[ReidThis]

I read a lot of forums on fridge drilling before making a decision to take matters into my own hands and use some science.  My beer fridge is a fairly new Whirlpool Side-by-Side (ED2KVEXQ01) so I didn't want to take a chance on hitting a line and ruining the fridge.  I also didn't want the traditional door mounted tap because I use the door for storage.  I read posts about making an alcohol/corn starch paste which sounded messy so I decided to look for another method to locating the freon.

I picked up a thermal camera on Ebay for 85 bucks, I know that seems like a lot but it was worth it to me not to destroy my fridge.  I used the SEEK thermal compact that plugs into a phone and you download an app.  With that I was able to see the hot and cold areas of the fridge and just simply drilled where it was warmer than the rest.  The results were excellent. 

FYI: you don't have to register the camera to use it so you can buy it on Amazon and then just return it if you are not happy with the results 

[Visor]

FWIW fridges, regardless of type, do not have refrigeration lines in the doors, if they did the doors wouldn't be removable. If the doors couldn't be removed most of the thousands of fridges I've delivered would have had to be left on the front porch cuz they won't fit through either the front door, or the hallway or past the protruding countertop or any of the myriad other impractical architectural features of a typical American domicile.

[KellerBrauer]

FWIW fridges, regardless of type, do not have refrigeration lines in the doors, if they did the doors wouldn't be removable. If the doors couldn't be removed most of the thousands of fridges I've delivered would have had to be left on the front porch cuz they won't fit through either the front door, or the hallway or past the protruding countertop or any of the myriad other impractical architectural features of a typical American domicile.

Well said.  Refrigerant lines are never ran in a refrigerator door.

[KellerBrauer]

FYI: you don't have to register the camera to use it so you can buy it on Amazon and then just return it if you are not happy with the results 

I think your approach, IMHO, of using a purchased item for some sort of gain, then returning it for a refund is not only unfair to the seller, it’s dishonest.  It’s like the high school girl who buys prom dress, then she returns it after the big night.  That’s BS and I would never consider it.  Thanks anyway.

[BrewBama]

I think your approach, IMHO, of using a purchased item for some sort of gain, then returning it for a refund is not only unfair to the seller, it’s dishonest.  It’s like the high school girl who buys prom dress, then she returns it after the big night.  That’s BS and I would never consider it.  Thanks anyway.

I’ve seen grown people do this. SMDH



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[tommymorris]

FYI: you don't have to register the camera to use it so you can buy it on Amazon and then just return it if you are not happy with the results 

I think your approach, IMHO, of using a purchased item for some sort of gain, then returning it for a refund is not only unfair to the seller, it’s dishonest.  It’s like the high school girl who buys prom dress, then she returns it after the big night.  That’s BS and I would never consider it.  Thanks anyway.

He bought his on eBay. He said you could do that via Amazon. I also disagree with that suggestion but I don’t think OP actually did that.

[tommymorris]

FWIW fridges, regardless of type, do not have refrigeration lines in the doors, if they did the doors wouldn't be removable. If the doors couldn't be removed most of the thousands of fridges I've delivered would have had to be left on the front porch cuz they won't fit through either the front door, or the hallway or past the protruding countertop or any of the myriad other impractical architectural features of a typical American domicile.

Well said.  Refrigerant lines are never ran in a refrigerator door.

The method described was for putting a hole in the side of the fridge where there are refrigeration lines.  The OP said he didn’t want to put the taps in the door.

[Visor]

FWIW fridges, regardless of type, do not have refrigeration lines in the doors, if they did the doors wouldn't be removable. If the doors couldn't be removed most of the thousands of fridges I've delivered would have had to be left on the front porch cuz they won't fit through either the front door, or the hallway or past the protruding countertop or any of the myriad other impractical architectural features of a typical American domicile.

Well said.  Refrigerant lines are never ran in a refrigerator door.

The method described was for putting a hole in the side of the fridge where there are refrigeration lines.  The OP said he didn’t want to put the taps in the door.

   Yes, I did read the entire post. My response was more for those who are worried about refrigeration lines in the door. There are a lot of mistaken assumptions floating around about all manner of things you know. Sorry if it was an unnecessary distraction .

