Haier HSL04WMAWW kegerator build

[snyklez]

Good day everyone. I have a Haier mini fridge that I was fortunate enough to acquire free from a friend. I just recently got into kegging and have somewhat audacious plans to build a bar around this eventually tricked out fridge. So I thought I'd start a new thread showing the process from beginning to end. So far, I took a page from this thread

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/emergency-fridge-demolition-75090/

in my initial steps, but figured I'd try and go into a little more detail with the process, and update this thread on my progress along the way.

Now, my apologies, I didn't take a picture of the fridge before modification. I actually just decided to start this thread, so excuse my lack of forethought. However, with the right tools, I got to where I am now in about 30 minutes. My plan is to fit two pin lock cornies in this fridge. I also have a 5lb co2 tank. Whether or not it'll fit on the hump is to be determined. Anyway, here are the steps I took.

First, you have to move the thermostat located on the right hand side wall. If you take the dial off there are two screws underneath. There is also a screw holding the wire assembly to the wall. Once those are removed, just dangle the thermostat to get it out if the way. Next, we have to address the freezer/cooling element. It's a box with cooling lines running through the bottom and sides. The top is just sheet metal, joined in the middle by three rivets. I detached the freezer from the fridge easy enough, there were four screws with plastic holders connecting it to the roof of the fridge. You have to pull the freezer box forward to detach. Then, I folded the whole thing down, so the top of the freezer box was now facing me. I took a dremel (greatest tool man has ever created) with a basic cutting wheel and cut lines down the sides of the plain metal top where it bent to form the sides. Next, I used the dremel to cut one side of the rivets off (the side facing me, obviously) in order to separate the box in the middle by prying it apart. Then, since I basically scored the metal with the dremel in the appropriate place, I just wiggled it till it fatigued and came off. I continued to bend the freezer box - now only three sided - until it lay against the back of the fridge. This was the part I was most concerned about, because I didn't want to kink the refrigerant pipe. But it bent with ease. Next, I used the dremel to easily cut through the plastic and insulation on the door in order to get it to close with a keg inside. I'll go ahead and include the pictures of my progress.

 

[snyklez]

As you can see, I moved the thermostat up and over the freezer box to get it out of the way. I'm still deciding whether or not to take it out completely and just plug the fridge into an STC-1000. From what I've read, you can just take the common and the hot wires that go to the thermostat, wire-nut them together, and be good to go. I'm a little nervous when it comes to high voltage electrical work, so I'll make that decision at another time. Now, I've only got one empty keg in there for now, my other is currently lagering in my full size fridge I normally use as a fermentation chamber. The plan is to keep using that as a ferm chamber, since it fits two fermentors, and use the Haier as the kegerator. Anyway, the mini can obviously fit one keg, we'll have to see what type of continuing modifications need to be done to fit two with a co2 tank. As I said before, I plan on updating this as I go. However, my end goal is to have a bar on wheels in my garage that will hold the fridge with a tower built through the bar top. On wheels so I can move it against the wall when not in use (guys' nights etc). I plan on framing the bar out of studs, and building it out with pallets. Something like so, rustic but functional.



Anyway, my hope is to be a reference for anyone else looking to mod this type of fridge, and maybe be an inspiration for home bar ideas. That is, if all goes according to plan.