Frigidaire Model FRC445GB Mini-Fridge Kegerator Conversion

Williams 728
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rth97601 said:
I've got it on one, right on the edge of the off switch ... I did have it up higher, and it got below freezing when it was empty. I actually went out and bought a fridge thermometer to confirm, since I didn't trust my mash therm or my wife's cheese therm (suited as they are for higher temps). Still the same numbers--maybe I ended up with a random superfridge, though that seems odd. So how does the fan fit into it? I don't have one--is it something freestanding, or do you wire it in?
Click to expand...

goto radioshack or bastbuy and buy a muffin case fan. make sure its 12volt. then get an old cellphone charger and cut the ends off. use a vom and find which is poss and neg. then wire that into the charger. if you wanted to keep it internal check the switch for constant hot and wire it into there just make sure you use a 110 fan. you just need the air to circulate so you can mount it to the top or you can use some pvc tubing and mount the fan into it and blow the air up or down. i was at homedepot looking at pvc the other night and think i will try to come up with something and take pics. i have a bunch of muffin fans laying around
 
Does anyone have any pictures of this completed conversion? I am very intrested in this conversion and may want to attempt it soon.
 
I bought one of these last month and have been using it ever since to house 2 kegs. I found it at Lowes for $140 as a scratch and dent (top plastic piece was broken in shipment). Remove 2 screws to remove the freezer door and 2 screws to detach the light/temp control. Push the temp control backwards as far as you can and there's room for 2 5 gallon kegs.

Kegs

I have the temperature setting at 2.5 which keeps the kegs around 38F. I never had a line freeze but there's often frozen condensation on the ceiling coils. I'm using cobra taps for now but will eventually put taps on the front (this sits on a counter so I wasn't going to put a tower on it anyway)

The 5# CO2 tank and line splitter sit conveniently on the compressor hump, no problems.

Randy
 
I currently have mine set at 1 (the warmest temperature) and it is holding consistently with one keg at 40F with no freezing. I guess the only issue would be if you wanted your brew closer to 45 degrees. I haven't drilled my door yet, so I suppose there could be some minor temp gain if the holes are not sealed.
 
I am thinking about this unit. I am going to be building a cabinet around this unit with a butcher block top so I can mount the tower to that. Anyone know if there are other spots on this to run the lines as the top still appears to be risky.
 
I recently bought one of these refrigerators as well and am noticing that the temps inside are running about 36-38F on the lowest (1) setting. Anybody else encounter this problem and have a fix? I was thinking of either returning the fridge for another type or maybe buying a Johnson Controls Thermostat to control the temps. Thanks
 
I've had the low-temp problem, and I just picked up an external thermostat. I haven't used it yet (I don't have a keg ready to go, so the fridge is currently sitting idle) but I don't expect it to be a problem. I do English-style beers, and intend to keep them nearer 50, so the thermostat might be necessary on a number of fridges anyway. Still, at $52 for the thermostat, that's a total fridge cost of $220--not bad for going the new ridge route.
 
I actually haven't gotten around to converting this to a kegerator yet, but I think I'll be running the taps through the door as others have done in this post.
 
Ended up getting an Oster 5.0 today at Best Buy for $145 on clearance. So now I can load through the top without fear of cutting a line, wish me luck on the conversion.
 
tek210 said:
Ended up getting an Oster 5.0 today at Best Buy for $145 on clearance. So now I can load through the top without fear of cutting a line, wish me luck on the conversion.
Click to expand...

That Oster 5.0 is cheap enough to convince me to try using that as my kegerator. I haven't found one "in store" yet to measure, do you know if it will fit a 1/4 or 1/2 keg?
 
Kmack said:
That Oster 5.0 is cheap enough to convince me to try using that as my kegerator. I haven't found one "in store" yet to measure, do you know if it will fit a 1/4 or 1/2 keg?
Click to expand...

I am not sure what it will fit beyond the 2 cornies I have it their now.
 
kracken41 said:
I converted mine this past weekend. I'll be posting pics ASAP. Very easy conversion through the door.
Click to expand...

Aye, and rock solid if make sure to back it with a small piece of wood so you can really crank down those shanks. Personally, I like it through the door better than the tower because of the simplicity, and I have the entire top of the fridge for storage. Makes a great mini-bar with space for some glasses, few bottles of liquor, etc.
 
rth97601 said:
I'm not exactly eletrically inclined--I can do this without frying myself?
Click to expand...

yes you can. just be patient and make sure you use a volt ohm meter to verify the polarity of the wallwart and match that up with your fan. if you want to be safer take the wallwart to radioshack and get a female end that the plug in will fit. remember the center pin is positive on cellphone chargers. and use heat shrink to cover the bare wire. get enough to cover the wire and enough to cover the two covered wires so it bundles.
 
