Danby Kegerator Improvements

[horne]

to get away from the defrost cycle is my only option to buy a brewers edge temp controller or will the 150 resistor do the trick? I also was wondering if placing the temp probe whether it be danbys or brewers edge in a glass of water is a good idea or not. Thanks

[lunkhead]

Currently the only way to get rid of the defrost cycle is with an external temp controller. DO NOT place the temp probe in a glass of water, it won't hurt the probe, but it's useless for controlling beer temperature. Get / use a calibrated thermometer for measuring beer temperature in a cooled glass. Knowing the temp of a glass of water in the unit is nearly useless, other than yep, it's cold in there.

[daveo]

First, I've really enjoyed this thread and have been motivated to make a few mods until I get an appropriate beer temp for my tasting pleasures.

So, I loned by Danby out for the 4th and final time a few months ago. When I got it back I plugged it in and the down arrow and the deg C/deg F buttons do not work. The up arrow does work (how convenient). I read a post or two regarding the EE and other displays. I also read how none of someone's buttons did not work. I believe the suggestion was to check the connections to the back of the display. Does anyone have any idea why 1 of the 3 buttons would work? Once my current keg is kicked I will remove the tower and table to investigate. I just thought I would see if anyone has any ideas first.

Since I may be stuck at the default 41 deg, I will be installing a 33k Ohm resistor.

Thanks for any input.

[psychodad]

If you have been successful to this point without a resistor, you may just want to pull the top off now and check the connections. The little bit of time that it will be unplugged and untapped while you do this won't harm anything.

[daveo]

I added the 33k Ohm resistor Tuesday night, it definitely made it colder. What people on this thread seemed to forget is the Danby controller can be set between 36 and 46. I now realize why many have been installing an external temp controller. I found with the Danby set at 41, the temp would swing between 29 and 37, so I guess the average is close to where I want to be. I added a 12 VDC fan tonight, so I will see what changes if any that will bring.

I took the top panel off to try and fix the buttons on the display. I removed the circuit board and removed the 4 wire power harness, I plugged it back in and no change. I removed the ribbon connection, reinstalled and no change. I assume it has to be the other end of the ribbon connection. The up arrow works, but not the down arrow or the C/F button. The detent seems to snap in and out fine. Unfortunately I can't figure out how to get directly behind the panel. The best chance seems to be to pry the panel off from the front. I didn't want to risk breaking anything, especially since it will compromise the appearance. Does anyone have an idea on how to remove the panel? I assume it's glued or siliconed into the recess of the cover.

[bridog]

Thank you guys for this amazing forum. I dont want to brag but I just picked up my Danby from Sams club for 100.00 dollars. It was the last one and everybody thought it was just a minifridge so it was stuffed back into the corner. I completed the mods suggested includind adding the resistor, relocating the temp sensor and installing a new fan. I included pics because if anybody out there is like me, they need pics to figure things out. The fan I used was from intel that I got at an electronics store for 8.00. It is a 1 amp unit vs the 0.1 anp unit that came with the danby. It even fit in the existing mounting holes. Before the mods the internal air temp was 46 degrees at the lowest setting (with a full 15.5g keg in it). Now the internal air temp with a 5 g bucket of water is 28 degrees, water temp is 33.0 degrees with .25 inch of ice all the way around. Thanks for all the good info.

Hi, I'm new to this but my danby is the same as everyone's. I dont understand where your red hose is going from your fan in the pic's?????

[Scott81603]

Im new to the kegerator world. When installing the tower, I removed the insulation and didn't put it back. Should I put it back in?

[TomK]

It becomes more important if you add tower cooling, but I'd stick it back in there regardless.

[psychodad]

Im new to the kegerator world. When installing the tower, I removed the insulation and didn't put it back. Should I put it back in?

Just pop the top off the tower and stick it back in. No need to remove the tower.

[Scott81603]

My danby is PERFECT.

Got the 100k resistor mod, cooling tower mod with dayco blower. The tower has a nice sweat going on.

Im using miller lite 1/4 kegs 38 deg 2nd pour @ 13 psi. Almost no foam. Thanks to this form! Ill post pics in a little bit.

[Scott81603]

Here are the pics as promised

[Scott81603]

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[lunkhead]

Im new to the kegerator world. When installing the tower, I removed the insulation and didn't put it back. Should I put it back in?

Will help cut the sweating on the tower down and reduce compressor cycling. Your blowing the warm air in the tower into the unit.

[GRENCH]

Here are the pics as promised

Totally off the subject, but sweet tool box in the first pic. It's nicer than my work box and you have it in your home garage. I'm a little jealous!

