Help with the right parts to pull this off

[sdbyrd]

I've got a new Danby DAR044 and getting ready to convert it. I'm going to place it into the cabinet pictured and want the taps to come out of the side (marked in red) of the cabinet. I currently have a dual faucet TapRite conversion kit that my wife bought me for Christmas (http://www.kegerator.com/taprite-ke...on-kit-dual-tap-configuration/DK30CPSS02.html)

Is there any way to use the tower, but extend the taps through the cabinet or do I need to purchase a different kit/parts? I'm also planning on cutting a vent in the bottom of the cabinet and install a fan to push the heat out.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Otis1031]

The following kit would work better. The tower wouldn't work for what you want to do.


http://www.kegerator.com/smeg-through-the-door-kegerator-conversion-kit/KEGORKIT-1XL.html

 

[sdbyrd]

Thanks. I did see that one, but it only has a single connection. I'm assuming this one would also do the trick?

http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kits/dkk2.shtml

 

[user 204491]

That kit would work good if you were planning on running the taps through the door of your refrigerator, and it's probably a good start for your endeavor, but you're going to be running your beer lines several feet up over your fridge, into an uninsulated cabinet, and then out through some wood on the side. What is your plan for keeping the beer in the beer lines the same temp as the beer in your keg and keeping the shanks cool to avoid foamy pours?

 

[sdbyrd]

That's where my beginner in kegging is showing. If it doesn't sound feasible, I may just revert back to using the tower & put it in a different location if I can't meet the height limitations in that cabinet. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[TWAL]

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how you envision using the tower and have the taps coming out the side of the cabinet...
You're biggest problem is that if you are extending lines from the kegerator up through the cabinet to your faucets it would appear that you're going to be going through a warm zone which is going to serve foamy beer every time.
I'm guessing you have checked but will that fridge fit in that cabinet ? It appears the cabinet is an 18 in Deep cabinet and the Depth of that fridge is 21 inches also will the fridge door swing open once you get it in there ? you're going to need roughly an extra 3 inches in cab width to fully open the door.

Last but not least I would consider if this cabinet destruction is something you are comfortable doing,if you ever move you're going to be installing a new pantry cab>

(*edit* Whoops, just read drgonzo2k2's post before mine,guess I was a little late to the party...)

 

[user 204491]

Yeah, I'll be honest, this is doable, but it's probably a lot more work than it's worth. You're going to have a hard enough time getting non-foamy pours from the Danby unit with the tower as-is, let alone once you extend those beer lines into several feet of uninsulated cabinet. For the Danby fridge and a tower you're likely going to need a fan and/or tower cooler line to keep the temp roughly the same from the bottom of your fridge to the top of your tower.

I'd probably start simple, with the unit as-is, get it working to your satisfaction, and then decide if it's worth it to try to integrate it into your cabinets.

 

[sdbyrd]

Thanks. I didn't realize I was already going to have an issue using the tower before I go further than that. Would running the taps through the fridge door be a better/more reliable solution versus the tower?

 

[user 204491]

Well, I mean I'm no expert, but I maintain 2, 2-tap kegerators like this for the team at work, and when I inherited them I had a heck of a time getting non-foamy pours until I installed a tower chiller in them. After that they started working like a champ. This was with just the run-of-the-mill tower and 6' or so of beer line that comes with most entry level kegerators.

I purchased a tower chiller from Amazon that had two fans. One circulated air within the fridge, and the other pulled in cold air and blew it up a long tube that you run up to the top of your tower.

 

[sdbyrd]

Hmm. Makes me wonder if I should just use a through-the-door kit so I don't have to worry about the foaming problem. Any downside to doing that?

 

[doug293cz]

Putting a refrigerator in a closed closet can cause problems for the refrigerator. A fridge needs air circulation around it to get rid of the heat from the hot side of the refrigeration loop. You need to make provisions for having airflow around the fridge while it's in the closet.

Brew on