[KellerBrauer]

FWIW fridges, regardless of type, do not have refrigeration lines in the doors, if they did the doors wouldn't be removable. If the doors couldn't be removed most of the thousands of fridges I've delivered would have had to be left on the front porch cuz they won't fit through either the front door, or the hallway or past the protruding countertop or any of the myriad other impractical architectural features of a typical American domicile.

Well said.  Refrigerant lines are never ran in a refrigerator door.

The method described was for putting a hole in the side of the fridge where there are refrigeration lines.  The OP said he didn’t want to put the taps in the door.

Point taken.  Allow me to rephrase:  Refrigerant lines are never ran in a refrigerator door, or in the side walls.  They are typically ran in the back and, on occasion, I have seen water lines ran in the top.

[tommymorris]

FWIW fridges, regardless of type, do not have refrigeration lines in the doors, if they did the doors wouldn't be removable. If the doors couldn't be removed most of the thousands of fridges I've delivered would have had to be left on the front porch cuz they won't fit through either the front door, or the hallway or past the protruding countertop or any of the myriad other impractical architectural features of a typical American domicile.

Well said.  Refrigerant lines are never ran in a refrigerator door.

The method described was for putting a hole in the side of the fridge where there are refrigeration lines.  The OP said he didn’t want to put the taps in the door.

Point taken.  Allow me to rephrase:  Refrigerant lines are never ran in a refrigerator door, or in the side walls.  They are typically ran in the back and, on occasion, I have seen water lines ran in the top.

Interesting. I wonder what the OP was seeing with the hot and cold regions.

[Iliff Ave]

I have ruined a fridge by drilling the taps into the side and hitting a line.

[Slowbrew]

FWIW fridges, regardless of type, do not have refrigeration lines in the doors, if they did the doors wouldn't be removable. If the doors couldn't be removed most of the thousands of fridges I've delivered would have had to be left on the front porch cuz they won't fit through either the front door, or the hallway or past the protruding countertop or any of the myriad other impractical architectural features of a typical American domicile.

Well said.  Refrigerant lines are never ran in a refrigerator door.

The method described was for putting a hole in the side of the fridge where there are refrigeration lines.  The OP said he didn’t want to put the taps in the door.

Point taken.  Allow me to rephrase:  Refrigerant lines are never ran in a refrigerator door, or in the side walls.  They are typically ran in the back and, on occasion, I have seen water lines ran in the top.

Interesting. I wonder what the OP was seeing with the hot and cold regions.

My read of the first post was he did not want to put taps on the door. 
Because of that he bought a thermal camera to look at the side of the fridge.
The hot and cold areas would indicate the coolant lines were.  On the inside, at least, the cold areas would be where not to drill.

IMHO

Paul

[mainebrewer]

I installed my faucets on the side of my 'fridge rather than the door.
If your 'fridge has a black mesh attached to the back of it, then you probably don't have lines in the sides. No guarantee though. Also, if you have the owner's manual one of the schematics may show you where the lines are located. Also, any lines are most likely attached to the metal "skin" of the 'fridge.
Anyway, following advice I got on the MoreBeer forum (shows you how long ago this was) I started on the inside of the 'fridge. Located where I wanted the faucet shank to go through the side, using a hole saw cut the plastic inner liner and then taking a small screw driver pushed the insulation back so I could see the outside metal "skin" of the 'fridge. Seeing no line, I used the hole saw to drill a pilot hole in the metal exterior, then finished the hole from the outside of the 'fridge.
You can repeat this process for as many faucets as you want to install. It's a little tedious but better than turning your 'fridge into a storage cabinet.

[erockrph]

I think your approach, IMHO, of using a purchased item for some sort of gain, then returning it for a refund is not only unfair to the seller, it’s dishonest.  It’s like the high school girl who buys prom dress, then she returns it after the big night.  That’s BS and I would never consider it.  Thanks anyway.

I’ve seen grown people do this. SMDH



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This is why I always check the soles of shoes bought off the rack at stores. Too many of them are restocked returns that have been worn. If I want used clothes I'll go to Salvation Army....

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[narvin]

I know this is old and was reopened by a bot, but I thought I'd mention that just because a fridge doesn't have refrigerant lines in the side doesn't mean there aren't other things like electrical wires.  I found this out the hard way when cutting out the molded plastic for shelf support of a small wine fridge.  I at least got to see a cool fireball and was able to replace the power supply wire I cut.