[Scott81603]

Totally off the subject, but sweet tool box in the first pic. It's nicer than my work box and you have it in your home garage. I'm a little jealous!

Thank you.

[DRN]

I am wondering if with all the mods needed to get the Danby going if i should just go with a chest freezer instead. I have an opportunity to get a used one from someone that only put a keg through it and wants to get rid of it for $300. I know the chest freezer is going to cost me more in the long run to get it up and running but i would like the room to possibly expand to two ro three taps in the future. What should i do?

[slomo007]

I am wondering if with all the mods needed to get the Danby going if i should just go with a chest freezer instead. I have an opportunity to get a used one from someone that only put a keg through it and wants to get rid of it for $300. I know the chest freezer is going to cost me more in the long run to get it up and running but i would like the room to possibly expand to two ro three taps in the future. What should i do?

If you want the ability to expand later on, get the freezer. I wish I had done this even now that I finally have the Danby working properly.

[dvandriesen]

My kegerator has been great since all these mods. I did the 100k like alot of people. I have been trying to get a idea though. What temps are people setting the danby control at to get 38F degree beer? I have been setting mine at 37F and getting right around 38F. When i put it down at 36F it gets a little lower ive noticed anyone else?

[Jscopus]

Hi and hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. Sorry to bug everyone so soon after a holiday. Initially I could not access any of the forum illustrations as I am a new lowly member. Psychodad took care of that. I am a veteran of many forums and greatly appreciate the depth of expertise you can get from so much hands on info. I have a Danby kegerator with all the problems everyone else does, and perhaps many additional ones. I am generally very handy with fixes/mods with electrical and plumbing jobs but could see any of the illustrations due apparantly to my peon status in the forum. I suspect I have more problems that most as my tower is not atop the kegerator which is in a closet. It is about an 8-10' run away to a bar tap. So I am guessing I have the resistor mod to do, need to do some fan mods for circulation in the unit, and perhaps vent the closet where my contractor put the unit. Than I have several feet of an uninsulated, uncooled hose run to a tower that has no cooling at all. Am I totally screwed? Appreciate your help as right now I get warm, near undrinkable puke foam. Hope to be pouring and swilling drinkable bumbo soon.

Regards,

Jeff Hartford

[Jscopus]

A couple ideas, questions. There seems to be some disagreement as to the proper value of the resistor. There is alot of 33K support with a smaller undercurrent of 100k support. I suspect the 33K will have the greatest impact, but is the 100k adequate? Regarding my personal design nightmare of 8' line run with no cooling to the tower, I was thinking of encasing the line in PVC and running that right up into the tower with a blower pushing cold air through. Any thoughts if that would be worthwhile? Should I try to insulate the PVC? Right now as you can imagine it is total garbage with vomit temp foam. Certainly alot of info to sort through.

Jeff

[dvandriesen]

I have tried both the resistors as well as many others and they both work. However it all depends on how well your danby is cooling in the first place. I know mine was actually very close to cooling the kegs down without a resistor. I first tried the 33k but that is kinda scary because it really cools the keg down you gotta be careful not to freeze it. However i put the 100k in then and was able to keep my kegs down right around the 38F mark by keeping the temp set to the lowest or one up. Its really all upto you they both work. However by just doing this i still had a decent amount of foam on my first pour. I saw all the talk about tower cooling so i went that route. I decided to just buy mine online at ebay and it is a great blower. Does the job awesome. Good luck and there are alot of people that will be alot more help then me.

[Jscopus]

Thanks for the feedback. I will check a temp inside the unit, but I am afraid that will only be part of the story for me as I have an 8' bar line running through a wall up to the tower. I am sure unless there is constant high velocity flow that the temp will rise a few degrees. I will see what the temp is with it set low. Than likely have to open the wall to get to the line. Than (ugh) clean the line which we have not done since the unit went in. (You only know what you know. Contractor told us nothing).

Jeff

[psychodad]

You are going to want to get your beer line in a conduit of some sort. Many people use PVC pipe although a flexible duct would work too. You will want to also insulate this ductwork. You are also right that you will need some sort of blower to cool the line, search this forum for tower cooling. And speaking of line, make sure the contractor used beer line, not some cheap hose from Lowes or the like.

This resistor modification is a very inexpensive way to get these Danbys to work well. It sounds like you have some money invested in the closet, remote tap install. Spend the money and finish the remote line right and address the temperature with an external temperature control

[Jscopus]

Psychodad- First, thanks for sponsoring my membership to this club! A lot of interesting fixes and innovations. My one concern is blowing air through the conduit with the line in it, up to the tower, how do I get air return to the kegerator? Another parallel return line with a blower going back? Otherwise I just have air pumped out which is a siphon on the cooling system and I suspect would also create some degree of a vacuum? I am guessing with almost 10 feet of line to cool and a remote tower I will need a blower akin to something you blow leaves with! Any help will be appreciated as currently everything is undrinkable.
Regards,

Jeff

[psychodad]

If the conduit is large enough for the beer line, the cold air hose and otherwise empty space the air will return on its own through the empty space.

