Where To Put Tap? - Westinghouse Fj383

[PistolPatch]

Hoping someone can help here.

Have just bought a second hand Westinghouse FJ383F Freezer which I'm converting to a fridge. I need to have the tap coming out the top right-hand side. Has anyone got any clues as to how to do this without drilling through the refrigerant lines?

Cheers,
Pistol.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Could you post some pics pointing out specifically where you want the tap?

 

[mistylane]

I few mates actually drop by a fridge repair guy and ask him (they swing him $10 for the advice) after picking up the fridge!

Apparently some fridge repairers are also commonly requested to fit beer taps and higher temp thermostats as well - if not sell you a 2nd hand fridge setup the way you want.

 

[PistolPatch]

Didn't think I'd get any replies to this so thanks guys. Can't send any pics at present as the freezer/fridge is at a mate's place where I've spent the last two days sanding and painting the friggin thing. It was full immaculate inside and atrocious outside. Had to paint it stainles steel look as I'm in a 1 bedroom apartment soit had to look spmewhat presentable. It has come up schmick so there's no way I'm going to buy another set-up! I used to two pack spray paint so having to use spray cans is just ridiculous - I don't even want to know how much I've spent on paint! :wacko:

 

[GMK]

Ok - buy some pine - take off the top - fit a collar and attach the tap thru the wooden collar and reatach the lid.

Otherwise - put a shelf either at the back or side - make it deep enough so that the lid can be opened up without hitting the font and tap.

Hope this helps.

 

[PistolPatch]

Sorry GMK. This freezer is an upright one so front opening door. Cheers for your reply though.

 

[Guest Lurker]

Plastic lined? If so get a sturdy stanley knife, cut a square hole in the inside plastic, dig out the foam insulation carefully with a screwdriver, get a clear shot at the steel outer without any tubes in the way and drill it.

 

[Ross]

Hoping someone can help here.

Have just bought a second hand Westinghouse FJ383F Freezer which I'm converting to a fridge. I need to have the tap coming out the top right-hand side. Has anyone got any clues as to how to do this without drilling through the refrigerant lines?

Cheers,
Pistol.

[post="95461"][/post]​

Try ringing their technical hotline - With my westinghouse fridge, they advised a 100ml clearence of any edge - but with my chest freezer it was a no go anywhere, except the end that had the compressor...

cheers Ross...

 

[GMK]

well now taht i know it is an upright - mount the tap thru the door - no lines there...

Might have been easier if u had mentioned taht in the first post - we are not mind readers - if u guys want help - need teh facts man - all the facts.

Rant off

 

[Ross]

well now taht i know it is an upright - mount the tap thru the door - no lines there...

Might have been easier if u had mentioned taht in the first post - we are not mind readers - if u guys want help - need teh facts man - all the facts.

Rant off

[post="95654"][/post]​

Maybe you should read his post - says he needs it coming out through the top rhs

 

[GMK]

well now taht i know it is an upright - mount the tap thru the door - no lines there...

Might have been easier if u had mentioned taht in the first post - we are not mind readers - if u guys want help - need teh facts man - all the facts.

Rant off

[post="95654"][/post]​

Maybe you should read his post - says he needs it coming out through the top rhs

[post="95657"][/post]​

Thanks Ross - still does not tell whether it is upright or free standing..
Like I said...

Not getting into semantics but there have been lots of posts by newbie AHB Members taht dont give enough info etc...

Rant off

 

[GMK]

even chest freezers ahve a top RHS

 

[peas_and_corn]

Back to answering the question... (serisouly guys, move on)

from what I've read here and elsewhere it would be much easier for you to put it into the door than in any of the walls for the very reasons given earlier- avoiding lines. Is there any specific reason why it must be on the top RHS? I think there's another thread where someone talked about how he got a hole in the wall of a freezer/fridge (can't remember what) and digged out the insulation to see where the lines were and used a bit of 'guesstimation' to work out where to drill. Anyone else remember this thread?

 

[PistolPatch]

Thanks for all your replies. Have been trying the Westinghouse advice line (which they charge $2.15 per minute) and it's either engaged or rings out!!!! I'll keep battling with that Ross! The idea about starting from the inside and working out sounds good Guest if no luck with Westinghouse.

And peas_and_korn, really want to go through side as am in a one bedroom apartment and have to put the fridge on carpet. If I go out the front, even with drip tray, my mates will get beer everywhere!. If I go out the right, I can have a drip tray just sitting on my kitchen bench and any spillage will land on that.

Gets a bit hard with no space and everything has to look good! Just spent the last week doing up a rusty freezer to a stainless steel finish to match all the other appliances. Looks great though. Be a very easy job if you had a fridge that wasn't rusty so if anyone wants advice on this, I may be of some help.

Just thinking, are there any chippies out there that would know if a stud detector would work for locating the cooling lines????

 

[Guest Lurker]

I am not a chippy, but most stud detectors use a coil to induce eddy currents, which will be screwed up in the presence of sheets of metal as would be found in a fridge wall. Gently dig from inside out! If unlucky enough to find a line, dig somewhere else and get 2 cans of expanding foam instead of 1!

 

[pharmaboy]

PP,

The Westinghouse will have warm lines in the side to stop condensation - it is designed to be part of a pigeon pair - these "should" be right on the outside, actually touching the outside metal, I assume you can see from the inside that it doesnt have cold coming off the inside walls - so you dont have to deal with that as well.

As others have said, you need to go from the inside out to check whether any lines are there - they will be silver and hard to see against the silver of the metal exterior, you can then drill from the outside. Now for taking care when drilling back through from the outside, watch the drill closely, it should be drilling through silver steel, if you start to see a copper line stop immediately and investigate - if using a hole saw, you will have the time to stop the drill before puncture no problems.

Unforttunately i am speaking from experience, but the second time when i saw the copper colour start, I stopped drilling and no puncture - the pipe is quite thick ( for a 5mm diameter anyway.

cheers

 

[PistolPatch]

Good on you guest! Maybe I'll get three cans!

Can I ask a stupid question? I would have thought the refrigeration lines would be close to the internal walls rather than the external walls so why wouldn't I drill a tinly hole on the outside and feel around with a stiff bit of wire? I suppose what I'm asking is how thick are the refrigerant lines and how often are they placed?

 

[PistolPatch]

Thanks Pharma! Somehow I didn't see your post before I wrote my last one. Am getting more confident about this drilling business! Look for copper, go from the inside!

 

[timmy]

Good on you guest! Maybe I'll get three cans!

Can I ask a stupid question? I would have thought the refrigeration lines would be close to the internal walls rather than the external walls so why wouldn't I drill a tinly hole on the outside and feel around with a stiff bit of wire? I suppose what I'm asking is how thick are the refrigerant lines and how often are they placed?

[post="96185"][/post]​

They are closer to the external walls because they are hot.