Fridge advice

[MashBag]

I have a new fridge coming that I will need to drill through.

Is there any advice or techniques to detect where the pipes are please?

 

[Siscokid85]

Generally sides are safer, some people say plug it in, chill it down, then put a jug od boiled water in there and see where condensation forms to check where the chilling pipes are.

also pilot hole where you want to drill, then use a cocktail stick to poke around at an angle in the hole to see if you find anything hard, then drill the bigger hole once you are confident there is no important pipework right next to the pilot hole.

I must admit ive never done the above. all my fridges are from facebook market place and cost less than £30 so I am a bit less worried about if the worst happens, so as a rule I only drill the sides and if i need something through the back I use the drain hole. Although I see the benefit of buying a new fridge - you can take a tape measure into Currys or wherever and check your fermenter / kegs or what ever will fit before you buy!!

Good luck hope it all turns out OK!

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Generally sides are safer

I'm not sure about that

I have a new fridge coming that I will need to drill through.

Is there any advice or techniques to detect where the pipes are please?

What are you looking to achieve? Is it a kegerator or fermentation fridge? What pipes are you looking to install?
The door is probably the safest. If you need to get CO2 in, I'd recoment using 3/16 line through the drain hole, thus eliminating need for drilling for that purpose.

 

[MashBag]

OK confession time.

Yesterday I had an episode.. "FFS who puts a refrigerant pipe there. Grrrr" etc etc

Sides.. Even close to the front are not safe I now know!

 

[MashBag]

What are you looking to achieve? Is it a kegerator or fermentation fridge?

Neither and both. I am planning a universal 40mm port so that I can run anything and everything through it. And then close it off when not in use.

2 chiller lines and kettle plug feature for cooling.

I do like the cocktail stick method. Thank you.

 

[Nashbrew]

I drilled a small hole in the metal skin then had a prod around the foam to make sure everything was clear.

 

[Rodcx500z]

The only hole i have is on the door for taps, gas bottle is in the fridge, heater wire and inkbird probe between the rubber on the fridge door

 

[Rodcx500z]

 

[Nashbrew]

Just to add to ideas do you have access to a thermal camera ?

 

[AnimatedGIF]

OK confession time.

Yesterday I had an episode.. "FFS who puts a refrigerant pipe there. Grrrr" etc etc

Sides.. Even close to the front are not safe I now know!

Oh no, bad luck. That's why I was surprised to see sides mentioned as being safer.
As Rod has said just trapping with the seal works well, and means no drilling.
40mm is a pretty big hole - are you sire you'll need one that big?

 

[-Bezza-]

The drainage hole at the back tends to be the best place to run cables into the fridge. Admittedly you won't get a hole as big as 40mm there.

The door is generally a safe place to drill if you are wanting a bigger hole!

 

[Siscokid85]

I'm not sure about that

What are you looking to achieve? Is it a kegerator or fermentation fridge? What pipes are you looking to install?
The door is probably the safest. If you need to get CO2 in, I'd recoment using 3/16 line through the drain hole, thus eliminating need for drilling for that purpose.

*Than drilling the back. **In my experience with my fridges...

The 3/16th line for gas is a great idea though, will work through the door seal without creating too much of a gap in the seal, used it like that before.

 

[Siscokid85]

OK confession time.

Yesterday I had an episode.. "FFS who puts a refrigerant pipe there. Grrrr" etc etc

Sides.. Even close to the front are not safe I now know!

Ahh gutted, put it in the bin and order another? or is it fixable?

 

[AnimatedGIF]

*Than drilling the back.

Very true

 

[RichardM]

Very true

I've successfully drilled my fermentation fridge low down at the back

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Ok, don’t take this as gospel without checking it out first but, a fridge works by taking heat from the inside and transferring it to the outside. Much like a car takes excess heat from inside the engine and disperses it outside via the radiator, the heat from the inside of the fridge gets dispersed outside in one of two ways:

Via a metal grid on the back of the fridge

Or through tiny pipes within the casing

So, if the back of your fridge looks like this, you have the pipe work in the sides, back or elsewhere within the casing so should either leave it be, follow the precautions mentioned elsewhere in this thread before drilling or go for it and take a chance.



On the other hand, if the back of your fridge looks like this, then this is where the heat comes out and there aren’t any pipes hidden in the casing

 

[MrJay83]

The drainage hole at the back tends to be the best place to run cables into the fridge. Admittedly you won't get a hole as big as 40mm there.

Just drill it out. They normally have a sleeve inside them (think this is a barrier to the insulation) and I'm sure you could expand it. I popped mine out (currys essentials) and I could fit my temperature probe cable and heat belt cable through it together.

 

[RichardM]

Ok, don’t take this as gospel without checking it out first but, a fridge works by taking heat from the inside and transferring it to the outside. Much like a car takes excess heat from inside the engine and disperses it outside via the radiator, the heat from the inside of the fridge gets dispersed outside in one of two ways:

Via a metal grid on the back of the fridge

Or through tiny pipes within the casing

So, if the back of your fridge looks like this, you have the pipe work in the sides, back or elsewhere within the casing so should either leave it be, follow the precautions mentioned elsewhere in this thread before drilling or go for it and take a chance.

View attachment 84923

On the other hand, if the back of your fridge looks like this, then this is where the heat comes out and there aren’t any pipes hidden in the casing

View attachment 84922

That's not correct. The coolant flows through pipes in the sides of the fridge, this makes it get warmer. This heat is then dispersed via the grid at the back.
This is an over simplification but if your fridge looks like the one in the second photo it doesn't mean there are no refridgerant pipes in the sides for you to drill in to.

 

[-Bezza-]

Just drill it out. They normally have a sleeve inside them (think this is a barrier to the insulation) and I'm sure you could expand it. I popped mine out (currys essentials) and I could fit my temperature probe cable and heat belt cable through it together.

That's exactly what I've done with mine, although with a greenhouse heater rather than heat belt. OP is talking about a 4cm hole though...

 

[MrJay83]

That's exactly what I've done with mine, although with a greenhouse heater rather than heat belt. OP is talking about a 4cm hole though...

I reckon you could do it.... On mine anyway. It's just out to the compressor and condensate drip try. 4cm seems a bit much alright.