[bartender_adm]

pipe insulation can be found at your local Home Depot or home center. It looks like the $20 iPump foot pump coupler and pump is all one unit. The coupler is a D style or “Sankey” style coupler which will fit all American domestic beers…bud, miller, busch, etc.

[bartender_adm]

sbone is right…but hopefully you did not surround the fridge with pro pink because that is not how the plans show it. You insulate the keg box and up to the front face of the fridge. a good seam of spray foam is all that is needed, but certainly not the whole body of the fridge.

The fact that you have frost on the freezer plate is a good sign though.

Take some ray tek readings on the outside surface of your fridge unit. I would expect it to be considerably higher than ambient. If so, that’s the heat you want to get rid of.

It looks like in these newer units, they place the coils right against the outer metal skin and use that as the heat sink. Great link & photos!

[bartender_adm]

where and how are you measuring your temp?
hopefully not with the door open using the raytek.

I suggest a wired digital thermometer. I just fired up my 10 year old keg box the other day and it went from 68F to 34F within 2 or 3 hours.

If you have frost, that is key, now you have to move more air. It will also take some time and of course, keep the door shut.

[bartender_adm]

With granite, I wouldn’t push it, 4 inch overlap should be fine for 1.5″ to 2 ” thick granite. You can go further, but bring the support layer out over the edge too. The support layer should be 3/4″ thick plywood and generally match the shape of your complete slab. The key is to properly distribute the weight, just like a waterbed.

Rule of thumb: If you ever question the over hang, do what I do…measure it with your hand at every bar you visit. It’s usually no more than a hands length.

[bartender_adm]

Yes, you remove the hose clamp near the pump body and remove the entire black hose and small, useless tap valve, which you can just stuff away in a drawer somewhere.

Grab some 1/2″ ID hose to connect them.

If the beer is being dispensed rapidly, then you won’t have any problems.
Be sure to wrap the air exposed remainder of the beer line, from the pump to the tower, with pipe wrap insulation.

[bartender_adm]

You can find 1/2″ I.D. (inside diameter) beer line here.

[bartender_adm]

Tony:

I would buy the tap tower and pump separately, then buy the required length of hose and connect them.

Micromatic is your best source for Party Pumps.

I would recommend an inexpensive foot pump like the iPump Party Pump for $20.

Then I’d match that up with a clearance priced tower that you can mount to your bar top. Chrome Plated Tap Tower for $60.

That will give you the real feel of a higher end system and you can always expand and upgrade to CO2 in the future.

You’ll also need beer line…order x amount of feet you think you’ll need to reach between the tower and the pump. You might want to consider putting a jockey box between the two for even colder beer.

Here ia a good article on Keg Party Pumps

[bartender_adm]

No, you do not need the finished bar top layer. Just a solid, flat surface on which to adhere you granite slab.

[bartender_adm]

Not sure which project you are referring to, it’s always best to post into the correct topic area.

Can you let me know which project you are working on?

[bartender_adm]

I know it sounds obvious, but a local glass shop is usually a good place. Not too many online stores will ship a large mirror.

Type “local window and glass shop” into Google and it should show you the closest stores.

[bartender_adm]

can you be more specific? what sizes did you change and by how much. You didn’t use the match function did you?

[bartender_adm]

This has been addressed many times on forum, but yes, just use a brush to apply it like poly and use blue painters tape or wood strips with wax paper to dam up areas where it might drip.

[bartender_adm]

Senoir

Yes! You can do that, but run your beer line(s) through a 3 or 4 inch open PVC pipe, then mount a small 12vdc fan on the freezer side blowing into the pipe. Wrap the pipe with insulation tape to prevent condensation drip. This is basically how commercial bars do it.

The idea here is to keep the beer lines cold all the way to the tap. Place your CO2 tank OUTSIDE the freezer and be sure to add a temp controller to prevent the freezer from actually FREEZING your beer.

Also, at the base of the tap you can add a T fitting to allow air to flow through the pipe. I suggest restricting it down using subsequently smaller reducer fittings or just a cap with a few 1/4 holes in it.

[bartender_adm]

excellent reply dp! thanks Karma +1

[bartender_adm]

Nope – none whatsoever.

Usually when you build the DIY model, you’re
just interested in a custom size for multiple kegs or you just want to “do it yourself”.

Check out this line of complete Home Kegerators

or check out the HomeBREW Kegerators that give you the option to buy the kegerator parts individually….great idea if you want avoid dismantling a brand new unit…you can buy the cooling unit and tap tower individually.

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