Drilling holes in fridge

[aero-spaced-out]

I wouldn't condone risking this unless you can be absolutely sure that where you are drilling doesn't contain any of these tubes that are part of the refrigerating system.

Okay so onto the post.

My friends dad had a thermal imaging camera a d I chanced my arm and asked if I could borrow it for the purpose of drilling these holes.
Well he let me and I want to get it done today.
So I get the attached images and looking at the interior I thought that "Happy Days, there is no cooling in the sides, I'll go in there then"
But when I checked the exterior of the fridge, both the sides were giving off a good bit of heat and were actively warm to the touch
So I'm assuming there is some form of heat exchangers in the sides

Any persons who have done this before able to offer up any advice please?
Would rather not dump a load of refrigerant into the room lol.

 

[Rodcx500z]

It would help members if you let them know name and model number of the fridge, for gas lines most people use 3/16th through the drain hole, for inkbird and tube heater wires mine fit between the door seal ', the only holes i drilled were in the door for taps

 

[aero-spaced-out]

It would help members if you let them know name and model number of the fridge

Good call!
The fridge is a Kenwood KUL55X23.

I'm using a RAPT Temp Controller but the principle is the same, I wouldn't likely be drilling a hole for the probe to go through unless I notice any damage to the probe wire which has its own easy ways to fix it without drilling.

I'm trying to avoid going through the door if I can and because of where the fridge is and where I have my regs wall mounted going through the sides would be cleaner for me.

The rest of this reply below is just me thinking out loud.

Once fermentation is done I'll be using the fridge as a double for keg storage too so lagering and conditioning any brews I do at low temps but while maintaining gas pressure for force carbing.

If I can get it done today then the three kegs I have at the minute have a chance to be ready for Christmas lol

I'll definitely be drilling two holes on one side for gas input, one CO2, one mixed gas.
The CO2 will use a splitter for multiple kegs to run off the same tank and reg.
I'm undecided if i want to drill two more holes that I can use to mount my blowties to so that I can check pressure without opening the fridge and disturbing it.

 

[Clint]

I've seen a method where you just drill the outside casing,then pick away and probe through the insulation with a pointy thing,then punch through the inner skin. For my heater cable I just cut a chunk out of the door seal and the door closes on the temp probe wire without issues. As for pipes inside the walls I wouldn't have thought they'd be in the corners,but you never know!

 

[aero-spaced-out]

So after turning it back on and watching it heat up I came to the conclusion that I'm not likely to have any luck going through the sides of the chamber. There was a very even spread of heat along both sides and even though I could see the direction of the cooling pipes in the back of the fridge, I wasn't prepared to drill through it as it clearly has a plate in it for spreading the chilling (for lack of a better phrase)

I took the top off as I wanted to change the direction of the door anyway and realised that the top was just insulation... so double checked it with the thermal cam and didn't see any heat change (it's insulation I didn't know what I was expecting to be honest)

I went gently poking with a screwdriver and viola, it hit the internal plastic ceiling of the fridge.

So drill on with a 9mm bit to get the initial hole
Then in with a 9.5 to meet the 3/8" gas tubing and here we are.
Time to check the fit with some pushfit elbows and then whittle a couple of tubing holes on the underside of the roof top cover.
This way I'll maintain the top of my fridge for storage purposes and I still have gas feed into my chamber. Happy chap.

 

[Clint]

There's nowt like poking holes in stuff!

 

[aero-spaced-out]

Quick update
Grommets have been added to give a better seal around these holes and also make it look a bit cleaner.
If only I had thought ahead and got myself a handful of 3/8" to 3/8" pushfit elbows and this would be done and dusted tonight with my stout in conditioning under pressure at proper temperature by tomorrow evening

Oh well
There's always tomorrow to go get some!
Final update when I get my 3/8" elbows and have it reassembled properly.