Using a fridge as a chiller?
- Thread starter 4535jacks
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FISH BOY
Well-Known Member
I did one recently and it works great - few bits form Bushwear (or make yourself) and your away.
DIY Chiller
DIY Chiller
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Scotty99
Well-Known Member
How easy was the Bushwear conversion kit to fit. Have you found that you needed to also fit the fan that they sell or are the vent holes that they suggest sufficient to keep down the moisture level. Just interested as I have just bought a second hand tall larder fridge and I'm weighing up whether to get the Bushwear kit or just cobble something together.
FISH BOY
Well-Known Member
The Bushwear kit was easy to fit as it comes with the purpose sized drill bit. Cut pole to length and done.
I have since fitted a fan but to be honest use it only sparingly as I find it dries the inside of the legs too much. Opening the door daily does a better job.
Only thing I would do differently would have been to put the small ventilation holes on the front door rather than the sides.
I have since fitted a fan but to be honest use it only sparingly as I find it dries the inside of the legs too much. Opening the door daily does a better job.
Only thing I would do differently would have been to put the small ventilation holes on the front door rather than the sides.
Use a Tall Beko Larder style fridge and make sure all the elements are at the back. Then you can cut through the material/insulation on the sides to fit a bar and vents. Bushwear does a good starter kit but you would need to get a fan separately. Put the bar back in the fridge quite far and as high as you can, while still being about to comfortable fit your hooks on. You will fit 1-2 roe, you will struggle to fit 1 x fallow will struggle mainly due to the hanches/legs and the neck sticking out...it may look like you can squeeze it in but even with a ratchet strap, you wont be able to close. Mainly due to the depth and the door type.
What I have done now is bought an empire double sliding door drinks fridge and fitted a solid stainless bar, filling any gap with silicon and reinforcing it in place either side on the outside of the sides (where the bar hangs out slightly or can flush fit) with screwed on pieces of tin over the bar endings.
I find a sliding door system far easier to show than a conventional door system. You can always close it where light pressure coming from the inside of a normal door will fail to catch and close, atleast without a ratchet! If you ever go for a double door drinks fridge, you want just as much depth as anything else, some overlook this. Hope that helps.
What I have done now is bought an empire double sliding door drinks fridge and fitted a solid stainless bar, filling any gap with silicon and reinforcing it in place either side on the outside of the sides (where the bar hangs out slightly or can flush fit) with screwed on pieces of tin over the bar endings.
I find a sliding door system far easier to show than a conventional door system. You can always close it where light pressure coming from the inside of a normal door will fail to catch and close, atleast without a ratchet! If you ever go for a double door drinks fridge, you want just as much depth as anything else, some overlook this. Hope that helps.
Ray7756
Well-Known Member
If you can find an "American" type fridge freezer, has large fridge full length ( mine) was on the right with a freezer section on the left, i put a hanging bar in there and could store 2x roe or 1 fallow , as far as ventilation I opened the door to check every 2-3 days so that stoped and moisture build up, then it was out of the chiller on to the butchery table then into the freezer section, and job was done
Cheers
Ray
Cheers
Ray
gonzo
Well-Known Member
I picked up a beko tall (1.5mtr) fridge at the weekend, for just this job. And sat here drying off after cleaning it out.
(I also got a small undercounter freezer in the bargain. As the guy was moving the next day and it had to go. Great, I was out of freezer space already.)
I will cut some view holes in the tin plate to check that there are no elements on the sides, before going in with the hole cutter. Looking at the way the drain works on it, I reckon the elements are on the back.
Once the holes are drilled in the sides, for the bar, I will rivet some steel/ali bars on, below the holes, to spread the weight. And avoid having the sidewalls buckle outwards.
And some adjustable vents with fine mesh, will go in the door. As I know this is safe to cut.
I'll probably remove the evapourator for the drain and fit a pipe out of the back. As this will live outside, and means I can sluice it out without worry.
Any further suggestions welcome.
(I also got a small undercounter freezer in the bargain. As the guy was moving the next day and it had to go. Great, I was out of freezer space already.)
I will cut some view holes in the tin plate to check that there are no elements on the sides, before going in with the hole cutter. Looking at the way the drain works on it, I reckon the elements are on the back.
Once the holes are drilled in the sides, for the bar, I will rivet some steel/ali bars on, below the holes, to spread the weight. And avoid having the sidewalls buckle outwards.
And some adjustable vents with fine mesh, will go in the door. As I know this is safe to cut.
I'll probably remove the evapourator for the drain and fit a pipe out of the back. As this will live outside, and means I can sluice it out without worry.
Any further suggestions welcome.
might not work if its to cold outside ,some fridges will only operate if ambient temperature is above specified for that model
Broadarrow
Well-Known Member
I got an old Coca Cola glass front fridge for nothing from a local pub which was having a refurb..The fridge was almost 6 foot tall internally. It lasted 5 years until the compressor blew..So I had my moneys worth and it was a great game chiller.
gonzo
Well-Known Member
I have heard that before. So will keep an eye on that.
A quick google and it looks like the fridge is intended to run at 10deg C and above. I assume that there is some wiggle room in there, as the manufacturers will want some margin. But if it is much below that, I may not need to use the compressor at all. Ambient temp may be low enough.
For the freezer:
"Beko freezers and most Frost-free fridge freezers can be in an ambient temperature as low as -15 degrees Celsius."
So should be fine here too.
I'd be interested to understand the physics of why there needs to be that differential temp. As I'd assume that the condenser coils on the back, would work more efficiently in the cold. Is the issue that you need a minimum temperature of the refrigerant, as it passes through the expansion valve, for it to evapourate?
And is it a min external temp, or a min differential temp?
I sit here thinking why people post things on here they know nothing about.
1 The reason fridges don't run when the temp is too cold is thermostat picks up the outside temp where is is not inside the fridge the answer is insulate the thermostat.
2 Don't cut holes to let out the moisture the fridge will use twice as much power.
3 It was me that told Bush's wear they needed to put a warning on there fridge kits to save anyone drilling through the pipework inside the fridge.
4 If your fridge is full of moisture clean out the drain below the evaporator coil.
5 99% of small fridges don't have evaporator valves on them they use capillary tubes
6 Don't keep opening the door inside moisture about 25% outside moisture 60% clean out the drain.
7 Fit a fan that does not blow on the deer it helps dry the deer which is what you want when you are hanging them.
1 The reason fridges don't run when the temp is too cold is thermostat picks up the outside temp where is is not inside the fridge the answer is insulate the thermostat.
2 Don't cut holes to let out the moisture the fridge will use twice as much power.
3 It was me that told Bush's wear they needed to put a warning on there fridge kits to save anyone drilling through the pipework inside the fridge.
4 If your fridge is full of moisture clean out the drain below the evaporator coil.
5 99% of small fridges don't have evaporator valves on them they use capillary tubes
6 Don't keep opening the door inside moisture about 25% outside moisture 60% clean out the drain.
7 Fit a fan that does not blow on the deer it helps dry the deer which is what you want when you are hanging them.
I try and learn something new every day.
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