Freezer Conversion. Bending Coolant Lines

[starkesbier]

Hi all,

Picked up a 190l upright freezer but unfortunately it has the coolant lines as shelves. A quick test show these are bendable but I am too chicken to go all the way at the moment :unsure: . Anyone got any advice on how to go about bending these out of the way without f&*king it up? Picture below.

Cheers in advance
Starkesbier

 

[scott_penno]

*very carefully*


Seriously, I had similar thoughts with a fridge/freezer I had and managed to turn it into an oversized Esky. Next time I had the opportunity I didn't bother as the chances of screwing it were pretty good.


sap.

 

[azrebb]

I picked up a fridge and freezer from a garage sale, planning on using one as a ferment fridge and the other as a crash chiller. Not sure how I didn't notice the coolant lines were built into the shelves until I got them set up at home (probably something to do with the million beers the night before).

I've contemplated bending them but I don't like my chances. Unless there's some really good advice in this I'm just going to put it on gumtree and see if I use the money to get another...

 

[NickB]

Never done it myself, but I believe the idea is let it warm to at least room temperature (off, of course), then use a piece of wood or similar to gently edge the shelving back. PM TidalPete - I believe he once did this with his bar fridge.

Personally, I'd keep looking, and use that freezer for food or similar.

Cheers

 

[dent]

I know someone with a similar freezer who did bend the shelves up against the back wall - still works OK, though the angle he could manage still wastes a bit of room in the freezer.

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

never done it but you might be able to bend it around some pipe or similar to stop it pinching the lines.

Hope you didn't pay to much for the freezer ,could go either way :blink:

 

[booargy]

Done it, try to get some rubber or padded timber to pack the evaporator out will give you a straighter bend :unsure:

 

[komodo]

I've done it in a bar fridge - but never a full size freezer. I think it would be harder in a freezer.

 

[A3k]

gee, what timing.

i found a freezer almost identical to this on the side of the road. It wasn't until i got it home that I noticed the shelves had the coolant lines as shelves.

I'm going to test the freezer, and if it works, try bending it... will post how it goes (if i don't get cancer from the gasses first).

I remember a few years ago finding threads on bending the freezer section of bar fridges, which i reckon would probably be a similar job. Lots of people seemed to do it.


SNAP - here's my very similar freezer.

 

[booargy]

gee, what timing.

i found a freezer almost identical to this on the side of the road. It wasn't until i got it home that I noticed the shelves had the coolant lines as shelves.

I'm going to test the freezer, and if it works, try bending it... will post how it goes (if i don't get cancer from the gasses first).

I remember a few years ago finding threads on bending the freezer section of bar fridges, which i reckon would probably be a similar job. Lots of people seemed to do it.


SNAP - here's my very similar freezer.

looks the same as mine. Mine is a Rank Arena given to me by my grandmother. pity a 60l FV won't fit on the second shelf. then would be higher than a keg. or it will fit 2x30l FV

 

[A3k]

Ok,
i bent the middle shelf with no worries today. This was really easy. It never felt like breaking.

there's nowhere for the bottom shelf to bend if i bend it down, and i'm not going to bend it up on itself, so i left it.

there were bars at the front of the fridge that hold the whole coolant system in place, so if you bent all the shelves, you'd need to fasten the system to the wall of the fridge.

I left both the top and bottom shelves un bent, but if i need more space in the future, i'll bend the top one down.

see the pics below of the finished product

EDIT: I need to make a shelf as the metal's not strong enough to hold a batch of beer.