Free Kegerator - Pretty Much What You'd Expect

[pahuffman]

Hi everyone!

I got a free kegerator from a buddy of mine the other day but some of the parts are in pretty poor shape. This thing looks like it came from the Jurassic era of kegerators. The fridge itself is in working order but I'm concerned about some of the other parts. My friend had it sitting in his house for a couple of years, but never put the effort into getting it to work again. I plan on using the existing sanke coupler for a while to empty out some kegs I can eventually turn into keggles, and later move to a corny setup.

When I took the sanke coupler apart it looked like someone had used it as a shovel because so much dirt came out. Here's a look after i cleaned the inside with a Qtip.



Here's a shot of the outside



Here's the tower and faucet



Here's a shot of the regulator. My friend said this did not work, but I think if the gauge and gaskets were replaced it would work. I didn't get any detail information about how it does not work.



Here's the party pump that I have



My questions are these:
Even if I can't use all of these parts, what is the best way to clean/polish the parts I know I can use (like the tower)? What solutions could I soak these parts in to get them clean again, inside and out? They have a great deal of crud on the outside and I want this baby to shine. I've looked around the forum and couldn't find an answer. I'm a college student on a tight budget, so is it worth my money to invest in a couple of new parts (like a new gauge) to try and restore this thing to its former glory? If so, can I use some of the parts from the party pump to help with the restoration? What's the best way to test the regulator? Could I hook it up to an empty keg? Any other comments/questions are welcome, and thanks for your time!

 

[AT-JeffT]

When I picked up used (sanke) kegerator guts I soaked everything in oxyclean. If you are not familiar, oxyclean is an oxygen based cleanser, it is safe on stainless and rubber. loosen the faucet nut and take the faucet and tail piece off of the tower. Then break down the faucet to ensure contact with all the faucet internals. The coupler shouldn't need to be disassembled and can be soaked as is.

That regulator looks pretty rough. I would test it for leaks or just write it off and buy another. Harbor freight has a really cheap dual gauge regulator that will work.

As for polishing the tower, I don't know if it is chrome plated or stainless. I would start with a very very mild polish. Toothpaste may even work. A more serious option would be Mothers metal polish.

 

[Bookworm]

When I picked up used (sanke) kegerator guts I soaked everything in oxyclean. If you are not familiar, oxyclean is an oxygen based cleanser, it is safe on stainless and rubber. loosen the faucet nut and take the faucet and tail piece off of the tower. Then break down the faucet to ensure contact with all the faucet internals. The coupler shouldn't need to be disassembled and can be soaked as is.

That regulator looks pretty rough. I would test it for leaks or just write it off and buy another. Harbor freight has a really cheap dual gauge regulator that will work.

As for polishing the tower, I don't know if it is chrome plated or stainless. I would start with a very very mild polish. Toothpaste may even work. A more serious option would be Mothers metal polish.

I agree with the oxyclean. I disagree with not taking the coupler apart. I left my keg cooler setting unused for a number of years and did not clean it properly first. When I took the coupler and faucet apart they had a lot of gunk and oxidation in them. I soaked in oxy, repeatedly, and used scotch bright to clean it up. It is not perfect and shiny anymore but it is clean and works good.

 

[AT-JeffT]

I agree with the oxyclean. I disagree with not taking the coupler apart. I left my keg cooler setting unused for a number of years and did not clean it properly first. When I took the coupler and faucet apart they had a lot of gunk and oxidation in them. I soaked in oxy, repeatedly, and used scotch bright to clean it up. It is not perfect and shiny anymore but it is clean and works good.

I just took the check valves out. Forgot to mention that. There is no harm in dissembling the coupler as well. Also, soak everything in sanitizer (I like star san) before serving.

 

[pahuffman]

Thanks for the replies! I will go pick up some oxyclean this afternoon. I had thought about that but wanted to make sure it was safe. I'll try toothpaste on the tower also. I'll probably take the coupler apart because it's so old. Y'all are the best!