snyklez
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2012
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Good day everyone. I have a Haier mini fridge that I was fortunate enough to acquire free from a friend. I just recently got into kegging and have somewhat audacious plans to build a bar around this eventually tricked out fridge. So I thought I'd start a new thread showing the process from beginning to end. So far, I took a page from this thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/emergency-fridge-demolition-75090/
in my initial steps, but figured I'd try and go into a little more detail with the process, and update this thread on my progress along the way.
Now, my apologies, I didn't take a picture of the fridge before modification. I actually just decided to start this thread, so excuse my lack of forethought. However, with the right tools, I got to where I am now in about 30 minutes. My plan is to fit two pin lock cornies in this fridge. I also have a 5lb co2 tank. Whether or not it'll fit on the hump is to be determined. Anyway, here are the steps I took.
First, you have to move the thermostat located on the right hand side wall. If you take the dial off there are two screws underneath. There is also a screw holding the wire assembly to the wall. Once those are removed, just dangle the thermostat to get it out if the way. Next, we have to address the freezer/cooling element. It's a box with cooling lines running through the bottom and sides. The top is just sheet metal, joined in the middle by three rivets. I detached the freezer from the fridge easy enough, there were four screws with plastic holders connecting it to the roof of the fridge. You have to pull the freezer box forward to detach. Then, I folded the whole thing down, so the top of the freezer box was now facing me. I took a dremel (greatest tool man has ever created) with a basic cutting wheel and cut lines down the sides of the plain metal top where it bent to form the sides. Next, I used the dremel to cut one side of the rivets off (the side facing me, obviously) in order to separate the box in the middle by prying it apart. Then, since I basically scored the metal with the dremel in the appropriate place, I just wiggled it till it fatigued and came off. I continued to bend the freezer box - now only three sided - until it lay against the back of the fridge. This was the part I was most concerned about, because I didn't want to kink the refrigerant pipe. But it bent with ease. Next, I used the dremel to easily cut through the plastic and insulation on the door in order to get it to close with a keg inside. I'll go ahead and include the pictures of my progress.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/emergency-fridge-demolition-75090/
in my initial steps, but figured I'd try and go into a little more detail with the process, and update this thread on my progress along the way.
Now, my apologies, I didn't take a picture of the fridge before modification. I actually just decided to start this thread, so excuse my lack of forethought. However, with the right tools, I got to where I am now in about 30 minutes. My plan is to fit two pin lock cornies in this fridge. I also have a 5lb co2 tank. Whether or not it'll fit on the hump is to be determined. Anyway, here are the steps I took.
First, you have to move the thermostat located on the right hand side wall. If you take the dial off there are two screws underneath. There is also a screw holding the wire assembly to the wall. Once those are removed, just dangle the thermostat to get it out if the way. Next, we have to address the freezer/cooling element. It's a box with cooling lines running through the bottom and sides. The top is just sheet metal, joined in the middle by three rivets. I detached the freezer from the fridge easy enough, there were four screws with plastic holders connecting it to the roof of the fridge. You have to pull the freezer box forward to detach. Then, I folded the whole thing down, so the top of the freezer box was now facing me. I took a dremel (greatest tool man has ever created) with a basic cutting wheel and cut lines down the sides of the plain metal top where it bent to form the sides. Next, I used the dremel to cut one side of the rivets off (the side facing me, obviously) in order to separate the box in the middle by prying it apart. Then, since I basically scored the metal with the dremel in the appropriate place, I just wiggled it till it fatigued and came off. I continued to bend the freezer box - now only three sided - until it lay against the back of the fridge. This was the part I was most concerned about, because I didn't want to kink the refrigerant pipe. But it bent with ease. Next, I used the dremel to easily cut through the plastic and insulation on the door in order to get it to close with a keg inside. I'll go ahead and include the pictures of my progress.