BeardedIdiot
Well-Known Member
eanmcnulty,
It depends on what kind of mini-fridge you use. If you buy the one with external coils mounted on the back, then it shouldn't be an issue if you enclose the sides of the fridge. If there are no visible coils on the back (or sides) of the mini-fridge, then the coils are spread throughout the walls of the fridge, and you shouldn't enclose it completely with wood.
The difference is the external coils are used to disperse the heat collected by the unit. In these units, all the heat is collected is dispersed from these external coils.
In the other units, the coils are contained inside the walls of the fridge, and the walls themselves are used to disperse the heat. If you cover these walls with wood, then it will limit the ability of the fridge to disperse heat, and you will end up over-working the unit, and potentially cause it to malfunction.
For what its worth, the chamber I made is furniture-quality, and my wife keeps asking me why I have it hidden in the laundry room, rather than keeping it out in the living room where we can see it. I completely removed the cooling components from the mini-fridge and mounted them onto the frame of my cabinet. Only the compressor and external coils show, and I could probably hide them behind more stained wood panels if I wanted to.
It depends on what kind of mini-fridge you use. If you buy the one with external coils mounted on the back, then it shouldn't be an issue if you enclose the sides of the fridge. If there are no visible coils on the back (or sides) of the mini-fridge, then the coils are spread throughout the walls of the fridge, and you shouldn't enclose it completely with wood.
The difference is the external coils are used to disperse the heat collected by the unit. In these units, all the heat is collected is dispersed from these external coils.
In the other units, the coils are contained inside the walls of the fridge, and the walls themselves are used to disperse the heat. If you cover these walls with wood, then it will limit the ability of the fridge to disperse heat, and you will end up over-working the unit, and potentially cause it to malfunction.
For what its worth, the chamber I made is furniture-quality, and my wife keeps asking me why I have it hidden in the laundry room, rather than keeping it out in the living room where we can see it. I completely removed the cooling components from the mini-fridge and mounted them onto the frame of my cabinet. Only the compressor and external coils show, and I could probably hide them behind more stained wood panels if I wanted to.
