I have a need to get chilled water to a machine.
Currently I have a tired piece of equipment which is basically a steel
cabinet, a compressor with piping to a plastic tub and a pump.
I reckon I could get a small freezer for less than I could get this serviced
for, and at about 10% of the cost of replacing it.

So my plan is to put a tub in a freezer with a pump in it and drill 2 holes
in the freezer cabinet for the feed and return pipes.

I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" mused:

I have a need to get chilled water to a machine.
Currently I have a tired piece of equipment which is basically a steel
cabinet, a compressor with piping to a plastic tub and a pump.
I reckon I could get a small freezer for less than I could get this serviced
for, and at about 10% of the cost of replacing it.

So my plan is to put a tub in a freezer with a pump in it and drill 2 holes
in the freezer cabinet for the feed and return pipes.

I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

You'll be fine, it's just foam sandwiched between 2 skins basically.
I'm sure someone will come along with a 10 page report on why you
shouldn't do this.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

On 1 Aug, 23:01, Lurch wrote:
On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" mused:
//snip//


I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

You'll be fine, it's just foam sandwiched between 2 skins basically.
I'm sure someone will come along with a 10 page report on why you
shouldn't do this.

You no doubt can but caution: the cooling tubes in some, or all,
freezers & fridges run inside these skins.

Suggest you check with a cable/stud detector before making the hole
which might be better carefully hand excavated than drilled out.

How are you going to stop the tube freezing? Could a fridge be your
better option?

HTH

On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" wrote:

I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

Buy a "spot weld cutter" (few quid, most garage tool suppliers). It's a
cheap, tiny hole saw. If you try and go through the skinny sheetmetal of
a fridge side with most sorts of drill bit, you're likely to jam it up
and twist things. With foam insulation glued to the inside, it's hard to
tidy that up afterwards. Also works for perforating PC cases.

On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:17:04 -0700, jim
wrote:

On 1 Aug, 23:01, Lurch wrote:
On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" mused:
//snip//


I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

You'll be fine, it's just foam sandwiched between 2 skins basically.
I'm sure someone will come along with a 10 page report on why you
shouldn't do this.

You no doubt can but caution: the cooling tubes in some, or all,
freezers & fridges run inside these skins.

Suggest you check with a cable/stud detector before making the hole
which might be better carefully hand excavated than drilled out.

How are you going to stop the tube freezing? Could a fridge be your
better option?

That's not 10 pages :-)

--
Frank Erskine

"jim" wrote in message
oups.com...
On 1 Aug, 23:01, Lurch wrote:
On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" mused:
//snip//


I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

You'll be fine, it's just foam sandwiched between 2 skins basically.
I'm sure someone will come along with a 10 page report on why you
shouldn't do this.

You no doubt can but caution: the cooling tubes in some, or all,
freezers & fridges run inside these skins.

Suggest you check with a cable/stud detector before making the hole
which might be better carefully hand excavated than drilled out.

I wondered about this and as a last resort could go through the door.

How are you going to stop the tube freezing? Could a fridge be your
better option?


Possibly, I want the tub contents as cold as poss so I thought just below
freezing with antifreeze in.

Andy Dingley wrote:
On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" wrote:

I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or
are there considerations I would need to consider?

Buy a "spot weld cutter" (few quid, most garage tool suppliers).
snip
Also works for perforating PC cases.

So does a shotgun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRbWnJ0bTFw

"Grumps" wrote in message
...
Andy Dingley wrote:
On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" wrote:

I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or
are there considerations I would need to consider?

Buy a "spot weld cutter" (few quid, most garage tool suppliers).
snip
Also works for perforating PC cases.

So does a shotgun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRbWnJ0bTFw

Yebbut 'few quid, most garage tool suppliers'

On Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:21:41 GMT, Yuki wrote:

On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" wrote:

I have a need to get chilled water to a machine.
Currently I have a tired piece of equipment which is basically a steel
cabinet, a compressor with piping to a plastic tub and a pump.
I reckon I could get a small freezer for less than I could get this serviced
for, and at about 10% of the cost of replacing it.

So my plan is to put a tub in a freezer with a pump in it and drill 2 holes
in the freezer cabinet for the feed and return pipes.

I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

If it's a chest freezer maybe you get enough clearance for pipes cutting a small
section or two from the door seal.

