Fridge Versus Chest Freezers

[KHB]

my bar fridge i was planning to turn into a kegarator just died so i am after a new fridge. I have seen a lot of people using freezers and was wondering what everyone thinks is the best to use. Also how hard is it and how much to set up a chest freezer.

Cheers

 

[DarkFaerytale]

hey cadbury, i'm in the market at the moment for a chest freezer to turn into a kegorator there is heaps of info on ahb about them and plenty of different ways to set one up, i prefer the freezer with collor setup as it means no drilling through the freezer and if you ever decide to get rid of it there will be no damage done to the freezer just take of the collor and re-attach the lid, check out this search

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...2Bchest+freezer

good luck and keep us updated

-Phill

 

[bugwan]

Hey cadbury, I am desperate for a a freezer, but will have to settle for my working fridge for the moment... Freezers appeal to me because;

They're more efficient (lower running costs)
You don't lose all the cold air each time you open the door
They fit more kegs per dollar investment
Fitting a collar means zero modifications to the unit (plus extra volume)

Of course there are some negatives - mainly the fact that you need to lift the kegs in and out of a freezer, but unless you're playing with 50L kegs, you shouldn't have trouble...

 

[Maxt]

Hey cadbury, I am desperate for a a freezer, but will have to settle for my working fridge for the moment... Freezers appeal to me because;

They're more efficient (lower running costs)
You don't lose all the cold air each time you open the door
They fit more kegs per dollar investment
Fitting a collar means zero modifications to the unit (plus extra volume)

Of course there are some negatives - mainly the fact that you need to lift the kegs in and out of a freezer, but unless you're playing with 50L kegs, you shouldn't have trouble...

Trying to lift fermenters in and out does your back in as well.

Go the freezer I say.

I put a wanted ad in all the local online classifieds, and got a 300L one from a lovely old lady downsizing, for $50. Works a treat.

 

[Tony M]

I posted this about a year ago.
---------------------------------------
" Having replaced my faithful 32 YO but very dead fridge wiith a 358L chest freezer, I noticed that I rarely heard the freezer (set on 3C) running, so I put an hourmeter on it and over 120 hours, the compressor ran for 18.5 hours. Now this thing draws only one amp so over a year its going to cost me about fifty bucks. The old fridge drew 1.6A and it ran most of the time. If I said it ran 3/4 of the time, it cost $350.00 per year.
The freezer cost $400.00 so by June 2007, it will have paid for itself, so turf those cranky old fridges folks and save the planet. "
-----------------------------------
Also they are so much tidier. The accessibility to the kegs and associated hoses in a fridge gets totally out of hand if you try and store more than two kegs. In my 360L freezer, I can store 4 kegs and two jerrys and everything is accessible all the time. No more having to empty the fridge to get to the rear kegs.

 

[DarkFaerytale]

nice one Tony M, plenty more room if you ever decide to go more kegs too

-Phill

 

[KHB]

hey cadbury, i'm in the market at the moment for a chest freezer to turn into a kegorator there is heaps of info on ahb about them and plenty of different ways to set one up, i prefer the freezer with collor setup as it means no drilling through the freezer and if you ever decide to get rid of it there will be no damage done to the freezer just take of the collor and re-attach the lid, check out this search

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...2Bchest+freezer

good luck and keep us updated

-Phill

i have seen the freezer with the collers attached is it hard to put them on it looks like a good idea

 

[mayzi]

I posted this about a year ago.
---------------------------------------
" Having replaced my faithful 32 YO but very dead fridge wiith a 358L chest freezer, I noticed that I rarely heard the freezer (set on 3C) running, so I put an hourmeter on it and over 120 hours, the compressor ran for 18.5 hours. Now this thing draws only one amp so over a year its going to cost me about fifty bucks. The old fridge drew 1.6A and it ran most of the time. If I said it ran 3/4 of the time, it cost $350.00 per year.
The freezer cost $400.00 so by June 2007, it will have paid for itself, so turf those cranky old fridges folks and save the planet. "
-----------------------------------
Also they are so much tidier. The accessibility to the kegs and associated hoses in a fridge gets totally out of hand if you try and store more than two kegs. In my 360L freezer, I can store 4 kegs and two jerrys and everything is accessible all the time. No more having to empty the fridge to get to the rear kegs.

Looks like its paid for itself by now then...nice.

 

[mayzi]

i have seen the freezer with the collers attached is it hard to put them on it looks like a good idea

Haven't done it myself but have a look at this
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=14321
and this
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...c=15543&hl=

 

[Ross]

I posted this about a year ago.
---------------------------------------
" Having replaced my faithful 32 YO but very dead fridge wiith a 358L chest freezer, I noticed that I rarely heard the freezer (set on 3C) running, so I put an hourmeter on it and over 120 hours, the compressor ran for 18.5 hours. Now this thing draws only one amp so over a year its going to cost me about fifty bucks. The old fridge drew 1.6A and it ran most of the time. If I said it ran 3/4 of the time, it cost $350.00 per year.
The freezer cost $400.00 so by June 2007, it will have paid for itself, so turf those cranky old fridges folks and save the planet. "
-----------------------------------
Also they are so much tidier. The accessibility to the kegs and associated hoses in a fridge gets totally out of hand if you try and store more than two kegs. In my 360L freezer, I can store 4 kegs and two jerrys and everything is accessible all the time. No more having to empty the fridge to get to the rear kegs.

Hi tony,

Spot on the money :super: - I'm continually telling people to go the freezer route. old fridges picked up for next to nowt can be a real false economy....

cheers Ross

 

[Cortez The Killer]

I've converted over an old fridge - it was free and fits six kegs

From what I've seen it doesn't run very often (it is close to winter I suppose)

But the fridgemate seems to keep the fridge turned off for very long periods

Should a chest freezer come up at a decent price - I'll definitely change over

Cheers

 

[reveler]

I posted this about a year ago.
---------------------------------------
" Having replaced my faithful 32 YO but very dead fridge wiith a 358L chest freezer, I noticed that I rarely heard the freezer (set on 3C) running, so I put an hourmeter on it and over 120 hours, the compressor ran for 18.5 hours. Now this thing draws only one amp so over a year its going to cost me about fifty bucks. The old fridge drew 1.6A and it ran most of the time. If I said it ran 3/4 of the time, it cost $350.00 per year.
The freezer cost $400.00 so by June 2007, it will have paid for itself, so turf those cranky old fridges folks and save the planet. "
-----------------------------------
Also they are so much tidier. The accessibility to the kegs and associated hoses in a fridge gets totally out of hand if you try and store more than two kegs. In my 360L freezer, I can store 4 kegs and two jerrys and everything is accessible all the time. No more having to empty the fridge to get to the rear kegs.

I need to print this and hand it to the mrs