How old is too old for kegerator

[BornTrucker]

Long story here, please bear with me, I'm looking for some advice overall. I'm working on getting my first kegerator setup, which has more input from my wife that I'd prefer. It must go in my kitchen and look nice, cannot be a keezer, should not look cheap or like a minifridge, and should be as small as practicable.

Last night I picked up a Danby DKC645BLS on the cheap, $100 specifically. This 5.6 cu. ft. unit is not small, the jury is still out on whether its too big. It also has some minor markings on it that I'm trying to get waived. The guy hadn't used it in a year for anything more than food and wanted to clear out his kitchen. I had to go for it based on the price. Its obvious the thing has been outside for a little while as there is a leaf and pine needle in the compressor area.

He turned it on before I got to his house to pick it up and the temp was down to 37 on the thermostat, I have no idea what the thermostat was set to, might have been 37. The interior was cold to the touch and when I got it home the sankey tap was ice cold so the thing works. What was included was an out of date 5lb CO2 bottle and the single tap kegerator with 1 tap, disgusting hoses, and the sankey connection. I'm working to find out the cheapest hydrotest location around me, I found one for $30 and I'm trying to contact another place, and LHBS swaps them out for $40. I'll likely support LHBS because I like them and their hours are better.

I removed the metal plate on the bottom (a full size keg sits on it for some reason? it looked like a big spring) and have cleaned up the interior. I plan to throw away the old tap, hose, and sankey connector as I believe they've all been compromised-they smell and don't look clean.

I'm looking to keg connection to buy a 2 tap tower with front sealing taps, dual gauge regulator, and disconnects for ball lock kegs, which I also need to purchase. I'm concerned I'm going to be dumping too much money into this setup for it to fail in short order as it was manufactured in November 2005 according to the sticker. Does anyone have experience with older Danby units that could speak to their quality and life?

If it is likely to fail in short order, I can sell it, simply put on cheap hardware, mark up the price and watch it disappear. If I keep it, my thoughts are go with SS over chrome, front sealing taps with creamer action, MFL connections on disconnects, and a dual pressure regulator.

What else should I know, what am I missing and am I going overboard with SS vs chrome? I'm fine transferring all of my hardware to another fridge in the future but would prefer it to last a year or more before needing to do that.

Thanks!

 

[VirginiaHops1]

It's anyone's guess how much more life a 14 year old kegerator has but everything you mentioned buying could be reused on your next kegerator, once this one dies. So I wouldn't worry about "dumping too much money into it". FWIW the chest freezer I got for cheap to use as a keezer in my garage looks old as hell, AT LEAST 15 years. I've gotten almost a year out of it so far. Good luck

 

[kh54s10]

14 years old is not OLD ENOUGH. They don't make things to last anymore. When I was in junior high, 1968, my parents bought a huge freezer that was already probably between 5 and 10 years old. It worked perfectly for another 16 years.....

I would go ahead with it. As said, everything you put into it can be used in another one if it dies.

 

[day_trippr]

Definitely go with the stainless faucets and hardware, but don't bother with a "creamer" feature, most folks end up never using it, and you can accomplish the same effect by simply cracking the faucet for the last half ounce.

I don't think one can use performance data from random fridges or freezers to predict the lifespan of a specific unit. Way too many design variables to consider - and then there is a whole set of potential abuses by the previous owner(s) which could be more significant wrt lifespan...

Cheers!

 

[BornTrucker]

Thanks for the responses everyone. You've convinced me to keep it, now to convince the wife its perfect.

Definitely go with the stainless faucets and hardware, but don't bother with a "creamer" feature, most folks end up never using it, and you can accomplish the same effect by simply cracking the faucet for the last half ounce.

I don't think one can use performance data from random fridges or freezers to predict the lifespan of a specific unit. Way too many design variables to consider - and then there is a whole set of potential abuses by the previous owner(s) which could be more significant wrt lifespan...

Cheers!

Thanks for the tip on the creamer action. I actually was thinking of flow control, not creamer action. What are your thoughts there. I realized it costs even more than the creamer action option.

On the reliability, I was speaker more to Danby, and if they aren't great were there old products better? (less cheaply made) There isn't enough information out there about kegerators..

 

[cmac62]

for the aesthetics you can always build a cabinet for the outside.

 

[day_trippr]

I don't know how long the Danby brand has been marketed in the United States but small fridges seems to have been their thing for at least a couple decades. There sure are a lot of them that end up as relatively inexpensive kegerators.

wrt flow control faucets, folks that have them seem to love them. Might be something to that...

Cheers!

 

[BornTrucker]

for the aesthetics you can always build a cabinet for the outside.

While I agree with you, not everyone in my home is on board.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

100% Get the flow control and you can use nice short 5 foot lines instead of 12 foot lines. They work awesome.

Take a good long look at sanke kegs before pulling the trigger on ball locks. They're better and you can buy a commercial keg when you want without adaptors

I have a commercial undercounter fridge from 1985 that will most likely last forever...nobody can say how long yours will last. Brand new stuff breaks every day and the reason warranties exist. That fact that it lasted this long may be a good sign its a good unit....or it could crap out tomorrow...it is what it is

 

[Blazinlow86]

As the others have said getting flow control taps is a good idea if you don't want to spend the time getting your system propely balanced or dealing with cooling the tower properly. Those small keg fridges are notorious for half a glass of foam with the factory setup otherwise. Cheers

 

[BornTrucker]

As the others have said getting flow control taps is a good idea if you don't want to spend the time getting your system propely balanced or dealing with cooling the tower properly. Those small keg fridges are notorious for half a glass of foam with the factory setup otherwise. Cheers

Sold! Thanks for the input. Its helpful to know that flow control avoids the issue of line lengths.

 

[day_trippr]

That said, you'd be wise to get your line lengths close and use the FC control for fine tuning...

Cheers!

 

[Blazinlow86]

That said, you'd be wise to get your line lengths close and use the FC control for fine tuning...

Cheers!

Agreed. Imho the flow controls are more a "bandaid" for incorrectly setup draft systems but it seems to work well enough for those that don't want to fiddle with balancing and temp stratification when using a tower. I use a standup fridge so I just use the regular ss intertaps with great results. I previously used the ss perlicks with great results also. Cheers

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Agreed. Imho the flow controls are more a "bandaid" for incorrectly setup draft systems

A bandaid...ahh...no. Its just a better system. Fully adjustable with the flip of a lever. It actually makes no sense NOT to use them

 

[Blazinlow86]

A bandaid...ahh...no. Its just a better system. Fully adjustable with the flip of a lever. It actually makes no sense NOT to use them

It's a great system If you need it. Doesn't make sense to buy them if your setup doesn't require them of course as that's a solution for a problem you don't have. cheers

 

[Nate R]

Sorry old thread but fwiw i suggest a $40 tower fan kit from amazon, or a homebrew store.

I had a dandy kegerator (new) that was overall great. Had flow control perlicks. What eventually solved my biggest foaming issues was the tower fan. Without forced air up the tower the first 2-4 ounces of beer you pour is warm which = foam. After that its good for a few hours. So great for parties, bad for one beer after work.
Gotta be honest with you... unless you get a pro grade kegerator, keezer is THE way to go. Look for small upright or super small chest. But swmbo is always, well, swmbo.
Good luck.

 

[kh54s10]

Gotta be honest with you... unless you get a pro grade kegerator, keezer is THE way to go. Look for small upright or super small chest. But swmbo is always, well, swmbo.
Good luck.

Do some research, decide how many kegs and faucets you will want down the road and get a freezer big enough to fit those kegs.