Media MRC07M7AWW Drill Hole in back/side.

[Kerednai]

I know this is not recommended but I'm wondering if anyone has successfully drilled a hole in a Media freezer for a gas line. The specific model I have is the MRC07M7AWW. There was another thread that mentioned the following back in 2008. I was hoping to find something like this but no luck.
"If you can find one of the holes they make in the outer shell to inject all the insulation foam, you can dig around in there with a screw driver to make sure no coil is in the way. I found one behind the hinge. It was covered by a white sticker."

 

[mashdar]

Picture? Are you familiar with the corn starch/alcohol method to see where heat is? (A flir camera would probably be easier?)

 

[day_trippr]

Can't depend on the corn starch/alcohol method with a chest freezer because while it may find the condenser tubing against the outside skin it cannot pick up the evaporator tubing against the inside liner.

If running a gas line out the drain port is esthetically displeasing, drilling through the floor might be the safest alternative...

Cheers!

 

[mashdar]

Could you tell when corn starch/water freezes? Or, again, FLIR!

Maybe sign up for a free home audit and ask the person to snap a couple pictures of your open and very hot/cold freezer coils : )

Supposedly home depot may rent them out? $63 for 4 hours, though! https://www.homedepot.com/p/rental/Thermal-Camera-Rental-FLIR-i7/316822080

edit: I guess correlating interior and exterior coil locations would be a bit fraught.

 

[Kerednai]

Some pictures as requested. Can take a better picture of the inside over the weekend if required. As you can see the freezer lid actually has about 1" gap to the wood of the counter so I'm thinking it may actually be safer to just remove the counter and route the gas line through the lid. Would require a couple of 90 degree elbows.

 

[Kerednai]

Taking some inspiration from one of your Keezer builds day_trippr what do you think to coming in the side (or back) of the freezer lid and then digging out the foam from the lid to connect the gas line?

 

[day_trippr]

I did that on my 1st and 2nd keezers, which had lids with removable liners and insulation. Ran gas lines and power and signal wiring through the back edge of the lid. If you can remove the liner that's a potential solution for you.

But when I went to build my 3rd keezer I discovered the lid and liner were injection-foamed together so there was no removing the liner. That's why I built a custom lid to deal with all the wiring and plumbing going in and out.

Cheers!

 

[mashdar]

Possibly silly question: is the compressor enclosure possibly a safe route in?

 

[day_trippr]

I'm inclined to expect there wouldn't be any coil lines running over/in front of the hump, but you should be able to verify that by accessing the compressor compartment...

Cheers!

 

[Kerednai]

What do you think based on these pictures?

 

[Kerednai]

Sorry, but I'm really not sure how I would verify if I have any coil lines running over/in front of the hump from these pictures.

 

[Kerednai]

When I researched Keezers it really never dawned on my to attach a collar to the lid rather than the main component. I think thats an option that could work for me and allow me to just gain an inch or so, which would be enough for a gas line etc. At the time of my build I was on a deadline, but now I'm going to strongly consider that option.