As for the blower, it doesn't have to be as powerful as you might think. A blower unlike a fan creates pressure and if you get one that supplies enough cfm to replace the air in the conduit every hour or so I'd think that would be sufficient.

[Jscopus]

Regarding the conduit, it would be open on the tower end. So for air to return it would have to be flowing back against the fan so to speak, swimming upstream? I guess it would be important for it to be sealed in the tower so that it just does not leak out in that way. I am not sure if the contractor put in real "beer" lines as I think he is fairly new to this. I would likely replace the lines anyway as they have never been cleaned and are likely rank! Thanks for the info. It seems most everything I would need can be ordered through this site.

Jeff

[Jscopus]

What size "beer line" do you recommend? Where is the best place to get it? Would you run a vinyl line to carry the blower air to the tower and just let it drift back? Or should I have some holes along the way to cool the inside of the PVC conduit? Too many questions.
Jeff

[psychodad]

I'd just stick with the 3/16" ID beer line. Some of the commercial guys could probably lend some information as to if 1/4" would work given as long as your line is, but you won't be pulling pint after pint like in commercial bar. Just make sure it is beer line as is sold here or food and beverage approved.

A vinyl line for the blower hose is what I would use. You can get it at Home Depot as your beer will not come in contact with it and it is cheap and easy to use. Don't put any holes in it, the air returning out the bottom will cool everything just fine. Some people run the blower hose right along side the beer line, and others run the beer line inside the blower hose. I ran mine along side as it is easier, quicker and just effective IMHO.

[Jscopus]

Thanks for the great info. Lunkhead (the MacGiver of Kegerators) suggested running the beer hose inside a 2" cooling hose. I suspect I would use 3" PVC as the conduit and will try to insulate that as best I can. Someone else had suggested using 1/4" beer line with perhaps a 3/16th "choker" at the end? Getting some great help here.
Jeff

[millions34]

NO, the new TC will not override the danby. from mhabby post, "My modifications were mostly the same as Chadschloss78 did to his, minus installation of drip pan. I took tower and cover off, found control panel, and cut black and red wires going into control panel, and then connected the black and red going back to compressor. I also capped the red and the black wires going into the control panel. This essentially took control away from Danby (one could argue they lost control when they designed this thing". See picture from psychodad post, Attachment 27 Locate the red and black wires, mod per above and plug back into your new temp control. Added info. Here's what it should look like after mod. this way the temp display will still work on the front of the unit.Attachment 28

I am working on the modifications to my Danby, and I have installed a larger fan 5 inches and it is connected to a cell phone charger. I also bought a Brewers Edge II and I have cut the black and red wires from the control panel and then capped the red going into the control panel and then spliced the red (going to compressor) and both ends of the black wire together. I then plugged the keg cord into the BE II and the Danby still had control of the temp. Then I tried connecting the black and red wires going back to the compressor and capping the red and black going to the control panel, but then when I plug in the BE II nothing happens. I have checked that my BE is on the cool setting and still nothing.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[psychodad]

The first way you described hooking it up sounds right. This should give control to the BE, but the Danby will still light up when the compressor is running.

[lunkhead]

I am working on the modifications to my Danby, and I have installed a larger fan 5 inches and it is connected to a cell phone charger. I also bought a Brewers Edge II and I have cut the black and red wires from the control panel and then capped the red going into the control panel and then spliced the red (going to compressor) and both ends of the black wire together. I then plugged the keg cord into the BE II and the Danby still had control of the temp. Then I tried connecting the black and red wires going back to the compressor and capping the red and black going to the control panel, but then when I plug in the BE II nothing happens. I have checked that my BE is on the cool setting and still nothing.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Assuming you have the plug in controller the way you first decribed the wiring is correct. If you were to plug in the danby into the wall outlet wired like this, it would never shut off, than you know the wiring is correct, then insert the BEII in line. The danby display will turn on off with the BEII in control. To stop this you must cap the black wire going into the control board.

[skdmarx]

I have been lurking for a couple weeks, while setting up my new (to me) Danby. I learned a TON from you guys and have been able to get my setup dialed in with many of the mods suggested here. I just tapped my first keg of Racer 5 a couple hours ago and could not be happier, with perfect pours from the get go. Without this forum I would have put the thing back on Craigslist within a week.

