What to do when fridge stops working?

[joshtyle]

I built my bar (slightly modified Kegger Bar) about 5 years ago and it’s been great. But just recently my fridge has stopped working…the freezer plate no longer gets frost on it. The compressor seems to be running (makes noise, gets hot), but nothing in terms of cooling. Since it’s impossible to replace the unit without destroying the bar, does anybody have any good advice for repair? Most places on the internet just say “throw it out” but it’s not really possible/practical in this case!!

[esanchez]

Wondering the same thing. I want to build a straight kegger bar, but what do I do if/when the fridge breaks? A friend of mine built his bar with a kegerator for this reason.

[mckdelbu]

You’ll have to remove the front panels and any framing that encloses the fridge unit. I can’t imagine that would destroy the whole bar, since the workspace counter is held up by multiple supports. It won’t be easy, but a saws-all will make it so.

I’d start by clearing the insulation from the opening (where the fridge meets the box, then remove the front panels that enclose the fridge. From there, remove the back support frame by cutting the front most support with a saws-all. It should slide right out. Fit the new unit and patch up the removed support. Keep in mind, as you reassemble the cooling unit, to NOT use glue! Just screws in case you ever need to reverse the process.

You can opt for a kegerator unit, but that takes all the fun away from the project

PS, take photos and post em to the forum if you remove your fridge. I’m going to be removing my old fridge this winter and upgrade to a freezer unit, but it is mounted in the back room behind a wall, so it’s easy to maintenance.

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