I like this, I might end up using it for my next kegerator. Gotta have one that my roommates dont have access too :D
 
Hope these help some people out.

k1.jpg

The fridge before drilling. Shelves and freezer have been removed.

k2.jpg

I used a level to find where the top of the keg lines up with the door. I didn't wan't the shanks hitting the keg.

k3.jpg

Once I leveled the top of the keg I taped a line on the fridge to mark it.

k4.jpg

I then removed the door by removing 3 screws at the bottom of the fridge.

k5.jpg

Using a carpenter's square and referencing the door lock, I found and taped the vertical center of the fridge.

k6.jpg

I then found and taped the center of my drip tray.

k7.jpg

A quick mock layout to help mark the holes for the shanks.

k8.jpg

I drilled 2 pilot holes and then used a 7/8 hole saw to drill out the shank holes.

k9.jpg

Shank holes front and back.

k10.jpg

I had to create spacers for the shanks on the inside of the fridge so that the shank nut wouldn't kit the inner curve of the fridge door. I used a vinyl board that I had laying around from a previous bathroom project. It was a pain to drill out, and the first set I made were too wide, but ultimately these worked out great.

continued below
 
For everyone who wants to use this fridge but wants to run a tower, this fridge is really easy to run a tower on. the tops come off with minimal effort. just open the door so you can have something to grip, and grab the plastic top where it overhangs in the front. pull up and viola, its off. under this you will find approx. 2 inches of foam insulation. I removed where I wanted to put the tower with a filet knife, and then the coils become apparent. just be careful removing the foam, as if you manhandle it, you could conceiveably pierce the coils. no need to use cornstarch and booze, as you can cleary see where you can drill and where you cant. after you cut your hole for the lines, simply silicone the top back on. I took pictures to document so anyone who wants to see what to do can get a visual, but cant find the cord for my camera, so when I find it, ill post pics.

Cheers
 
Saw this post and thought I'd add my throw in my penny. By coincidence I installed a tower on this very fridge today. The front 4" doesn't have any coils in it. No need to remove the top if you want the tower in the front.

After hole drilled.
attachment.php


Inside of fridge after tower installation.

attachment.php


The unit seems pretty solid. I didn't see the need for a reinforcement plate on the inside. But, I'll monitor it and add if needed.

Finished product.

attachment.php


First pint poured. Not really a pint, more like 12oz.

attachment.php

Sorry! I think my class is warped.

Still room for a drip tray. Easiest install ever. only took 1 hr from start to finish.

Beer fridge (5).JPG


Beer fridge (8).JPG


Beer fridge (9).JPG


Beer fridge (10).JPG
 
Hmm...i can't see the pics you posted, bumbler...

Sodapop...looking forward to the pics where you take the top off.
 
:drunk:Sorry! :drunk:

Been corrected.

First time posting pics.:confused:

What a noob.:eek:

No top off for me. It's more deconstruction than I'm looking for.
 
sweet I have this fridge and have wanted to do a tower I think the front tower would suit me just fine and I wouldnt have to worry about pulling off the top.
 
Bumbler said:
The front 4" doesn't have any coils in it. No need to remove the top if you want the tower in the front.

Finished product.

attachment.php
Click to expand...

Bumbler, it looks like the tower is farther than 4" from the front, or did you mean that its 4" from behind the plastic lip on the front?

I think I may be picking one of these up real soon. Did you find you had to move the temperature control?

Thanks!
 
khuygie88 said:
Bumbler, it looks like the tower is farther than 4" from the front, or did you mean that its 4" from behind the plastic lip on the front?

I think I may be picking one of these up real soon. Did you find you had to move the temperature control?

Thanks!
Click to expand...


I resolve to stay calm! I just spent 40 min doing my thing. I know, I'm slow. As soon as I hit "post" it fouled up. Must have timed out. Sorry! I'll try again tomorrow.
 
I'll try and type faster tonight.

The tower I installed is a 3" tower with a 4 1/2" base with 4 bolt holes.

The 4" I was referring to is really 4 1/2" and it's on the inside of the fridge. That's where the coils are so that's where I concentrated my effort. Pierced coil equals end of project. As soon as you open the door look up. It's the closest part to the front. It's the first section of white plastic.

Where the ceiling drops 1/2" that's where the refrigeration coils start. DO NOT DRILL INTO THAT PART UNLES YOU REMOVE THE TOP AND LOCATE THE COILS.

pic is of the ceiling of the frige.
pic1.jpg


The next pic is of the top of the fridge. I put the front of the tower where the the black top changes from motteled to glossy. The line is very apparent.

pic2.jpg


You can see in the next pic where I traced around the base and marked the holes. I think it's prudent to mention that if the base has more than 4 holes, measurements should be taken to ensure that the bolt hole located in the rear don't line up over the coils. You can see in pic 1 there isn't a lot of extra room.

pic3.jpg


The final pic is a close up of the hole. All I did was find a scrap piece of pvc. Mine happened to be 1-1/4". I found a hole saw the same diameter. Driled the hole, cut the pvc to length, inserted, and caulked it on top and bottom to maintain the vapor barrier.

pic4.jpg


As for the temp control. Yes, I did remove the light and turn it around. That little extra space allows two cornies to fit. As Elmer Fudd said, "Be very careful of the copper tube attached to the temp control." If it kinks or breaks you'll have to use an external temp control.

