Fridge to Kegerator?

[SailorJerry]

Hey everyone, just hoping someone can confirm my suspicions on something.
I have a Frigidaire, model FRT18TPHW1. From what I found online, it appears the only condenser lines are in the back of the fridge? So, I should be safe to drill for taps out to the side, right?

I haven't dry fit anything yet, but it's a flat bottom fridge, and I'm hoping I'll be able to get two kegs plus C02 bottle in there...

 

[SailorJerry]

Here is the link to what I found...
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/462792/Frigidaire-Frt18tph.html?page=8#manual

 

[kh54s10]

I would go very carefully even with the diagram. There is a slurry that you can make to paste on the side. It will condense? around any lines in the wall. Just remember that if you pierce a line you just turned the fridge into a piece of scrap metal.

 

[SailorJerry]

I suppose a guy could just take a razor, cut a square in the thin material on the inside of the fridge, and then I'd be able to see what's in there...

 

[Jim311]

I dont know about that particular model but neither of my two fridges have lines in the sides. Maybe if you had an ice cube maker or something but that's about the only reason I could think of that cooling lines would run anywhere other than the back. I just very carefully drilled a hole through both layers on the inside and outside, and then used a pick to push through and make sure there were no lines or anything other than foam in there, then proceeded to drill baby drill. I ran my co2 lines thru the wall so I could keep my gas bottle outside the fridge and save room too. I prefer it that way.

 

[SailorJerry]

I dont know about that particular model but neither of my two fridges have lines in the sides. Maybe if you had an ice cube maker or something but that's about the only reason I could think of that cooling lines would run anywhere other than the back. I just very carefully drilled a hole through both layers on the inside and outside, and then used a pick to push through and make sure there were no lines or anything other than foam in there, then proceeded to drill baby drill. I ran my co2 lines thru the wall so I could keep my gas bottle outside the fridge and save room too. I prefer it that way.

I think I'd rather keep my bottle outside of the fridge as well, just debating how to accomplish that with the millions of kids toys that fill my garage (besides our vehicles, of course). I'm about 4 hours away from either ruining a fridge, or starting the process of making it into a kegerator. Should be fun.

 

[SailorJerry]

Buddy had an old fridge in his shop, so we used that instead of my nicer fridge. Taps are in, keg is cleaned,
c02 is being purchased today, and everything will be put together and starting to force carb by tonight! I'm pumped.

View attachment 405104

 

[SailorJerry]

Well, we got our wheat beer kegged, plumbed the c02 tank from outside the fridge, and everything's held pressure since last night. Force carbing the keg for our town celebration this weekend.
It's been at 30 PSI since 9p last night, I'm assuming I should leave it there for 24 hours at minimum??

 

[John Paul Stoddard]

Where there is a "will" there will be a Kegerator :rockin:

 

[SailorJerry]

Do I need to purge the c02 when I'm turning down to serving pressure, or am i fine just dialing the regulator back?

 

[Elkobrewer]

No need to purge just set to your desired serving temp and start enjoying.

 

[John Paul Stoddard]

First a few Questions...
Do you want to serve at "standard Carbonationlevels as per style"?
or
Do you like all your beers served a certain way....Lightly Carbonated or Fizzy Fizzy?


You need to find ya a carbonation chart,,
Find the Temperature it Holds...(a Gallon jug filled with water with a calibrated thermometer)

Simply vent the Keg does not change the absorbed CO2 in the Beer...
Your Beer is still either gonna be over or undercarbonated if you vent because of the "Temperature " of the Liquid.

If you didn't install back flow preventers inline you could end up with a ruined Regulator. Pressure in the "Forced Carbed" beer will backflow into the regulator up line with lower serving pressure.

 

[John Paul Stoddard]

No need to purge just set to your desired serving temp and start enjoying.

And did ya ask them if they have back flow preventers installed?

If not you gonna explain what happens when a Keg pressurized at 30 PSI is hocked up to a regulator that is lowered to say 9 PSI?

 

[SailorJerry]

Guess I should have read this first, but it appears we didn't have any issues with lowering to serving pressure. It's a Taprite regulator, no idea if it has back flow preventers...

 

[Elkobrewer]

You won't need back flow preventers. John paul stoddard relax man nothing will happen unless of coarse you get your regulators from a crackerjack box.