is the freezer and the temp control at the top of the fridge, since I want to put a tower system in I don't want to drill through anything. I'm pretty certain I could just unscrew the freezer and bend it back, like most people here have done. I just want to make sure it'll work before I go buy it.


Thanks!
 
Looks to me like that model will work, and it seems a pretty good price. Here's a shot of a similar conversion I did bending the freezer compartment. Warning, that freon pipes and channels through the freezer itself are somewhat brittle. Be sure they are room temperature (or warmer) bend *slowly* so they don't kink or split. General details for drilling, towers, etc. here.
bendie2.jpg

bendie1.jpg
 
This looks a lot like the fridge I am planning to convert (General Electric model SMR04DASBCS). I'm concerned about the freezer compartment, too.

I don't have a picture that shows the full inside of the compartment, but here's a pic from after I took the plastic shelving off the door. You can see the corner of the freezer compartment at the upper left of the image:

fridge_noshelves.jpg


Is this what your freezer compartment looked like, ebeer? I was wondering how you got it to lay flat against the BACK of the fridge. If I were to unfold mine it would lay against the SIDE of the fridge.

The coolant tube that comes out of the back of the fridge and into the freezer tray is very short, so I don't have much room to mess with it, and am afraid that I will crack the tube if I tried to bend the compartment down so that it laid against the back.

I was "this close" to being able to fit two pin-lock kegs in there. They're a couple inches shorter than ball-lock kegs and they slide right in under the freezer, but they are also a tiny bit fatter than the ball-lock kegs which prevents me from being able to put two in the fridge at once.

I am considering cutting one of the two handles off a couple of ball-lock kegs so that they can slide in under the freezer, but I'll still have to run the beer lines up through the freezer compartment and out through the tower.

This sucker is JAM PACKED when I have two kegs and the CO2 tank in it. I had to take the thermostat off the wall and relocate it several inches deeper into the fridge to get it out of the way of the kegs.
 
My freezer compartment was the formed by the cooling plate, which formed a sort of elongated "U" shape shelf that ran the width of the fridge. The coolant tube in mine was fairly short as well, though I got maybe an inch by pushing from the back. Then I bent both the freezer shelf to form a "plate" and the coolant tube to allow me to take it verical on the back wall. I drilled two holes through the back of the fridge and through the freezer plate, and mounted on the back of the fridge with long bolts.

I don't see why you couldn't do the same only on the side, provided you still have room for two kegs side by side. I think it's a little cleaner in the back though.
 
My freezer compartment was the formed by the cooling plate, which formed a sort of elongated "U" shape shelf that ran the width of the fridge. The coolant tube in mine was fairly short as well, though I got maybe an inch by pushing from the back. Then I bent both the freezer shelf to form a "plate" and the coolant tube to allow me to take it verical on the back wall. I drilled two holes through the back of the fridge and through the freezer plate, and mounted on the back of the fridge with long bolts.

I don't see why you couldn't do the same only on the side, provided you still have room for two kegs side by side. I think it's a little cleaner in the back though.

I guess I was confused the pictures in your previous post. Specifically, this picture:

bendie1.jpg



In my fridge, the cooling line that comes in from the back of the fridge is only about 1 inch long, and then it connects to the freezer plate. This picture above looks like you not only unfolded the plate, but rotated it and then laid it against the back. No way I could do something like that with mine.

I actually just found the below link on the web, which is some guy's conversion of the same fridge that I have.

http://www.tracezero.net/Beer/2009/10/17/ge-clean-steel-4-3-kegerator-conversion

You can see how short the line is and how he just left the freezer plate in it's original bent-U shape and just bent the whole thing down to the back of the fridge.

I think doing the same (or cutting the one of rubber handles off my kegs) is my only option for the GE fridge.
 
I never understood that photo either; it looks like a length of excess tubing was pushed in from the back.
 
One and the same! I figured as much when I saw your post linking to my site :)

Just added the tower last night, works great. I went with the copper line cooling tubes instead of a fan and they do a wonderful job of keeping the beer cold. The faucets are cold to the touch, something I didn't expect.
 
Finished a little writeup on my conversion: http://www.tracezero.net/Beer/gadgets/kegerator/

Big ups to Brad for the beer line cooling idea, it works great. Additional ups to KegConnection.com for the sweet pricing on the dual tower/perlick/ball lock combo. Oddly enough Perlick's main office is about a mile from my office.. I probably could have dumpster-dove to get my faucets :)
 
I know this is an old thread, but in case anyone stumbles across it as I did when searching the same model number, there is an Instructable that details converting the WMR04GAVBB to a kegerator. I'm planning on trying it out tonight!
 
Anyone know how the coils are setup in the back panel? I want to drill a hole for air line and wasn't sure if they ran through the back. It's the WMR that's the topic of the post.
 
Does anyone know if a 6 gal carboy or Better Bottle will fit into this fridge after it's been modded?
 
I lager in 6 gallon better bottles inside the one I converted, and it fits perfectly. I can even wedge a 2L flask in there too if I am crashing some yeast. I've been really happy with this as both a 2 keg kegerator and a lagering fridge.
 
I just followed the instructions in that instructable. Once you bend the cooling panel off the ceiling and onto the back wall, things fit in there pretty well.
 
Thank you I used the dremmel and got it off . Keg kit should arrive Friday can't wait . Thanks farmhouse brewing
 
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