Kegerator freezing over

[bmbouter]

This is like a 17 year old kegerator. It's from back before kegerators were commonly available, so it's really a mini-fridge that I converted and added a temperature controller to. I keep it at 39 degrees and it nicely oscillates around that temperature.

Every 6 weeks or so the upper portion (near where the entry point to the evaporator is) is starts to grow lots of ice. Never on the lower part, just the upper part. I have to remove it with a heat gun or I think it would just consume the whole fridge. I suspect I need a new kegerator, but I'm curious why this is happening. It does cool correctly. I also have a damprid bag in there which collects no water in it (strangely despite the ice just growing and growing).

If this were your kegerator, what would you do?
Also, why is this happening?

 

[Beekeeper]

This is like a 17 year old kegerator. It's from back before kegerators were commonly available, so it's really a mini-fridge that I converted and added a temperature controller to. I keep it at 39 degrees and it nicely oscillates around that temperature.

Every 6 weeks or so the upper portion (near where the entry point to the evaporator is) is starts to grow lots of ice. Never on the lower part, just the upper part. I have to remove it with a heat gun or I think it would just consume the whole fridge. I suspect I need a new kegerator, but I'm curious why this is happening. It does cool correctly. I also have a damprid bag in there which collects no water in it (strangely despite the ice just growing and growing).

If this were your kegerator, what would you do?
Also, why is this happening?

Install a small fan inside to circulate the temperature evenly. Might even allow it to run more efficiently.

 

[Broken Crow]

^^ I was gonna ask; Do you have a constant recirculation fan running and do you live in a very humid area?
The fan is a must, apart from that; There was a thread just a while back in which someone had excess humidity and it was solved with some kind of drying product... I've searched for it but can't find the thread. Thing is; from your pic it really does look like a dead-zone for air circulation or upper condensation flash freezing when the compressor cycles which is exacerbated by a zone that has been too warm for too long a time.

 

[bmbouter]

I live in a humid-ish area (north carolina) but it's indoors so I didn't expect it to be very humid.

Currently there is no circulating fan and I'm going to install one! I'm also going to look at another drying product, maybe this damprid I have is old?

Thanks a lot for the ideas!

 

[dtashmore547]

check your door seal, it happened to me and that was the cause.

 

[JohnDBrewer]

Agree door seal.

 

[bmbouter]

Well ... in a surprising turn of events, while drilling in the sidewall of the kegerator to bring the 5v power for the 120mm fan through ... I drilled into the freon line and it's totaled. Turns out a new kegerator was in my future all along. I gotta say, having the port holes in the new ones (and some with built-in fans) are really nice features.


Anyways, thanks everybody!