Screwing into top of brewfridge

[Spapro]

Eyup,

Hoping someone who knows more than I do about fridge internals can give me a heads up on the safety of screwing 2 small screws into the top of my fridge.

Its a BEKO under counter fridge - no icebox (model: LA120 W).

I am just looking to screw 2 small screws to secure a tubular heater to the top of the fridge to heat a small fermentation chamber on top of the fridge.

In the below image the 2 red indicating circles would be where I want to drill, and screw in 2 small screws ?

Anyone know if there is likely to be any pipes or anything else located under the top cover I could puncture with 2 small screws ?

 

[Smileyr8]

Why do you want to screw it to the top of the fridge (internal I am guessing)? Heat rises so all you heat will be at the top of the fridge. Mine is fastened to the underside of leveling bracket in the base of the fridge I also have a PC fan that pulls the hot air to the front of the fridge so it will travel up the inside of the door to the top before cooling and travelling back down the rear of the fridge & through the holes in the rear and sides of the levelling bracket to begin its journey again.

 

[yeastinfection]

I am just looking to screw 2 small screws to secure a tubular heater to the top of the fridge to heat a small fermentation chamber on top of the fridge.

as above

 

[Jakeyboi]

It depends on the size of the screw. I would glue some timber to the top of the fridge then screw to that just to be on the safe side.

 

[Leon103]

Yeah why not just no nails it

 

[Robin54]

I am just looking to screw 2 small screws to secure a tubular heater to the top of the fridge to heat a small fermentation chamber on top of the fridge.

as above

thats why this great country of our is screwed...doh

 

[Razor]

You don't necessarily need it to be screwed on at all. Mine just sits in the bottom of the fridge in its brackets. That way I can move or remove it as needed without having to screw anything.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Robin54]

top work razor, onwards and not necessarily upwards:ugeek:

 

[Clint]

Why not make the fridge top fc with a based and screw it to that? Or do you want to be able to lift on and off the fv? If so just fix it to a piece of ply to steady it..

Cheers

Clint

 

[Fil]

best to avoid breaking the inner skin of a fridge as its a damp environment and given access to the foam insulation and moisture manky microlife can get a foothold in the foam if left exposed. a few tabs of sticky back velcro could be employed if you need some way to secure the tube heater in a non standard position.

case of do as i say not what i did im afraid.. my 2nd 'brewfridge blunder' was to epoxy the pc fan i employed to the thin inner skin too, 3 years down the rd and the pc fan recycled from an old pc case that had been used for a good few years as a 24/7 server did give up and die causing me a lil headache, i resulted in gutting the deadfan #1 and using its epoxied to the fridge body as a mount for its replacement.. not ideal, so i would strongly suggest consider the fans you use as consumables over the long term and dont make the same mistake i did

 

[Dutto]

...........

I am just looking to screw 2 small screws to secure a tubular heater to the top of the fridge to heat a small fermentation chamber on top of the fridge.

.............

In answer to the above:

1. The outer layer will be expanded polystyrene for at least 5mm so there should be no danger of puncturing anything screwing a 5mm self-tapping pan-head screw into the top of the fridge.

2. Personally, I would NEVER screw into the outer skin of a fridge. I would roughen up the surface of the fridge with a Dremel (or coarse sandpaper) and then use Araldite Rapide epoxy adhesive to glue the fitting in place.

3. If you intend to fix the heater in the photograph in place then I would glue two 75mm x 25mm x 10mm pieces of wood to a) Give a greater adhesive area. b) Raise the heater slightly away from the fridge top. c) Allow the use of 10mm long screws to hold the Heater Supports in place.

Please keep us posted on what you finally finish up with. As someone who brews 23 litre batches I'm intrigued to see what a "small fermentation chamber" looks like! :thumb:

 

[Spapro]

Thanks Guys,

I already have a heater in the bottom of the brewfridge (all controlled with an inkbird in the conventional way).

I have cobbled together a 60cm x 60cm square box (FV cover) out of this insulated board: http://www.diy.com/departments/celotex-tb4000-insulation-board-2400mm-1200mm-25mm/307367_BQ.prd

The idea being I can use the fridge for brewing and conditioning lagers and the top 'chamber' for brewing ales at the same time in my cool garage - heating only in the top chamber (controlled with an inkbird).

I will araldite a piece of wood to the top and screw the tubular heater to that - why did I not think of that, doh !

Might try velcro initially to establish it works as intended first.

I will post a picture once all in place so it makes more sense !

 

[Clint]

Why not make a wooden Base that fits exactly into the Base of the fc and fix it to that? So the fc just snugly fits over the top...

Cheers

Clint

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Clint didn't like my suggestion so I withdraw it.
Please, Clint, let me know if any other of my posts make you need a lie down.

 

[Clint]

...sounds good....fix it to a roller skate! After that brain storm I need a lie down. ...

 

[Manxnorton]

Hello pal
There's a lot of options floating around out there...as I found out with my fridges..lol
Mine combines the brackets glue onto the fridge and angled...

(But the heater is in the 'usual position'
Nay harm of making a couple of brackets for putting the heater at the top...(then if something goes wrong with the heater just slide it out!) the lead through the drain hole..aswell as your fans once you get them sorted.
Like Fil says the bracket system makes easier (for me!) if owt goes wrong!
Pic for you...don't laugh too hard lol

 

[Dutto]

Thanks Guys,

I already have a heater in the bottom of the brewfridge (all controlled with an inkbird in the conventional way).

I have cobbled together a 60cm x 60cm square box (FV cover) out of this insulated board: http://www.diy.com/departments/celotex-tb4000-insulation-board-2400mm-1200mm-25mm/307367_BQ.prd

The idea being I can use the fridge for brewing and conditioning lagers and the top 'chamber' for brewing ales at the same time in my cool garage - heating only in the top chamber (controlled with an inkbird).

I will araldite a piece of wood to the top and screw the tubular heater to that - why did I not think of that, doh !

Might try velcro initially to establish it works as intended first.

I will post a picture once all in place so it makes more sense !

It sounds a hell of a lot like "The Contraption" that allowed (made?) SWMBO insist that I buy a brewing fridge!

Enjoy and send photo 'cos really interested as Fridge is a bit small. :whistle: :whistle:

 

[Clint]

..no offence intended. ..it's just me being my usual daft self! Ability to resite the heater if needed is a great idea....putting wheels on it just popped into my head...a roller skate with a heater on is,according to my sense of humour,funny...

Cheers

Clint

 

[Spapro]

Right, I employed a few good ideas posted above (thanks for your input chaps), and here are some photos of my brewbox, on top of my brewfridge.

Just waiting now for my 2nd inkbird arriving from Amazon to run the heater and can give it a go, the inkbird in the photos is running the fridge below.

Used sticky velcro strips to fix the wood panel to the top of the fridge so can remove if necessary, then screwed the tubular heater in place on the wood). The top cover (5 sided box) is basically just 25mm foam insulation board, cut to make a 55 x 55 x 55cm box, taped together on the outside with duck tape and then siliconed along the joins on the inside.

Interested to see how it performs - hopefully keeps my brewfridge clear for lagers when also brewing an ale:

 

[Dutto]

Definitely a "contraption"! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Well done! :thumb: