GE 7 CF (FCM7SUWW) keezer conversion

[bwoodworth]

Thanks for the quick reply and the info about the compressor.

I'm sure they have, but why wouldn't you? Cover it in wood if you like. You probably don't want to lose the insulation and weatherstripping that's already provided there for you. To get the wood to stick, you'll need to be sure that your glue is suitable for metal-to-wood bonding (I believe Gorilla Glue is, check the label) and you'll want to rough up the paint with some 80-grit or so sandpaper so the glue has a good surface to bond to.

I agree that the freezer lid probably has the most ideal insulation, but I just thinking it looks a little weird having the lid on top at all. I'm thinking I could just put a sheet of wood on top screwed to the collar (making it more of a box than a collar). This way I don't have to worry about the seal between the collar and the lid at all, just that the insulation is good enough in the 'box'. I guess I am mostly trying to figure out if there are any other reasons for keeping the lid at all.

 

[zachattack]

Plenty of people enclose the freezers, just check out the "show us your kegerator" sticky. You need to leave a little breathing room for air flow, and like thadius856 mentioned you probably want to install some fans to keep everything cool.

Look around for "coffin keezers," that's the type of build you're referring to.

 

[thadius856]

Thanks for the quick reply and the info about the compressor.



I agree that the freezer lid probably has the most ideal insulation, but I just thinking it looks a little weird having the lid on top at all. I'm thinking I could just put a sheet of wood on top screwed to the collar (making it more of a box than a collar). This way I don't have to worry about the seal between the collar and the lid at all, just that the insulation is good enough in the 'box'. I guess I am mostly trying to figure out if there are any other reasons for keeping the lid at all.

There's others I'm sure. A wood lid by itself might warp with changes in humidity and temperature, might be prone to mold growth, would be harder to clean, might not have as durable a finish, etc.

The thing about the the lid is that it's flush to the front edge of the freezer. If you're wrapping the freezer in wood, you might as well just wrap the lid in wood too to keep the front flush. Unless you are a woodworker, I can't imagine you'll get a better finish making your own solid top as opposed to wrapping the lid with some furniture-grade plywood (from a real lumberyard).

If you're set on replacing the lid because she doesn't want to see a freezer in the living room, consider going dual-purpose and making the lid a work surface. You can get a pretty nice slab of pre-made and pre-sealed butcher block countertop at Ikea for a lower price than you could make your own. It's close to 2" thick, IIRC, and looks beautiful. You'd have to upsize the hinge springs to support the extra weight, but it could double as a portable kitchen island or buffet for entertaining (you wife will like these ideas!) or whatever you want it to be. You could even chop veggies directly on top if you wanted. Locking casters are cheap and great way to finish off a build like this.

 

[notjustgc]

Remember that cold air sinks to the bottom. Even modest insulation behind whatever wood you use for the replacement lid would be sufficient to match or exceed the stock lid's insulating performance.

 

[thadius856]

Remember that cold air sinks to the bottom. Even modest insulation behind whatever wood you use for the replacement lid would be sufficient to match or exceed the stock lid's insulating performance.

Assuming you don't recirculate the air via fan.

 

[notjustgc]

Good point!

 

[Steven4est]

I got the Kenmore 14.8 for 336, the chat thingy on there apparently works wonders, I told her a code and the price that it was on sale for on jan 3 and she sold it to me for 336 after she made a typo of 250!

 

[thadius856]

Lucky. I wasn't able to get any traction. They wouldn't even price match K-mart, and they own them.

Picture of a monitor, eh? Whatever gets the job done. Try pressing the 'Print Screen' button and pasting it into Paint to save some time next time.

 

[Stalevel]

Don't have much constructive to add here. This thread was a huge help to me, and got me going on my freezers. Simple by most peoples standards around here. You guys come up with some incredible stuff.

I went to HD when I first started looking toward cold storage/serving/fermentation, etc. They had this freezer as a scratch and dent. They had it marked down to $150. I quickly found this thread on my phone so I knew I could get 4+ BL kegs in. I offered $100 and they took it. So then I felt that maybe there were more of these around. I spent the next month stopping at any HD I came across. Sure enough I found another one to match. Offered $100 and got that one too. A little poplar, my pitiful staining job and here they are.

I'll use one for serving (beyond picnic taps, when I can swing it), and the other is setup for corny fermentations.

Thanks again to all who have added to the thread!

 

[thadius856]

Very lucky dog.

 

[helg56]

Built my Keezer thanks to this thread! Thank you so much everyone!

 

[weeple2000]

Could someone explain the best way to power a PC fan? I thought I could do it with a cell phone charger.

 

[zachattack]

A cell phone charger

Or any other DC "wall wart". I used a 9V one from an old cordless phone. Look through your junk drawer...

