Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Refrigerator Repair:
Converting an antique ice box into a working beer fridge
I just bought an antique 1900 oak ice cabinet which I want to change into a working drinks fridge. It is reasonably well insulated and currently has holes for ice water drainage which could easily take wires and tubes.
My dad sails and has suggested buying the 12 volt systems they have on boats (evaporator plus compressor) but they seem very expensive ($500+) what do you recommend? Are Propane cooling units cheaper?
The other alternative is to buy an old fridge and salvage the working parts, but then I would have to free fill and seal the refrigerant - is this tough to do?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice! Regards
It wouldn’t be feasible to do the system modifications yourself because of the tools, licenses, and experience necessary but any good tech should be able to adapt a good working hermetic system to work out of an "all refrigerator" since you don't need a freezer area inside the cabinet.
Propane units are way more expensive, complicated, and harder adapt than a simple Freon system with a compressor. I've done systems like this for around $400 Canadian. You could ship it to me to do it if you like, but you may be better off getting someone locally, as the shipping costs would make it unfeasible.
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