My 20# CO2 tank is currently in the fridge with 3 kegs. I am planning to move it out so I have room for 4 kegs. What should I use to seal the hole that I drill for hose from the CO2 tank?
My buddy suggested plumbers putty?
Plumbers putty would work, or silicone sealant. Another option would be to drill the hole a bit smaller than the gas line and wedge it through with some keg lube.
Use this.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/1-4-mfl-bulkhead-adapter.html
ITs even on sale
this is what it looks like
That’s nice. I’ve seen others do the same thing with three pieces. Single piece = less points of failure.
Cool! So I would just need another hose to connect to the manifold…
Correct, a flare fitting on each side will work perfect. Id just call them and verify the length of the bulkhead to make sure it will fit your needs. ive seen a few different legnths ont he market, 3 inch and 4.25. Make the calla nd make sure its what you need.
Cheers
Jeff
I have 9/16" OD gas line, and I just drilled the hole 9/16". The hose fits pretty snug and I doubt it’s a problem.
The biggest issue with this is that its not air tight. Because the inside of the cooler is cold and the outside is warmer and more humid, the cooler will essentially suck in moisture from the outside causing more condensation build up. If you go this route make sure you chalk around the hose and get it as airtight as possible.
Cheers,
Jeff
That would have worked great on my build years ago. Very cool. On my build I added a gas-in keg connector on the outside and use a standard QD from the regulator.
Paul
I never sealed mine. I drilled the hole the same size as my line. I could get the line through, but it is snug. I suppose I could silicone seal it but there is so little transfer that I haven’t had a problem.
Disclaimer:
I keep the cooler relatively warm for serving, and I live in a dry climate. Your results may vary.
Me too. I think opening the door is going to cause far more air exchange. If the temp inside decreases, it will suck in air. But if the temp inside doesn’t change and pressures are equalized it is not going to continually draw in air. The only exception would be a newer fridge/freezer that uses a pump to draw a slight vacuum to seal the door.
I used an MFL bulkhead with a female flare to keg post adapter and a ball lock gas plug for my CO2 tank to refrigerator connection. I used a nut and a stem in the inside to connect gas line to a manifold. I use my CO2 tank while cleaning kegs, so this type of setup is perfect for me. It also allows me to disconnect my CO2 tank from the refrigerator and take it to a function.
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Looks nice and clean. Not sure id drill threw the refridgerator body myself. with my luck id need a new fridge:D
I owned this brewing refrigerator for 15 years before I mustered the courage to take a drill to it.
Awesome idea. How did you work out how to find a spot to drill a hole that doesn’t cut through the cooling elements in the wall of the refrigerator? I want to do this with my freezer but I’m pretty sure the walls are full of cooling pipes and stuff.
I like the bulkhead conversion - looks nice. I remember running a CO2 line through the side of an old reconditioned fridge, using a cheap rubber grommet on the outside wall of the fridge that fit the gas line tightly. Worked great.
you can drill a small pilot hole and feel around inside with a wire cloths hanger or similar to find a clear path through.
Most refrigerators do not have coolant lines that run through their sides. I would not attempt it with a freezer. This particular refrigerator has a non-frost-free freezer compartment (it’s a member of the Sanyo SR95XX family). I can see where the freezer compartment lines enter and exit the refrigerator.
The reason why I went this route is because I do not have to get down on my knees on concrete in a tight space to remove a more permanent connection. I just simply have to bend over and pop the gas line disconnect off of the plug. I am also one of these engineering types that believes that form needs to be an integral component of function.
I think it looks great. I used the grommet back in the day because I happened to see one in the hardware store (fridge long since burned out). If I were to do it again, I’d go the bulkhead route.