I have an older model without the digital display. I bought new hose, SS faucet and misc. parts to get a clean, fresh start. I did the fan mod to circulate the air, another fan (with blue led that makes the whole box glow, it was all Radio Shack had in stock) in a Radio Shack project box to push air into the tower and added a BEII. I set the Danby to the coldest setting and set the BEII to the temp I wanted and all is good.

I live in Lake Tahoe (6000 ft) so I was concerned about where to set the CO2 pressure, but it seems to pour great at 8psi, with the temp set at 43 degrees as Bear Republic recommends 45-50 for Racer 5. It's funny that I spent so much time worrying about keeping this thing really cold when I was going to end up putting Racer 5 in it, which wants to be in the 40's.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for contributing to this great forum, I am a happy member and hope to contribute something myself someday. If you are ever in South Lake Tahoe, come by for a cold one!

[mike.may]

Would like to says thanks for helping me get my Danby cooling down. When the outside temp dropped in the fall, I forgot to adjust the thermostat and froze a keg.
Since the last keg I've hag a problem with my temp display. It keeps changing back to 40 deg. I set it to 38, come back the next day and it's back to 40. My temp probe indicates that it's 40 deg on the bottom and 41 on the top of the keg. Will I have to buy a new unit before summer comes?

Can the resistors burn out or go bad?

[psychodad]

Resistors in an application like this likely won't be going bad. They last for years in harsh environments and under more load than what they are rated for. when you say you set it to 38 and it goes to 40 the next day, are you saying that the set point changes from day to day or the reading?

[mike.may]

Thanks for responding.

It's the set point that keeps changing.

[psychodad]

The set point will go to a default setting on power loss, 41 degrees I believe. However I can't imagine what is taking it to 40.

What appears to be coming frequent based on many recent posts is many people who used resistors are starting to have problems with the controls in other areas. People are losing the functionality of the keypads, having temperature fluctuations and flashing displays to name a few. You perhaps have a new problem.

Commercial units like Beverage Air and True use solid, tried and true mechanical thermostats. Additionally people seem to be willing to buy new regulators, faucets and couplers to get their Danbys pouring better, but want to keep trying this one dollar resistor change instead of changing to something more reliable.

[billbird2111]

Yes -- I'm back again. It's been a long time. A long and slow road. But -- yes -- I am back again. Same old Avanti Kegerator coupled with a new tale of woe.

It's come to the point now where I've just about replaced every last piece of equipment on my Avanti POS. The regulator gave out a few months ago. Then the tap froze up solid on me (again). The tap is so damn old -- well -- it should have been replaced eons ago.

At any rate -- after installing a brand new fandangled regulator (a good one this time!) -- I tried to replace the tap. This would be the last of the original Avanti POS equipment to be sent directly to VALHALLA.

Not so fast.

I don't know the name of the kegerator piece that I"m referring too -- but guess what? That screw piece only fits one tap. Just one. Only one. The Avanti tap. It's the screw piece built directly into the tower that leads to my beer line INSIDE the tower.

Some of you probably know the name for this. I don't. And I'm positive I'll have to purchase it from here. So -- I'm off the browse the Micromatic parts list.

A Pox upon those who had anything to do with the construction and sales of the Avanti kegorator on us unsuspecting nimrods. If I could smack you with my old regulator -- I would. In fact -- it would probably fix it.

C-ya gang. Sorry for screwing up a Danby thread. Not my intention. I just didn't think my rant was worth yet another stupid thread.

Take care. Happy New Year. Drink well my friends.

Bill
Sacramento, CA

[billbird2111]

Looks like I need the Elbow Shank.

Consider it purchased.

I know my luck. I'll get everything replace and the refrigeration unit will probably blow on me. That will be the last straw. I will proceed to throw the entire unit through the plate glass window at the North Natomas Best Buy -- where this pox of a unit was foisted upon us...

[millions34]

The first way you described hooking it up sounds right. This should give control to the BE, but the Danby will still light up when the compressor is running.

I did rewire it the first way which was cutting the red back to the control panel and connecting the black and red back to compressor. It worked perfectly for about a week, and now it looks like the Danby has control of the temp again. The defost cycle is not as bad as before, but I have my Brewers Edge set at 35 degrees and have all of the settings set at 1 degree and I consistently see the temp of the BEII fluctuate between 41 degrees at 34 degrees. Also when the BEII temp is at 35 degrees I can change the temp on the Danby and it will start up. I thought before that the front temp display was static, meaning I would try and change the temp up or down and nothing would happen, where now it does move and will start up.

I did change the regulator and added a fan so the foam issue is much better than before, but it seems somehow something changed in the last 7 days but I did not change anything....I am somewhat at a loss.

Thanks for everyones help to get me to this point.