Why go with a collar?

[Judochop]

Newbie to the fun, techy side of brewing.

I recognize that a collar allows me to run taps through the front of the freezer (b/c coils in the freezer prevent such a maneuver otherwise).

But why go with a collar instead of running up through the lid with your tap lines, like I've seen in a number of pictures around here?

Is it easier to build a collar and then work with wood than it is to just work with whatever it is the freezer lid is made of? Is it about the driptray?

What are the construction advantages/disadvantages to either approach?

Thanks!

 

[BigKahuna]

It's about looken good and having fun!
I love my taps on the front...
If you like a tower....DO IT!

 

[scinerd3000]

Personally if i needed to use the firdge for something else down the road i can remove the collar and restore it to the way it was before i added taps. Plus building the collar was somewhat of a fun project

 

[springer]

I am doing to get a little extra head room so I can fit an extra corny or two on the hump in the freezer but I am most likely putting a tower or two on since I have them.

 

[flyangler18]

Think of it from a practical standpoint as well- if you run the lines through the lid of a chest freezer, what happens when you need to swap kegs? Will the tower be too tall to allow the lid to be fully opened (thinking of the wall behind the freezer)? What about the structural stability of the tower leaning at that kind of angle?

IMHO, towers work best on front opening fridges like the Sanyo 4912.

 

[homebrewer_99]

1. A collar allows modification of the freezer without damaging it.

2. Placing a tower on the top also adds weight to the hinges.

3. Opening up the lid with a tower on it can also damage the tower.

4. With a tower on top, the keezer has to be pulled away from the wall to open the lid fully when placing kegs inside or emptying.

A collar eliminates these pains.

A collar gives you more storage area.