Can you drill through a refrigerator compressor hump?

[DJ_L3ThAL]

As per the title, my kegerator is a Fisher & Paykel C450. I've searched for detailed drawings but none show where the coils typically run or if the compressor hump is simply insulation like the door. Given there are already penetrations for the electrical wiring and refrigeratant lines going through the "top" of the compressor hump, does that mean it would be safe to drill a hole (Approx 10-15mm) through the corner of the compressor hump (corner closest to the inside of the fridge.

The reason I ask is I want to sit my gas bottle outside the fridge now for various reasons, so bringing the gas line in through the corner of the compressor hump would be ideal.

The C450 fridge in particular is fan forced and all fridge, although the top 2/3 of the sides of the fridge feel warm from the condensor coils and the bottom feel quite cool (guessing that's heat loss through the insulation but I'm worried there are coils throughout the sides entirety.

 

[TheBigD]

maybe yes maybe no, is it metal or plastic ? if its plastic you can always push a soldiering iron through as a test/pilot hole, if its plastic one side and metal on the other go through the plastic and see what you hit.

Just be careful and keep an eye out for wires etc.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Sheet metal outside, plastic inside which taps quite hollow, suggesting insulation but could be insulation with coils up against plastic? So there are definitely some fridges with coils running along surface of compressor hump then?

Looks like a pilot hole and feel might be the safest method either way, I've got a Dremel too so could use cutting wheel to cut out a smallish square of the plastic surface to have a better look as the hole will be tucked away out of sight and I can fill it with silicone once the gas line is through anyway.

 

[mr_wibble]

I've drilled through 3x freezer compressor humps now.

I try to (only) drill through the outer casing, then push a wooden skewer through the insulation ... enlarge the hole to quasi-ensure no coolant tubes are affected, then continue to drill through the inside casing. Once I have drilled through the top, and the two other times through the side. So far (touch wood), I haven't ruined a freezer.

The cheap aldi chest freezers only have a metal foil for casing, you could just about push a bamboo skewer right through.

Older freezers are steel cases, and will definately need drilling.

-kt

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I saw something on youtube where the guy used cornstarch and alcohol to find where the gas lines ran, made up a paste and as it sat there a map of the gas lines appeared.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV8Pb7d5nZI

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

I'm worried about cold lines too seeing as though all refrigerant lines run up into the compressor humps top. Just figure it would be neater to run the gas lines around the back and up through the hump. I will rethink going through the side as that way with the corn starch test i can work with a little more certainty...

 

[Dan Pratt]

I lost a 400L freezer after trying to drill through the hump. Pilot hole was all foam, then used then holesaw and kaboom.....white dusty powder filled the garage...fark!!

For my gas line on the next one I just cut some of the plastic where the seal from the lid rests. I removed enough for the line and the freezer seals right over it. Will try and get a picture this arvo.

 

[Blind Dog]

Wouldn't the corn starch and alcohol only work to show hot lines? Not sure how you'd find any cold lines particularly when the fridge is presumably designed to keep the cold inside so the cold lines are less likely to show up on the outside of the fridge.

Personally I’d be looking at running the gas line in through a hole cut in the sealing strip on the door if I didn’t know where the lines were in the fridge. The door itself is the other option (but probably ugly) as presumably there are no lines in the door at all.

 

[mr_wibble]

Oh, BTW: When I drill, I use a hand drill, very slowly.

(i.e.: a hand-cranked drill)

 

[Camo6]

HURRY UP AND DRILL THE HOLE ALREADY!

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Haha! I'm waiting on a john guest bulkhead to arrive in mail as ill attempt to put that through the hump wall so i can easily disconnect the hose from the bottle if ever moving fridge or bottle. So you'll be through a few buckets o' popcorn by time i have a crack

 

[spog]

If using a power drill cut a piece of wood just long enough so only a couple of millimetres of drill bit will poke through ,then drill through the wooden stop block to check that it won't allow the bit to penetrate too far,then holding the block drill your inspection hole .
Cheers...spog.....