Storing CO2/N20 outside kegerator - where to drill?

[Vrtigo1]

I am trying to retrofit my kegerator to store the gas cylinders outside instead of inside so I can free up enough room to get another corny keg in it. Currently I have the CO2 tank and 2 corny kegs in it, and I want to add a 3rd keg on beergas but don't have enough room.

I would've actually preferred to have the cylinders outside from the get go, but I didn't know where to drill a hole for the gas hose so I just put the CO2 inside.

The freezer I have is a Frigidaire model FFU14FC4CW1, here is a link to the manual. The problem is it doesn't really give me a concrete location of the coils. The manual looks like it shows a small area near the back-bottom of the freezer that has a coil, but I always assumed the side and back walls had coils running throughout, so I'm not sure if I'm reading the manual incorrectly, or if it's talking about something completely different.

I know I could simply drill through the door, but that's the worst place to do it in terms of both appearance and logistics. Ideally I would like to drill a gas tube hole on the left side near the bottom.

My fear is that I'll hit a coil and ruin the freezer. Can anyone offer any suggestions or advice?

 

[NTXBrauer]

Find a spot you would like to run your CO2 line. Use a small drill bit, and drill through the outside layer only. Then use a piece of wire or the drill bit and put it into the hole your drilled out. You should feel foam insulation as the only resistance when pushing the wire or drill bit through. If you feel nothing besides the insulation when pushing the wire through until hitting inside wall, then you should be safe to drill. Use the same small drill bit you did initially and drill a hole through to the inside. You can then change out drill bits and enlarge the hole to the size you need to fit your CO2 line through. Cheers!

 

[Vrtigo1]

Thanks. Do freezers like this typically have coils in the side?

 

[NTXBrauer]

There may be a coolant line running through the inside wall, but you will feel it when pushing through the hole to the inside wall. The condenser is on the back of the freezer, and anything in the inside walls should be minimal, if there is anything at all.

 

[Vrtigo1]

So far, success. Didn't feel like there was anything but foam insulation in the wall. It's still running and I don't hear any hissing. I'll keep an eye on it to make sure it's still maintaining temp over the next day or two but I've got the gas outside now. Thanks for the tip!

 

[TheBeerNerd]

I'm still working on my first build... but I've seen a few examples of folks running gas lines through the fridge's drain hole.

 

[NTXBrauer]

So far, success. Didn't feel like there was anything but foam insulation in the wall. It's still running and I don't hear any hissing. I'll keep an eye on it to make sure it's still maintaining temp over the next day or two but I've got the gas outside now. Thanks for the tip!

You are welcome. I am glad it worked for you.

 

[barnaclebob]

You may have gotten lucky with the method in the first post. The coils in my fridge were right up against the outer layer so they can dissipate heat better, ask me how i know... Even if I had tried that method instead of using a hole saw I could have still drilled through the coolant lines.

Another trick I have read about is if you have to go through the side where the coils will be (it will be warm to the touch after the fridge has been running for a few min) is to wipe alcohol on it and note where it evaporates fastest, that will be where its warmest and where the coils are located.

 

[Vrtigo1]

The alcohol tip is an interesting one, although I am not sure how well I would be able to see alcohol on a white fridge in garage lighting. At any rate, what I ended up doing was following NTXBrauer's steps. First I used a 3/32 drill bit as a probe and worked up to a 5/8" spade bit. I drilled a separate hole for each gas line. I still need to caulk around them, but it doesn't feel like much if any cold air is getting out around the hoses.