Cutting hole in side of Refrigerator?

[mpschafe]

So I have 2 fridges, one which is a normal dorm room fridge which I broke while trying to convert it into a kegerator (I broke the evaporator line) and another which is a mini two compartment fridge/freezer which i cut out the mid section to allow cold air to move freely from the freezer to the fridge. I really want to keg more than 1 beer at a time and possibly start a lager sometime this summer. What I was hoping to do was to cut a rectangular hole in the freezer section of my two compartment fridge and run insulated ducting into my other fridge with two computer fans to control the flow of cold air.

Do yall think I would be hitting any evaporator lines or power lines by cuttting a 4''x8'' hole into my freezer section?

My 2 compartment fridge that can only fit 1 keg.

The inside of my fridge showing the hole that I cut out. I know the its an ugly hole but it works

I gutted the insides of my dorm fridge in hopes to use it for some other project...like this one

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Hard to say. Whats the make/model?

Usually the cooling is at the back and the heat is released on the left/right sides of that style of fridge. With make/model # you may be able to find a spare parts diagram which should show the lines. Otherwise, proceed carefully. Drill just through the plastic and no further. probe with a blunt nail into the foam feeling for lines.

A 4x8 hole is pretty big. Why not a 3" round hole? I fit a small 1/5" computer fan and my lines through a hole that size form my keggerator top (danby) to my tower.

A 3" hole would be easier to probe for coolant lines. Regardless, without a diagram you will have to carefully probe for lines.

You might be able to get a repair place to make a photo copy of a parts diagram if you can't find one online. Tell em what you are doing and maybe offer them some HB.

 

[mpschafe]

i like the last idea. bribery with HB. thanks for the advice. when i cut the hole through the mid section i was on the phone with electrolux for 30 mins going over whether I can cut a hole there or not, but the diagram i recieved from them wasn't really that good.

 

[mrkeeg]

Remember that even if you are drilling where there aren't any coolant lines, sometimes there are other things in the fridge wall that you don't want to hit. Sometimes those things create smoke, sizzling, and blown breakers, and are tricky to fix. But what do I know?

 

[jpeter31]

BTW, is that a brass hammer you made sophmore year at Purdue?

 

[andysim]

Boiler Up

 

[Punx Clever]

Well, I figure I'll jump in on this thread because he and I are working on an complicated Heat & Mass analysis of a CFC chiller (hooray for purdue buying brewing equipment right?)

Also because I take credit for helping him with his first brew.

My thoughts on this are simple: The fridge is dead. The evap line is already cut and the coolant is gone. Furthermore, the broken fridge won't ever be plugged in (by nature of it not working in the first place).

As a consequence, it doesn't matter where you cut a hole on the broken fridge, so long as you are careful to not go too aggressively while cutting and have a solid machine to do the cutting. I don't think that a hole saw on anything handheld will work without serious injury.

I do agree with Denny. A 3-inch circular hole will be better. Why? because you can use standard PVC flanges and dryer vent (insulated after the fact of course)... and you can use the 3" sewage T that you are using for your tower. Cut a hole in the top of the broken fridge, and build your duct work to look like some sort of chimney coming from both fridges and merging.

As for airflow... I'm not sure. You will want air moving in both directions, but with a single duct of any appreciable length that will be impossible without putting a divider in the ducts. Just sending cold air to the broken fridge would be terribly wasteful of energy.

We'll talk about it in lab or brewing sometime i'm sure.

To Jpeter31... I have one too! Was a fun project. Everyone got yelled at a lot and had a fun time.

 

[HillbillyDeluxe]

Dude you can fix an evapline with stuff from lowes or home depot. Is copper or aluminum right?

 

[mpschafe]

well it is too late now but how would i have refilled the evap line with coolant? I talked to one of my friends who's family owns a heating and cooling repair company and he assured me that it was done for.

 

[harley03]

Not to get off track here but I do have one simple question (hope simple) does anybody know for sure if I could drill a small hole through the side of a standard refrigerator for a gas pass through? The hole would not be any bigger that 1/2 inch.
The reason I ask is I want to put my CO2 tank outside the fridge and be able to put another keg inside. Has anybody done this?
I believe there is not any coils or anything in the sidewalls.

 

[cowstick]

and easy way to check out where the lines are is to take a corn starch and rubbing alcohol slurry and paint it on where you want to drill. where it dries faster is where the lines are. Then drill your hole and wipe it off.

 

[mpschafe]

i think you'd be alright just go slow with the drill.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

i think you'd be alright just go slow with the drill.

Why did I picture a Barry white song in the back ground and his voice saying that??

 

[mpschafe]

ahahaha. so true