Fitting taps to fridge door

[ECLIPSE]

Hi guys. I'm currently in the process of building s kegerator. The fridge I'm using is a Beko larder fridge. I've got 2 flow control taps from Norm with extended shanks, however they do not penetrate all the way through the fridge door so I can't secure them.

Is there anyone who has had similar issues with these things that could give me so advice?

Cheers

 

[carl_saint]

This is what I did. Drilled all the way through then took a Stanley knife and carved out the plastic and foam! Works a treat! Be careful though!

 

[ECLIPSE]

So you just screw the but all the way down to the back of the front metal panel? Is it still secure enough? What did you use to tighten the nut?

 

[carl_saint]

Yeah it's secure enough. Been using it for about 9 months now with no problems. I just used some mole grips and hand tightened the nut!

 

[ECLIPSE]

Cheers. Ill have a go at cutting the holes tonight! Might need some large washers to hold the nut up against the foam once I've cut it away. Scary stuff butchering a fridge!

 

[Dave1970]

I did similar, drilled a centre hole then used a small holesaw from the outside and a larger one from the inside. I got some large washers to spread the load a bit and make it more secure. Once the taps and beerline were fitted some rolled up camping mat plugged the gap to maintain the insulation.

See on the left of this pic

 

[ECLIPSE]

Good idea there! I've found a hole saw attachment on wickes that's 22mm (same diameter as the tap shank) but it says in the description that it only goes to 3cm depth. Will this be an issue or can I just drill it through entirely?

Edit: it it OK to drill a hole the same sizable as the measured diameter of the beer shank? Or should it be slightly bigger?

 

[ECLIPSE]

Well....

After a night of sweat and tears...

Time to relax!

 

[ECLIPSE]

After a day of thinking I'm now considering taking all the foam out of the holes I drilled instead of leaving some in for the tap to hold against. But I would be replacing it with some wooden washers I can make with my holesaw atatchements... So all I have do do is thread 3 or 4 onto the shank from the inside then tighten the nut up on the back.
Do you think this would be secure enough or would the taps be more likely to move and pull against the front metal panel if there's no intact insulation around the shank?

Edit. Then I could possibly fill up any gaps on the hole with expanding foam?

 

[Fil]

Do the taps move then? is it the thin face wall? if so consider a front plate or a back plate, back plate probably easier, cut a square/rectangular hole arround the tap holes and no nails a bit of ply to the rear of the door surface to provide support.
u can refill the gap with any insulation..

 

[ECLIPSE]

They are by no means tight. When I pull the dispensing handle forward I can hear the insulation crunching in the door where the shank goes through. I was hoping by removing the 2cm of insulation that the not and washer are currently clamping against and using wooden cut washers threaded onto the shank this would achieve what you mentioned by tightening up against the back of the front metal panel.

 

[jayjt29]

I used homemade wooden washers on my build the other day, works fine.

Jay

 

[ECLIPSE]

I used homemade wooden washers on my build the other day, works fine.

Jay

do you have any pictures mate?

 

[ECLIPSE]

OK so I took a risk and went for the wooden washer idea.

And amazingly it is perfect! Taps are very secure now! Didn't even need the expanding foam in the end but owell.

 

[joe1002]

Looks good :thumb:

 

[carl_saint]

That's a great idea! Glad your sorted!

 

[ECLIPSE]

Cheers mate! Poured my 1st chilled pint of Munton's smugglers gold this afternoon. Works a charm

 

[ECLIPSE]

Made a couple of changes last night. I was running about 2ft of 3/16 beer line to both my taps. Now I've switched to about the same length but if 3/8 beer line. This has improved the flow rate a lot! And has allowed me to turn the dispensing pressure down from 12psi to about 6. Which is good as my 2 ales were beginning to get over carbed.

Just 1 thing I was wondering re the new 3/8 beer line. Its a lot more resistant to bending compared to the thinner stuff, so now there's a bit of resistance when I close the fridge door. Not much... But its there. I've fed the beer line through the hole in the door shelf directly below the tap to try and keep the tension off the back of the shanks. Does this seem OK?