One final comment. Everyone has there own Ideas and preferences. Some want to have 10 kegs going at once. I would love to have more but I don't have the space. I live in a tiny house and have to have a tiny fridge. Therfore my fridge is perfect for me.

Hope this helps.
 
Hey everyone....I completed my first kegging of a West Coast style IPA (dry hopped with 1 oz of Simcoe and 2 oz of Columbus!). I recently purchased the Frididaire FRC445GB and unscrewed the temp control dial and pushed it back a bit in order to fit two kegs. Those of you who have done this, do you then re-attach the temp gauge in a new location or do you just leave it dangling? I used duct tape to keep in in place. If anyone has any pics of what they did, it would be great! thank you!
 
I also used duct tape for now. I plan on going back and JBWelding both it and my CO2 manifold in place in the near future.
 
Hello, Is there another model refrigerator that is similar to this one? I picked up the Frigidaire Model FRC445GB from Lowes a couple of weeks ago...but it was making a pretty awful sound so I decided to return it for another. I brought that one home tonight, and the thing is banged up beyond belief (both sides dented, inside pieces broken.) This one was quieter though!

So I need to take this one back, but not sure if I want to go through the trouble again with this model and wonder if someone has a suggestion for a different brand.

Thanks for the help!
Craig
 
Bumbler said:
I'll try and type faster tonight.

The tower I installed is a 3" tower with a 4 1/2" base with 4 bolt holes.

The 4" I was referring to is really 4 1/2" and it's on the inside of the fridge. That's where the coils are so that's where I concentrated my effort. Pierced coil equals end of project. As soon as you open the door look up. It's the closest part to the front. It's the first section of white plastic.

Where the ceiling drops 1/2" that's where the refrigeration coils start. DO NOT DRILL INTO THAT PART UNLES YOU REMOVE THE TOP AND LOCATE THE COILS.

pic is of the ceiling of the frige.
pic1.jpg


The next pic is of the top of the fridge. I put the front of the tower where the the black top changes from motteled to glossy. The line is very apparent.

pic2.jpg


You can see in the next pic where I traced around the base and marked the holes. I think it's prudent to mention that if the base has more than 4 holes, measurements should be taken to ensure that the bolt hole located in the rear don't line up over the coils. You can see in pic 1 there isn't a lot of extra room.

pic3.jpg


The final pic is a close up of the hole. All I did was find a scrap piece of pvc. Mine happened to be 1-1/4". I found a hole saw the same diameter. Driled the hole, cut the pvc to length, inserted, and caulked it on top and bottom to maintain the vapor barrier.

pic4.jpg


As for the temp control. Yes, I did remove the light and turn it around. That little extra space allows two cornies to fit. As Elmer Fudd said, "Be very careful of the copper tube attached to the temp control." If it kinks or breaks you'll have to use an external temp control.

One final comment. Everyone has there own Ideas and preferences. Some want to have 10 kegs going at once. I would love to have more but I don't have the space. I live in a tiny house and have to have a tiny fridge. Therfore my fridge is perfect for me.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Bumbler, quick question.

In the time that you've been enjoying this conversion...have you felt the need to add any reinforcement for the tower? You commented that the top of the fridge seemed sturdy enough to forgo reinforcing it, so I'm curious if you still feel that way after a few weeks (or months, I can't remember) of having this kegerator.

I'm like 95% sure i'm gonna pick this fridge up at Lowe's and convert it this weekend. I'm still waiting on my hole bit to arrive from Amazon.

Cheers.
 
AJ_in_HD said:
In the time that you've been enjoying this conversion...have you felt the need to add any reinforcement for the tower?
Cheers.
Click to expand...

It's just as sturdy as the day I put it on. I doubt I'll ever reinforce it.

Side note:

I did have a problem freezing my last batch during conditioning. I had a thermometer inside the fridge. It told me air temp not keg temp. Since then I bought a remote temp sensor and strapped it to the keg and mounted the display on the wall above the fridge. I can now monitor the keg temp every pour. The keg stays between 37 and 38.
 
Bumbler said:
It's just as sturdy as the day I put it on. I doubt I'll ever reinforce it.

Side note:

I did have a problem freezing my last batch during conditioning. I had a thermometer inside the fridge. It told me air temp not keg temp. Since then I bought a remote temp sensor and strapped it to the keg and mounted the display on the wall above the fridge. I can now monitor the keg temp every pour. The keg stays between 37 and 38.
Click to expand...

Sweet! I will be buying this fridge this weekend and will perform the conversion on Saturday (I hope!).

So if you don't mind I have one more question...what temperature setting do you have the fridge on? Maybe if the controller is a dial you could give this as a number on the clock dial?

Cheers and thanks again for your replies!
 

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