You should look at what flow rate you need & calculate /measure whether the freezer actually has
sufficient cooling capacity to achieve it.
Also bear in mind that freezers are designed to cycle on/off to maintain the temperature of a fairly
static load - they may not be happy, or at least less than optimally efficient running continuously.

"Mike Harrison" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:21:41 GMT, Yuki wrote:

On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" wrote:

I have a need to get chilled water to a machine.
Currently I have a tired piece of equipment which is basically a steel
cabinet, a compressor with piping to a plastic tub and a pump.
I reckon I could get a small freezer for less than I could get this
serviced
for, and at about 10% of the cost of replacing it.

So my plan is to put a tub in a freezer with a pump in it and drill 2
holes
in the freezer cabinet for the feed and return pipes.

I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

If it's a chest freezer maybe you get enough clearance for pipes cutting
a small
section or two from the door seal.

You should look at what flow rate you need & calculate /measure whether
the freezer actually has
sufficient cooling capacity to achieve it.
Also bear in mind that freezers are designed to cycle on/off to maintain
the temperature of a fairly
static load - they may not be happy, or at least less than optimally
efficient running continuously.


Well the kit I am using now has what looks to me to be the same size of
compressor on it, would that indicate I would be OK?
I guess a lot would rest on how much water I keep in the freezer also. The
output from the pump is about that of a small pond pump and we only run it
9-5.

The kit we have now has no insulation whatsoever which boggles my mind,
looks like **** and costs £1100 new!
Hence my idea of modding a fridge/freezer.

On Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:17:04 -0700, jim
mused:


Suggest you check with a cable/stud detector before making the hole
which might be better carefully hand excavated than drilled out.

Don't think a stud detector will work through a metal skin.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

"Lurch" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" mused:

I have a need to get chilled water to a machine.
Currently I have a tired piece of equipment which is basically a steel
cabinet, a compressor with piping to a plastic tub and a pump.
I reckon I could get a small freezer for less than I could get this
serviced
for, and at about 10% of the cost of replacing it.

So my plan is to put a tub in a freezer with a pump in it and drill 2
holes
in the freezer cabinet for the feed and return pipes.

I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

You'll be fine, it's just foam sandwiched between 2 skins basically.
I'm sure someone will come along with a 10 page report on why you
shouldn't do this.

Well it would void the warranty for a start...

On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 15:42:53 +0100, "R D S" wrote:


The kit we have now has no insulation whatsoever which boggles my mind,
looks like **** and costs £1100 new!
Hence my idea of modding a fridge/freezer.

You might find http://stores.ebay.co.uk/BEER-COOLERS-UNLIMITED-LTD
has some suitable stuff as a beer cooler seems to be suited to your
requirement.

--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/

On Fri, 3 Aug 2007 14:07:51 +0100, "PM" mused:


"Lurch" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:40:20 +0100, "R D S" mused:

I have a need to get chilled water to a machine.
Currently I have a tired piece of equipment which is basically a steel
cabinet, a compressor with piping to a plastic tub and a pump.
I reckon I could get a small freezer for less than I could get this
serviced
for, and at about 10% of the cost of replacing it.

So my plan is to put a tub in a freezer with a pump in it and drill 2
holes
in the freezer cabinet for the feed and return pipes.

I assume I can drill through the sides of a freezer, am I right, or are
there considerations I would need to consider?

You'll be fine, it's just foam sandwiched between 2 skins basically.
I'm sure someone will come along with a 10 page report on why you
shouldn't do this.

Well it would void the warranty for a start...

He could buy 5 of these and still be quids in from the other route.
Sometimes you just have to improvise.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

Peter Parry wrote:
On Thu, 2 Aug 2007 15:42:53 +0100, "R D S" wrote:

The kit we have now has no insulation whatsoever which boggles my mind,
looks like **** and costs £1100 new!
Hence my idea of modding a fridge/freezer.

You might find http://stores.ebay.co.uk/BEER-COOLERS-UNLIMITED-LTD
has some suitable stuff as a beer cooler seems to be suited to your
requirement.


Jdwetherspoon reckons they spent £15 Million developing beer-chilling
technology for its 670 pubs across the UK. That's over £22K per pub.

That ebay link looks a lot more sensible (or have I missed something?)

--
Adrian C