 

[thadius856]

Nice flow control Perl.

Was wanting one, but they weren't (aren't?) available in stainless.

 

[weeple2000]

I meant how to connect them, did you just cut the cable at the end and sodder them together?

 

[thadius856]

I meant how to connect them, did you just cut the cable at the end and sodder them together?

Twist each stranded cable tightly, put them next to each other, screw on a wire nut, secure the nut with electrical tape.

Or use an inline compression crimp.

 

[zachattack]

Yup, you can solder if you want but cheap wire nuts work fine. It's low voltage so there's nothing dangerous. Clip off the connector, strip a little bit of each wire and you're good to go. No worries about getting zapped from 5V DC so you can do it while it's plugged in if you want to make sure the connections are good.

 

[helg56]

Nice flow control Perl.

Was wanting one, but they weren't (aren't?) available in stainless.

Its not SS , Chrome plated. My girlfriend got it for me for my birthday, so I cant complain. hehe

But the other faucet is a Perl SS.

 

[weeple2000]

I'm in the process of building my collar. I used a 1 x 12 and reinforced the corners with some metal brackets. Did you guys stain the inside of the collar? Is this necessary? Pros/Cons? I was thinking staining the inside might be better for durability purposes, but I am not sure if it is really necessary.

 

[nickmv]

I'm in the process of building my collar. I used a 1 x 12 and reinforced the corners with some metal brackets. Did you guys stain the inside of the collar? Is this necessary? Pros/Cons? I was thinking staining the inside might be better for durability purposes, but I am not sure if it is really necessary.

I wouldn't worry about staining, but I would certainly apply some clearcoat sealant / acryllic, just to help protect the wood over time from moisture.

 

[thadius856]

If your keezer has moisture inside, then you have a problem anyway.

I wouldn't bother sealing it, especially if you're using 1x, which is likely pine and isn't terribly prone to molding. Red oak, on the other hand, can develop spores in 5 minutes when wetted.

Found the EvaDry on HBF. It works wonders for keeping the keezer nice and arid.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000H0XFD2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[dmpullen]

are there issues with the weight of the collar? would the freezer flip, if empty, and the lid was open?

 

[thadius856]

You'd have to make a really heavy collar for that to happen. I'd have to really fling my 1x10 collar very hard to get it to tip over.

 

[TomSD]

You'd have to make a really heavy collar for that to happen. I'd have to really fling my 1x10 collar very hard to get it to tip over.

Same... I am more worried about damaging my collar if I fling it open than flipping it.

 

[Nmccracken12]

Does anyone have a wiring diagram or pictures of how the Love temp controller is wired into this particular freezer? I am not great on electronics, but with some input I am sure I can get it taken care of!

 

[ingchr1]

I added a couple of signs to mine. The Guinness one covering up the GE tag is a tin postcard that I picked up from the brewery about 10 years ago on a trip to Ireland.

 

[mdiblasi]

Thank you everyone, especially TomSD for the guides and help. I've been silently lurking but finally decided to post my setup.

I'm running the GE FCM7SUWW with the Johnson A419ABG-3C temperature regulator and the top collar is put together with mitered 1x10's and all internal fasteners to keep it clean on the outside.

I have 3 Sankey connections, with the fourth tap saved for when I get around to homebrewing. At the moment I have a 1/6th barrel of: New Holland Mad Hatter, Great Lakes Oktoberfest and Blue Point Oktoberfest and I'm just loving it. It's amusing/dangerous how much easier it is to get beer than cold water in my apartment now.

The one issue I have is fitting some of the larger tap handles, some get in the way of the lid. I've had more than one occasion where someone tries to get it out of the way by opening the tap...with obvious results heh.

 

[adamg8504]

I've read a few online reviews of this freezer and there are quite a few stating the quality of the freezer is awful and it doesn't last much more than a couple years, at best.

What is the general consensus of the quality of this kenmore freezer on this forum?

 

[nickmv]

I've read a few online reviews of this freezer and there are quite a few stating the quality of the freezer is awful and it doesn't last much more than a couple years, at best.

What is the general consensus of the quality of this kenmore freezer on this forum?

I don't see that many negative reviews. And remember -- there will ALWAYS be a large number of negative reviews compared to positives for a product, because satisfied customers rarely ever come back to comment how great the product is. Because they're too busy enjoying the product.

I would say this freezer is on par with any other freezer out there.

 

[coldcrash]

I've read a few online reviews of this freezer and there are quite a few stating the quality of the freezer is awful and it doesn't last much more than a couple years, at best. What is the general consensus of the quality of this kenmore freezer on this forum?

I've had this freezer just shy of two years and it does the job for me. Haven't had an issue.

Bought with the intention of turning it into a collar keezer per this thread but it's been serving as a ferm chamber since I've had it.