Frigidaire Model FRC445GB Mini-Fridge Kegerator Conversion

[jschnyderite]

does this have room to keep a few mugs cold with 2 corny's and 5# tank inside? I'm considering this for my project

 

[jmo88]

does this have room to keep a few mugs cold with 2 corny's and 5# tank inside? I'm considering this for my project

You'd have to put them behind the kegs on the compressor hump. That would be a pain. There's not enough room In the door.

 

[elganso]

What type of glue did people use to glue the top back down?

All-purpose construction adhesive worked for me (look for one that will bond to foamboard if gluing directly to the insulation)

What level is everyone setting the original thermostat at?

With the latter model Frigidaire, turning the dial to "4" keeps me consistently in the 38-40 F range.

does this have room to keep a few mugs cold with 2 corny's and 5# tank inside? I'm considering this for my project

I couldn't get my kegs in without modifying the door, so I opted to take all the plastic molding (and foam underneath) off and glue on a whiteboard. If you got the door flush like that, you could conceivably sneak a couple glasses on top of each other next to one of the kegs... but it's pretty tight.

 

[heiny]

For those that mounted a tower onto the top, did you have to buy new screws to mount it? The screws that came with my kit (keg connection) are pretty long and I'm worried about nicking a line.

Any advice on the screws used or ways the tower was attached to the top would be great.

Thanks

 

[drycreek]

For anyone interested, Best Buy currently has this fridge on sale for $159 (normally $199). I picked one up and plan on doing the 2-faucet tower conversion in the next couple of weeks.

 

[elganso]

The screws that came with my kit (keg connection) are pretty long and I'm worried about nicking a line.

I used a hacksaw to cut off about 1.5 inches from the bolts so they were just a little longer than the wood support (to keep the threads: screw the nut on, use a vice to hold the unused portion, cut and then unscrew the nut). If you've got screws, you'll probably need to replace them -- not worth the risk of hitting a line.

 

[BrewThruYou]

For those that mounted a tower onto the top, did you have to buy new screws to mount it? The screws that came with my kit (keg connection) are pretty long and I'm worried about nicking a line.

Any advice on the screws used or ways the tower was attached to the top would be great.

My tower from keg connection didn't even come with screws. I took the tower to the local hardware store and got some shiny stainless screws that would go into my plywood but not too deep. I think they were 2" screws.

 

[rpatton]

I've been running using the newer Lowe's model of this fridge for my kegs, for a little over a year. No tower or faucets yet, but I did have to cut out most of the ridges in the door just so squeezing the kegs in isn't such a pain. I use an external thermostat and controller, with the internal setting on max. The fridge is in a garage in southern CA, pretty dry but warm.

A while back in the thread people mentioned condensation or ice crystals on the ceiling - I get a solid 1" block of ice covering the entire ceiling. I defrosted it and removed all ice/water this weekend, the full ice cake was back within 8 hours. Anyone else seeing this?

 

[noremorse1]

Wow. I posted this over 3 years ago. I am surprised how popular this thread has gotten. Still using the kegerator too!

 

[davebach]

A while back in the thread people mentioned condensation or ice crystals on the ceiling - I get a solid 1" block of ice covering the entire ceiling. I defrosted it and removed all ice/water this weekend, the full ice cake was back within 8 hours. Anyone else seeing this?

I have had this recently due to the unbelievable humidity we've had in New York over the past few weeks. Luckily, both kegs kicked at the same time so I ended up defrosting the whole thing before I re-stocked.

I think some people have set up their kegerator on a timer so that it turns off for one or two hours a day, but I'm not really sure how much that would help... I'll let them speak on the matter.

I have to say, since my kegerator is in a garage that can get into the 80s on a warm day, it's been a challenge keeping everything frost-free. The tower is the only thing in the room that sweats more than me... but at least it's staying cool with the fan I installed into it.

