Hi,
I'm building a "coffin" style keezer, with a tower on top for the taps. The tower has a 3/4" wood front, with three layers of 1.5" dense foam insulation behind it. My plan is to have the shanks extend through the wood and first layer of insulation. The middle layer will have a U shaped channel. The beer lines will hang down one side of the U, into the freezer, while the other side will have a fan blowing cold air around the U, to chill the lines.
I have drilled 7/8" holes in the wood, so the shanks fit tight through that. To accommodate the hex nut on the back side of the wood, I'll need a 1.5" hole in the insulation, about 1/4" deep. And to give me access to the hex nut that will hold the tailpiece on the back of the shank, I'm going to need a 1.5" hole in the insulation, about 1/2" deep on the other side.
So, my question is, would it be a better design to have the remaining 3/4" in the middle of the insulation drilled to 7/8", giving me a tight fit there, or would it be better to drill the 1.5" hole completely through the insulation?
The 7/8" hole would provide better insulation from the outside air, but I think the 1.5" hole would let the cold air circulate around the shank. I'm guessing regardless, the shank will probably be closer to room temperature, since the faucet and portion of the shank on the front of the tower will have a lot more surface area to absorb warm air than the 1.5" of shank and tailpiece will have to absorb the chilled air. Does the shank temperature really make much difference as long as the beer lines are chilled?
Thanks for your input!
I'm building a "coffin" style keezer, with a tower on top for the taps. The tower has a 3/4" wood front, with three layers of 1.5" dense foam insulation behind it. My plan is to have the shanks extend through the wood and first layer of insulation. The middle layer will have a U shaped channel. The beer lines will hang down one side of the U, into the freezer, while the other side will have a fan blowing cold air around the U, to chill the lines.
I have drilled 7/8" holes in the wood, so the shanks fit tight through that. To accommodate the hex nut on the back side of the wood, I'll need a 1.5" hole in the insulation, about 1/4" deep. And to give me access to the hex nut that will hold the tailpiece on the back of the shank, I'm going to need a 1.5" hole in the insulation, about 1/2" deep on the other side.
So, my question is, would it be a better design to have the remaining 3/4" in the middle of the insulation drilled to 7/8", giving me a tight fit there, or would it be better to drill the 1.5" hole completely through the insulation?
The 7/8" hole would provide better insulation from the outside air, but I think the 1.5" hole would let the cold air circulate around the shank. I'm guessing regardless, the shank will probably be closer to room temperature, since the faucet and portion of the shank on the front of the tower will have a lot more surface area to absorb warm air than the 1.5" of shank and tailpiece will have to absorb the chilled air. Does the shank temperature really make much difference as long as the beer lines are chilled?
Thanks for your input!
