Fridge drilling?

[bnmir]

Can I safely drill a gas line hole in the side of a regular fridge or is there a risk of hitting anything?

 

[bottlebomber]

Can I safely drill a gas line hole in the side of a regular fridge or is there a risk of hitting anything?

Yes, there are lines in the sides. There is a thread or two on here for a starch test that will show you where those lines are.

 

[bnmir]

Thanks. I saw some in reference to putting a tower on a mini fridge, but Ill search thoroughly now that I know I need to be concerned

 

[Hammy71]

I would highly suggest you do any drilling from the inside. Decide where you want to put the whole and remove a small piece of the plastic interior. Then you can see and feel if there are any refrigeration lines before you drill. The last thing you want to do is hit a line...then your done.

 

[day_trippr]

Unlike chest freezers, modern refrigerators rarely run the coolant loop on the sides of the cabinet. The loop will typically run up the back of the cabinet to the freezer section and then return to the compressor again via the back of the cabinet.

That said, when I outfitted my two full-size fridges for brewery duty I first found the parts manuals/diagrams for them (on line, of course) then checked them to make sure where the lines were run...

Cheers!

 

[ButcherBoy]

Unlike chest freezers, modern refrigerators rarely run the coolant loop on the sides of the cabinet. The loop will typically run up the back of the cabinet to the freezer section and then return to the compressor again via the back of the cabinet.

That said, when I outfitted my two full-size fridges for brewery duty I first found the parts manuals/diagrams for them (on line, of course) then checked them to make sure where the lines were run...

Cheers!

However, many modern refrigerators DO run a loop of high side gas (warm) in the case around the perimeter of the door(s) to prevent condensation on the case during high humidity days. Use care drilling through the sides or back, only a couple of lines, but puncturing one will sure ruin your day... and the refrigerator.

 

[HDIr0n]

Are you drilling a mini fridge, or a full size? Either way you need to be careful, but it will help us let you know where lines might be.

-G

 

[bnmir]

Fullsize kenmore coldspot top freezer, modrl 106.70939901

 

[mikescooling]

I don't know what is in the sides of new fridges, but I do know most/all were just insulation mfr(called the box). Look where you are going to drill and make sure there is nothing around that area like an ice maker or light. I'd make sure to unplug it before you drill and as others have said cut a litte at a time, stop look, if the noise changes stop and look. If you do hit a rifer line don't get burned by the gas!!! It just takes a sec to get 3rd burns. When I drilled my fridge it only took 30sec, I didn't stop and look, some things need to drilled for fun, and I was drinking.

 

[day_trippr]

I checked that model out on the Sears Parts Direct site. While it doesn't show where the coolant lines run from condensor to evaporator, the guts of that particular model looks very similar to one of my brew fridges, which has both the cold and hot lines running vertically in the back wall. There are no gas lines on the sides or top, and no heaters around the door seal perimeter.

It's a "frost-free" model so there is a heater in front of the evaporator at the rear of the freezer compartment. There is also a cold air manifold running vertically inside the rear wall from freezer to fridge compartment. I put holes in that fridge in the rear wall at the very top-left corner of the fridge compartment to install a gas line feed-through and to bring the fan power through. That fridge is used to carb and hold kegs for the keezer...

Cheers!

 

[GLWIII]

Fullsize kenmore coldspot top freezer, modrl 106.70939901

Here is the owner's manual with some schematics that should help:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/9xlwv66

 

[bnmir]

Homebrewtalk rocks.
Thank you for all the info!