Dave

 

[wellsbells]

i read through dozens of pages but couldn't find anything too specific about running the CO2 lines through the side of the fridge. did see that someone nicked a line when trying to run them through the back so thinking this may be a better alternative?

also, i foolishly threw away my manual so not sure if my fridge will be safe on our enclosed back porch in chicago. not quite as extreme since it is enclosed but still gets quite cold and hot and worried i may overexert the motor. any opinions?

sooo sick of bottling so can't wait to get the kegging going and will eventually get some taps set up thanks to this thread!

cheers!

 

[BrewThruYou]

Just picked up a Frigidaire FRC445GM, same fridge. Small scratch, no key but at 130.00 not a bad deal.

Anyone find where I can buy a key online? Mine didn't come with a key either. Ordered a generic frigidaire freezer key online but it doesn't fit.

 

[Eco]

The "key" and I use the term loosely, does nothing but slide a post upward into a hole in the lightweight plastic trim. Holding the trim upward will allow the post to slip out. Still this doesn't describe the uselessness of the "lock" as in the locked position the door can still be opened a half inch. So it neither locks the door from someone wanting to get inside nor does it even hold it shut if say a fridge packed full of cornies and hoses ever so slightly touches it. I love this fridge and the kegorator I built out of it. The lock is a joke and should not have been part of the design. If you want my key you can have it - PM me with details and it will be in the mail to you; but if you ask me it isn't even worth your walk to the mailbox. Did I mention I still LOVE the fridge.

 

[elganso]

...it neither locks the door from someone wanting to get inside...

Agreed that the "lock" is a questionable description. However, if you have little kids running around the house, the lock is useful enough to keep 'em from messing with your kegs and, obviously much worse, shutting themselves inside an empty fridge.

For what it's worth...

 

[austin_hubbell]

If it is the same as mine which i believe it is then the key is just an allen wrench.

 

[BrewThruYou]

So it neither locks the door from someone wanting to get inside nor does it even hold it shut if say a fridge packed full of cornies and hoses ever so slightly touches it.

That's why I wanted the key - when it's stuffed full of cornies and hoses. If you're saying that the lock sucks, I'll just make sure that the hoses/cornies aren't pressing on the door.

I really appreciate the offer of your key though. Thank you.

 

[cyborgasm]

I made it through page 30 of this thread before giving up and posting my question:

I've read several people casually state that two pin lock cornies will not fit sided by side, or simply 'will not fit,' and I saw the posts from the guy who made a wooden collar/door extension. But I'm wondering, will two pin lock cornies fit (staggered) in there after removing the white molded plastic in the door?

This was the case with the classic Sanyo kegerator -- two pin cornies fit easily in a staggered fashion after removing the molded plastic door hardware but not before.

Has anyone actually tried this? Or can you point me to a specific post where this has been answered?

Many thanks.

 

[elganso]

will two pin lock cornies fit (staggered) in there after removing the white molded plastic in the door?

With two ball locks, I had to remove the molding from the door completely in order to get them to fit (staggered) and it is still a pretty tight squeeze.

OK, did a search for you (http://bit.ly/rsedv7). See posts #401 - #411 here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/fr...ridge-kegerator-conversion-89013/index41.html

Confirmed that it is a no go.

 

[Severin]

I don't know why everybody thinks 2 pin locks will not fit... I have this same fridge and both my pin locks fit with NO major modifications. I removed the shelving units that slip out and unscrewed the light/temp control to slide it back but that is it. You do not need to remove any of the molding at all. There are 2 tricks to making pin locks fit that I will outline below.

The kegs have to be staggered. The problem is that when staggered the keg out front is in the way of the bottom plastic molding on the door when you try to close it. This can be fixed with a 6" long 2x4. Put your first keg in normally (the keg in 'back') and then when you go to put the 'front' keg in just place it on top of the 2x4 so that the 2x4 is positioned near the back of the keg and there is enough space in front of the 2x4 for the door to close without the molding on the bottom hitting. There is still PLENTY of room to fit disconnects on top.

At this point you have to use a bit of muscle to cram the top keg in. The first time is the hardest because cramming both kegs in so you can close the door will cause a very slight (less than 1/4") compression the the plastic molding on the sidewall of the fridge. However, once compressed the molding does not spring back so the future insertion attempts take much less force. Just force the keg in until you can close the door cleanly.

