[Iliff Ave]

So I was moving my CO2 tank outside of the fridge and drilling a hole for the gas hose into the the side of the fridge toward the back and about a foot from the bottom. I drilled a small hole to start and immediately noticed air coming out. It wasn't incredibly high pressured but definitely considerable. I was able to seal the holes on the inside and the outside sides and have it back up and running. As far as I can tell, it is not cooling although the compressor is running and the holes are sealed.

Did I damage the fridge beyond repair by letting freon out? I was hoping that sealing the holes would have resolved the problem but I know very little about fridges...

[Jeff M]

if you punctured the freon coil then the fridge is probably dead, unless you have it patched or replaced by a repair man

[micsager]

So I was moving my CO2 tank outside of the fridge and drilling a hole for the gas hose into the the side of the fridge toward the back and about a foot from the bottom. I drilled a small hole to start and immediately noticed air coming out. It wasn't incredibly high pressured but definitely considerable. I was able to seal the holes on the inside and the outside sides and have it back up and running. As far as I can tell, it is not cooling although the compressor is running and the holes are sealed.

Did I damage the fridge beyond repair by letting freon out? I was hoping that sealing the holes would have resolved the problem but I know very little about fridges...

Wow dude, that sucks.  My guess is the answer to your question is yes, you damaged it beyond repair. But, that's only a guess.  I have no direct experience on this.   

[Iliff Ave]

s***! This really screws me for a while... Anyone want 4 kegs of beer?

[Stevie]

Did it smell? Freon has a very distinct smell. Similar to the smell when a radiator line leaks on a car, but sweeter.

[Jeff M]

s***! This really screws me for a while... Anyone want 4 kegs of beer?

Sucks man, Sorry.  IF its any consolation, HD and Lowes are bothing doing appliance sales for the holiday.  Maybe you can replace it.

[Iliff Ave]

It is definitely not cool but I Found one on Craigslist for $40! I will probably be converting it tomorrow if it works well and all goes to plan. I will be consulting you guys on where to drill on the right side to be safe. About a foot higher toward the back seemed to be fine. I drilled for the taps on the same side so thought I was in the clear.

I can't believe how depressed that made me...

[HoosierBrew]

It is definitely not cool but I Found one on Craigslist for $40! I will probably be converting it tomorrow if it works well and all goes to plan. I will be consulting you guys on where to drill on the right side to be safe. About a foot higher toward the back seemed to be fine. I drilled for the taps on the same side so thought I was in the clear.

I can't believe how depressed that made me...

That sucks. The old fridges never had anything in the side wall, but I can't speak for newer models. Hang in there, I hope you find something affordable and acceptable.

[Jeff M]

It is definitely not cool but I Found one on Craigslist for $40! I will probably be converting it tomorrow if it works well and all goes to plan. I will be consulting you guys on where to drill on the right side to be safe. About a foot higher toward the back seemed to be fine. I drilled for the taps on the same side so thought I was in the clear.

I can't believe how depressed that made me...

That sucks. The old fridges never had anything in the side wall, but I can't speak for newer models. Hang in there, I hope you find something affordable and acceptable.

I wouldnt risk it.  Drill the door

[dannyjed]

I did the same thing to a fridge around 5 years ago. I was drilling through the side and hit a freon line. DOH! I know how you feel bro. The next one I got, I decided to be safe and drilled through the door. At least both of these were old fridges that I got for free.

[Iliff Ave]

I thought I found a decent cheap replacement but it didn't have enough usable space for 4 kegs...

Thanks for the reassurance. I am so mad at myself. Gonna be moving kegs inside today which is just annoying. I was also going to brew but now I am in no rush.

It seems that drilling through the door for CO2 would make using the door very inconvenient. I am hoping the next fridge I get is a bit newer so that I can find some documentation and drawings.

[Jeff M]

I thought I found a decent cheap replacement but it didn't have enough usable space for 4 kegs...

Thanks for the reassurance. I am so mad at myself. Gonna be moving kegs inside today which is just annoying. I was also going to brew but now I am in no rush.

It seems that drilling through the door for CO2 would make using the door very inconvenient. I am hoping the next fridge I get is a bit newer so that I can find some documentation and drawings.

Build a keezer.  HD has a 7cf for 170 or so.  Should hold 4 kegs

[klickitat jim]

The trick is to use a hole saw and only cut the thin skin of the fridge first. Then dig out the insulation with a small pick carefully exploring for lines, before completely drilling through. If you find a line you can usually push it out of the way before finishing up.

[Iliff Ave]

The trick is to use a hole saw and only cut the thin skin of the fridge first. Then dig out the insulation with a small pick carefully exploring for lines, before completely drilling through. If you find a line you can usually push it out of the way before finishing up.

The copper that I hit was directly against the outer wall and did not push away at all. It seemed almost to be a reservoir not a line but I don't really know...

[HoosierBrew]

The trick is to use a hole saw and only cut the thin skin of the fridge first. Then dig out the insulation with a small pick carefully exploring for lines, before completely drilling through. If you find a line you can usually push it out of the way before finishing up.

^^THIS^^.  That's what I should've included in my post. That's the way I did it back then.