Fridge Drilling

[UsernameTaken]

I would like to drill a hole in the side of my kegarator to keep the gas bottle outside but it seems to be more complicated than drilling holes in the door!

It's a 120 litre upright all fridge Westinghouse.

Any tips?

Thanks,
UNT

 

[mtb]

What I did on mine was first use a hole saw to remove the outer shell, then poke through the insulation to be sure there were no coolant lines in the way. Dug out chunks of the insulation until I was sure the path was clear, then used the same hole saw to drill out a hole from the inner shell. Zero risk (assuming your first hole saw-ing is no deeper than the outer shell)

 

[UsernameTaken]

So what if I follow this and do discover coolant lines?

Have I wrecked the fridge?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Here is a much easier way

Dry the inside of the fridge as much as possible ( be anal about it ..its. very important

Turn it on and give it a few minutes

Grab a spray misting bottle and set it to as fine as possible

Mist the walls

The mist will condense around the cooling pipes in the unit on the inside wall

 

[mtb]

Nah, all you would've done is dig out some insulation which can be replaced with expanding foam. I'm assuming you would only be making a 10mm hole so not much insulation to be lost

 

[mtb]

Stu makes a good point. My approach is based on an assumption that coolant lines are very unlikely to be in the sides of the fridge (my understanding is that they're mostly only in the back panel)

 

[Coldspace]

If it's got condenser coils up the back side then there will be no condenser gas lines in the side but some models have cables etc running inside the wall.
If there's no condenser on the back, run fridge up with load on it, ie door open and run your hand around the outer skin and feel for heat, heat is where the gas discharge lines will roughly be. Once your sure you isolated a spot where there's no heat, you can then do what oldmate above recommends and do a test hole.

I'd start with a small drill bit 1/8th or 3-4 mm, drill slowly through outside skin so you just pop through it , then stick a stiff piece of wire like coat hanger etc into the foam insulation and feel around for anything till you hit the inside skin, once clear, pop the drill bit in, stick it back in through outside skin into the foam till you hit the inside skin, then turn drill on and pop through inside wall.

You can then carefully use a bigger bit to get the required size for your gas line , stick line through and use a dap of clear silicone etc on the inside and outside skin around the line and leave to set over night.

Do this with fridge unplugged of course....l

 

[abyss]

I have a 440l Westinghouse and as you can see in the photo I drilled through the dished in bit. I was only guessing but all was good.
Mine has the (coolant ?) lines behind so I unscrewed the brackets and pulled them back to avoid damaging them

 

[pnorkle]

I have a 440l Westinghouse and as you can see in the photo I drilled through the dished in bit. I was only guessing but all was good.
Mine has the (coolant ?) lines behind so I unscrewed the brackets and pulled them back to avoid damaging them

It's funny that your sig says "I want to be looking at em, not for em" coz we're all looking for your photo of your 440l Westinghouse... can't see it.

edit: Ah - Ninja Edit

 

[Coldspace]

Evaporator cooling pipes will be in the rear of an all fridge setup,
In chest freezer they are in the internal side and rear walls so misting works there .

Some all fridges run discharge condensing pipes in the side walls but most are in the back, feel for the heat then do small exploratory test, and if you feel with the poker a gas line before you hit the inside skin then seal up outside hole with some silicone and if worried about the look then put a sticker or something over it.

Then try another spot.

 

[Coldspace]

When feeling for the warmth, best if not experienced, is to run fridge at load, and cool your hand in a bucket of water then run around the outer skin, you deff will feel heat if the fridge has been running for 10 mins or so.

This will give you an idea for the general area for doing exploratory hole test in a part that has no heat...

 

[abyss]

It's funny that your sig says "I want to be looking at em, not for em" coz we're all looking for your photo of your 440l Westinghouse... can't see it.

Ha I looking at it maybe your just looking for it.

 

[pnorkle]

Ha I looking at it maybe your just looking for it.

Not any more

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Stu makes a good point. My approach is based on an assumption that coolant lines are very unlikely to be in the sides of the fridge (my understanding is that they're mostly only in the back panel)

My approach was gained from a mate who has been a fridgie for 30 years

Thats the method he uses, and he hasnt holed a pipe yet ( he actually did knock on the wooden table when he told me that )

New fridges generally dont have coils in the side, but draw air from the freezer compartment and blow it into the fridge. Much more efficient

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

If it's got condenser coils up the back side then there will be no condenser gas lines in the side but some models have cables etc running inside the wall.

Correct, but only for the door switch generally, and anything in the door itself.

 

[TidalPete]

I'd start with a small drill bit 1/8th or 3-4 mm, drill slowly through outside skin so you just pop through it , then stick a stiff piece of wire like coat hanger etc into the foam insulation and feel around for anything till you hit the inside skin, once clear, pop the drill bit in, stick it back in through outside skin into the foam till you hit the inside skin, then turn drill on and pop through inside wall.

Coldspace is on the money here & better for use with sheet metal-type materials like fridges, freezers, etc is a 6mm to 20mm step drill.

No idea about the size of my Westinghouse all-fridge (houses 2 x olive oil drums with room to spare) but the three holes i drilled just in from the front top RHS corner were clear of any wiring or gas lines.
Hope this helps.
Sadly, can't take a pic because another fridge is in the way.

Edit --- Where there's a will there's a way.

 

[malt junkie]

When going through a fridge wall with coolant lines l use a soldering iron from the inside wall then explore with a screw driver then drill...... ain't killed a fridge yet.

 

[Coldspace]

Yep, no coolant lines in side walls of "all"fridges, but some models do have condensing discharge lines in side walls, especially up right freezers and chest freezers. I've helped set up a few mates setups and haven't hit a line yet, but there's always a small chance of a door switch or some freezer models have door heating elements etc.

Like Stu said, knock on wood,
I've been a Fridgie for 26yrs and anything is possible , but use the tips above and go slow and you'll be alright, knock on wood....

 

[wynnum1]

Have completely taken a fridge apart and it did have copper pipe in the sides in insulation so would be careful .