I recommend putting the 'back' keg on the side with the door hinges and the 'front' keg in your staggered setup on the side of the door that opens (left).

I set this up in January and have changed the kegs out 15+ times without any trouble. The door seals perfectly and I did not have to spend any money to switch to ball lock kegs or do a major modification to the fridge. The only extra equipment I needed was the piece of 2x4 I had sitting in my shed.

I highly recommend this to everyone as it is a very simple fix to the problem that costs basically no money and takes no time.

 

[austin_hubbell]

With two ball locks, I had to remove the molding from the door completely in order to get them to fit (staggered) and it is still a pretty tight squeeze.

OK, did a search for you (http://bit.ly/rsedv7). See posts #401 - #411 here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/fr...ridge-kegerator-conversion-89013/index41.html

Confirmed that it is a no go.

I have the new style model with two pin lock cornies in it, it is very tight and required cutting of the plastic for the door, and even with that it barley fits.

 

[austin_hubbell]

I have a question on the freezer for this model. Has anyone encountered dripping from the freezer after the compartment is removed. I have a decent amount of frozen spikes on mine and it seems whenever the fridge is opened multiple times to grab beer they melt and produce alot of h20 in the bottom which then makes its way onto my floor, any suggestions or advice would be great.

 

[63belair]

What size shanks are recommended for a through the door application?

 

[jeffsciv23]

just picked mine up this morning. got it all prepped and just waiting on my tower to finish it up.will post pics when im done, thanks for all the info and research

 

[jeffsciv23]

ok so i got it all converted just waiting on my keg. i had originally made this with the thoughts of using a 1/6 with a commercial draft as i dont brew my own beer. i even modded the door for more room. ended up just cutting around the edge, peeling the door piece away from the door and filling the low spots with spray foam then sanding flat once it dried. then buying one of those magnetic white boards and cut to size. figured i could use that for notes on date keg was tapped and co2 pressure. anyways i found out not many places in town carry 1/6 barrels in much of anything i drink so i might have to go with a 1/4....not really sure how thats gonna work but i measured the inside and it should fit, probly gonna be pretty snug though. ill post pics when i put it in. might have to figure somethign to do with the light/thermo though.

 

[jeffsciv23]

for the record a 1/4 barrel fits pretty good in these things. not sure if i can post pics since my accounts new but ill figure a way to do it.
fighting regulator problems at the moment, set it at 10, it creeps to 25-30 within 10 minutes.

 

[AScott]

Well, I did this conversion 2 years ago. Everything was running fine until today. I woke up to temps higher than normal and ice all over what was the back of the freezer compartment before I removed it. I had always had a bit of freezing on the top, but not the back.

Turned it off, cleaned up the ice and turned it back on. Compressor came on, ran for 4 hours, no temp change. Thermostat is in factory position on the side wall (I use 3 gallon kegs) and I have a tower that was installed in the front part of the top where there are no coils. Everything seems to be as normal except for the temperature.

Like I said, it was aces for 2 years. Any ideas, or do I just need to bite the pillow and get a new fridge?

 

[elganso]

Any ideas, or do I just need to bite the pillow and get a new fridge?

Sorry to hear; dunno if this helps at all:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/fr...tor-conversion-89013/index42.html#post2465387

 

[canihaveurpants]

I would like to mount some faucets on the door of my Frigidaire but cannot find within the thread what size shank should be used. I am looking at kegconnection and there are 3 1/8", 4 1/8" and 5 1/8" options. Can someone let me know which would be preferred? Thanks.

 

[63belair]

I haven't built this kegerator yet (sitting in my office waiting for parts + free time to arrive), but I am going to build a thru-the door model.

That being said, having done lots of research and consulting people in this thread and others who have built it, it seems that you will be fine with 4" or 5" shanks, especially if you mount the faucets as high up on the door as you can. By mounting them close to the top of the door, the shanks will stick through the door above the kegs inside.

Hope this helps, and I will be documenting and eventually posting my build when I get it done.

 

[canihaveurpants]

Great, thanks for the response!