Fridge conversion noob

[iron_city_ap]

In 2 weeks, I'm closing on a new house that has a 3/4 sized fridge behind the bar. I don't know the make/model of it just yet, but obviously its a sign from above that I'm supposed to start kegging my beer. I'm trying to start planning ahead with what to set $$ aside for, and where to start getting this thing up and running.

For planning pourposes, what, if anything, do people do to reinforce the floor of the fridge? I'm planning on starting out with 2 taps, so its not like I'm going to be putting a ton of weight on the floor. Also, I don't remember for sure whether or not it has drawers (sp) or not, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

I'm also kind of torn whether to mount the taps on the door, or side mount them. I think door mounting would look the best, but with opening/closing the door it could be more of a hassle in the long run. I'm still planning on storing bottles and mixers and what not in there too, so it will be opened fairly often.

Anybody have any equipment recomendations too? What are the things to look for, spend extra on, spend less on, good kits, bad kits, etc....?

I have TONS more questions on kegging 'how to' type things, but that is for a different thread.

This is the best pic I have right now of what I'll be working with.

 

[Flomaster]

taps in freezer portion?

-=Jason=-

 

[iron_city_ap]

I'm going to be keeping ice in there, so the lines would end up freezing.

 

[buffalobrewer]

I'd personally go with the door mount. Many fridges have coolant lines in the sides which you don't want to break. Nice bar by the way.

Get the perlick faucets with the forward seals, worth the extra few $$ as they don't gunk up.

 

[moosetav]

I agree with the door mounts. You can always secure the beer line along the wall of the fridge with the hinge and then over to the shanks. That way at least the hoses will be out of the way when you open up the door. As far as floor reinforcement, alot of guys just build a plywood platform to keep everything level and give some support. I just keep the kegs on the bottom of the fridge. Buy the perlicks. Also, I say go for the dual regulator setup. That way you can always carb/serve at different pressures with relative ease.

 

[cdubbaya]

I just did my conversion last weekend. Go with the door mounts, but MEASURE before you start.

I have 3 taps on mine and I've seen some builds that are too high, so any tap handles bigger than 3" block the freezer door so it can't open and close. Make sure you leave room for a 9" or 11" tap handle (even if you don't have them to start you'll want them some day).

Also, I put a 1/2" piece of wood on the backside of the door and drilled the shank through it so when I tighten the nut on the shank, it stays tight and doesn't break the plastic molding on the door.

Good luck, you've got a nice looking bar there!

 

[iron_city_ap]

Thanks for the tips. Please, keep em' coming. Good call on mounting a piece of wood on the back side of the fridge and for measuring to account for large tap handles. 2 things I definately didn't think about earlier.

Also, thanks for the compliments on the bar. The pictures I have really don't do it justice at all. The guy I'm buying the house from is a contractor, so the place is 100% top notch. I definately want to make sure I don't slum the place up.

 

[cdubbaya]

Good call on mounting a piece of wood on the back side of the fridge

Some guys remove the plastic door cover for more room, but I kept mine on so I didn't have to find a way to mount the door seal back on. The door cover was screwed into the door, and it held the seal on as well. I'm guessing you'll find the same issue.

All in all, they are pretty easy to covert if you aren't messing with the fridge lines or compressor.

 

[HumanGarbage]

Get the perlick faucets with the forward seals, worth the extra few $$ as they don't gunk up.

A big plus 1 to this. I literally threw out the taps I had before my Perlicks.... No one (even my worst enemy) deserved that pain.

I have a four-taper. Go door mount (with the 2x4 backer) watching tap height as another poster said. Don't worry about the floor re-enforcement. I doubt that you can fit enough cornies in there to cause a problem. A drip tray is a must or you will forever be cleaning drips. I plumbed my drip tray with a drain line that goes out the side into a gallon jug. My buddy didn't close a tap and while we got a load on the tray filled up and overflowed. More capacity is better in other words.

Door mount will not be a problem in regards to opening and closing. Your lines from the keg will be long enough (to prevent foaming) to not limit the door's travel...

 

[Ben_Persitz]

Mine was really simple.

I got a 3/8 bit, drilled a hole through my fridge door at a height that I wanted my tap handles at. Just get a long shank (4 inches) and tighten the nut down really hard. You wont have any problems.

Don't freezer mount. I don't use my freezer, so having the taps block the door isnt a big deal.

One thing I would say though is make sure you don't screw up your valve on the faucet. Mine got messed up somehow so that it wouldn't fully close unless the tap handle was tilted towards the fridge (which would cause the handle to move forward since it was hitting the door).

I had to take the faucet apart and reset the valve so that it would close at the proper position.

 

[iron_city_ap]

I'm sure this is the topic of endless debate, but are there any advantages/disadvantages to either style of cornie? I'm guessing the ball/prong debate is really a matter of personal opinion. Is one style wider and shorter than the other, is one style easier to clean, etc..?