Using my fridge to cool a vanity

[MilehighBrew]

Hi everyone,

It's been a very long time, but I am back and ready to brew and I want to build a bar set up. I scored a very nice vanity off of CL and I want to turn it into a bar. I want to attach it to my garage fridge and cut holes in the fridge to chill the inside of the vanity. I will be making the vanity insulated to R10 with rigid insulation and seals. I am curious if the fridge and circulation fans will chill it enough for serving 4 taps. I want to do this so I can have the fridge and freezer in tact for storage if rare bottled beers I bring back from my travels. Do you think this will be possible?

I think I would use a temp controller in the vanity part to ensure that the kegs are staying at ideal temp, just not sure the fridge will keep up with all the demand. Thanks in advance.

 

[outside92129]

Post a pic of CL score?

Why do you need to chill the entire vanity, you just need to keep the taps, kegs, and lines cold?

 

[chrishanson]

Post a pic of CL score?

Why do you need to chill the entire vanity, you just need to keep the taps, kegs, and lines cold?

I think he wants to put the kegs in the vanity and keep it all cold from the external fridge.

I suspect it would work for a while but probably kill the compressor on the fridge before too long. It would probably have to run 24/7 to keep that much more space refrigerated and would eventually burn out.

 

[MilehighBrew]

OK sorry for the delay I just got back in the country. This is the vanity and fridge. My plans were to fully insulate the space where the keg is and have the fridge on the other side and vent into the left side of the vanity. Use a couple of fans to remove the air from the fridge and then circulate it in the vanity.

I see many mini fridges built into kegerators that are similar in size and volume.

I would run a 4 tap tower out of the top and lots of room inside for my 20# co2 thank and regulators with 4 kegs. I think I can complete it for under $200 invested

 

[brianbrinley]

insulate insulate insulate, you do NOT want that vanity sweating and ruining your cabinets!

 

[flars]

In the last two weeks there was a thread about the same idea. The OP built a cabinet and used a mini frig for cooling. Couldn't find the thread, title was not descriptive enough for search.

 

[b-boy]

I'd be worried about condensation as was mentioned above.

I think to make this work you'd need an inlet hose and an outlet hose with a few fans to move your air around. Any air leaks in the cabinet would be a problem because they'd pull in moist air.

 

[brianbrinley]

In the last two weeks there was a thread about the same idea. The OP built a cabinet and used a mini frig for cooling. Couldn't find the thread, title was not descriptive enough for search.

yeah I agree this would be a better solution, or even a jockey box style coil and a small cooled area.

Also remember that on some refrigerators the cooling coils run through the back and sides of the unit. make sure you don't puncture them or the build gets expensive real fast lol

looking forward to seeing the build though.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Is that vanity made of "M D F" or some kind of chip board, with a laminate or veneer facing on it?

If so, I would abandon the thought.
Temp and condensation will kill it in short order, not to mention the drawers will leak like a sieve, (cold air).

 

[MilehighBrew]

My hopes is to build an airtight box within the open area, just an extension of the fridge itself. I might have to abandon the idea due to space issue though, I need to double up on the insulation and don't have the height I need with that brace bar in there, but I might remove it, I planned on using a butcher block top backed with insulation.

The drawer area would not be part of the cooled area. I also was going to sandwich a laminate of hard plastic (white board) in between the insulation layers and then on the inside of the cooled area. I am pretty confident I can insulate it well enough not to have a condensation issue, but I am worried that I might not be able to cool it off enough, or burn out the fridge quickly.

Still trying to decide if this is the plan or to go with a Keezer. Thanks for the input.

 

[MilehighBrew]

It would be just like this, just using my vanity for the cold area and holes in my full size fridge for the cold air.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/diy-outdoor-kegerator-431267/