Tower cooler question

[tfvdw2at]

I have the Summit SBC490BI and have upgraded to the 3" draught tower and I want to install the 12 CFM blower to cool the tower, but I am concerned about that fact that the hole in the top of the cooler is 1 1/2". Am I going to have to make that hole bigger? Making the hole in the top of the cooler is not that big a deal - just a hole saw, right, but the issue is that the counter top is granite and if I have to enlarge the hole, that means a $100 minimum service call. What do you all think? Will there be enough open space with the duct hose and the beer line for warm air to return down to the cooler? Thanks in advance.

[tfvdw2at]

My fan arrived today from Grainger. I ordered this one:

PSC Blower,115 Volt - Small Centrifugal Blowers - Blowers - HVACR : Grainger Industrial Supply

the 1" tube and mounting bracket arrive tomorrow from Micro Matic.

If I can figure out how to post pics, I will do so.

Thanks,

Greg

[tfvdw2at]

Here is what the set up looks like from the outside.

[cubby_swans]

All you need is return air flow. I would install the blower and run the cooling line to the top of the tower. If you can feel return air flow back into the kegerator, through the remaining space in the tower hole, than you shouldn't need to expand the hole.

Otherwise, if there's no return air flow, you need to expand the hole. If you can't cut the hole yourself, then yes, a service call it is. If you don't expand the hole, and you don't feel return air flow, then it's pretty much the same as not having a fan installed at all.

[tfvdw2at]

Thanks cubby_swans. I will give it a shot when all the parts arrive. Planning on doing the work this weekend.

I will update my post when I have the work done.

Thanks,

Greg

[JCKoLnturn]

That's alot of blower. Check this one out for less than $10 bucks:
12VDC 50MM BLOWER | AllElectronics.com

[tfvdw2at]

@ JCKoLnturn - yes it is, but I wanted 110v and I wanted something that was going to last a really long time. It is similar to the one that Micro Matic sells here:

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-...pid-2C782.html

but was $30 cheaper and seems to be about the same thing. I don't mind spending a little more for what I hope will be a solution that outlasts me.

[tfvdw2at]

I saw another post relating to Danby improvements where someone had run the beer line up through the hose that is attached to the fan here.

I am thinking that may be a good solution due to the small hole I have in the granite counter top.

Does anyone see a problem with that approach?

Thanks.

Greg

[psychodad]

I think while running the beer line through the cold air duct sounds good, it isn't much of a difference. Not that it is a bad idea, but if there isn't enough air flow, there isn't enough airflow.

[Scott Zuhse]

Routing the beer line through the flex tube is ideal. But as Psychodad mentioned, if you do not have air flow, all is for naught. It would be similar to attempting to blow through a straw with the end pinched shut. Impossible. Open up the end of the straw and you can blow through it all day long.

Tape the entry point of the beer line to prevent air from dumping out of the flex tube and back into your kegerator.

[tfvdw2at]

Scott, Psychodad, et al: The project has been a success. Thank you so much for your helpful advice. The draught tower is cold to the touch; there is a tiny bit of condensation right at the top of the tower; you can feel air coming back down into the cooler from the hole at the top so circulation is good. I am waiting for the beer to get back down to the right temp after it was out of the cooler for some time while we did the work. Hopefully it will be cold by kickoff! I have attached pics. I am happy to answer any questions folks have about the project. Please feel free to ask!

[psychodad]

That looks like success.

[tfvdw2at]

@psychodad: it does but these pics REALLY look like success. Thanks everyone for all your help!

[daswerve]

tfvdw2at, much congrats on your success! Isn't such a great feeling when you finally get it all dialed in?

[tfvdw2at]

@daswerve - Amen. It feels almost as good as this cold pint of Sierra Nevada tastes! So glad that I found this forum! My yummy, perfectly poured, perfectly chilled pint is raised to the smart folks on this forum that got me there. Thanks to all.

[daswerve]

@tfvdw2at - I couldn't agree more. I was ready to return my Danby back to Sams Club until I found this forum. For less than $20, I was able to mod mine to near perfection. SO much thanx to Cubby Swans, Scott Zuhse, Psychodad, Lunkhead and Hophead (sorry if I forgot anyone else) for all the help. Can't say thanx enough.

[pvs6]

@psychodad: it does but these pics REALLY look like success. Thanks everyone for all your help!

The first photo showing all the sweating going on. To each his own but to me that photo depicts a partial success. Congrats on the good first pour. If it was my setup that would be half the battle won. But when I see all that sweating I can't help to think about the money wasted. You got the blower to cool the inside of the tower to stop first pour foaming issues and you did, well done. How ever not only are you cooling the inside but the outside of the tower too as evident by the sweating. So your compressor is working to cool not only the keg box and the tower but as well the air around your tower, causing it to run more which burns more electric and cost you more to operate. The higher run time on the compressor could shorten it's lifetime. Not to mention the puddle of water that will surround the tower base. That I think would be the bad news, now what could be the good news. You didn't have to enlarge the 1 1/2" hole in your marble top and are getting good air flow and pour results with it. The reason your tower is sweating is because there is not enough insulation, your transferring the cold into the room air. Your towers 3" wide with 1/4 inch foam insulation inside thus you have 2 3/4" open space in the tower. That is space your blower has to cool. But the 1 1/2" inch hole will only allow just so much air to pass through. Which happily for you is enough to declare success. But if 1 1/2" works at the base it will work in the tower too. So might I suggest adding foam insulating inside your tower. It could keep you from having to mop up the water and lower your compressor's work time, saving you money. If you did that your blower would have to cool less volume of tower air and you would stop leaching cool into the room so no puddle to mess with. Except the Faucet which will always sweat. If you think this has merit and might attempt it then permit me to give you a further thought. The Laws of thermodynamics are the same for fluids and gasses. The reason that lengthening your beer line slows flow is resistance caused by the line wall slows flow, the more there is the greater the resistance the lesser the flow. Foam is porous and thus creates a lot more resistance. So I would think if your cool set up were mine I would install enough insulation to close the tower air space down to 1 3/4" and in so doing would still let the 1 1/2" restriction at the base control air flow as it is now with good pour results. Just a thought or two.

P.S. don't forget to cut a circle of foam to fit under the tower cap too you had heavy sweating going on there, major cooling loss.

[tfvdw2at]

@psv6 - Thanks! I will definitely give that a shot. I have stuff that I can use for additional insulation. It is underlayment for a floating floor. I'll do some work on it and report back. Off to Boston today, but I can work on it this weekend.

Thanks again for the great advice!

[Jack Manstroke]

@psv6 - Thanks! I will definitely give that a shot. I have stuff that I can use for additional insulation. It is underlayment for a floating floor. I'll do some work on it and report back. Off to Boston today, but I can work on it this weekend.

Thanks again for the great advice!

My old kegerator the tower use to sweat like that, then I got my new one and the tower never sweated and didnt feel as cold to the touch, everything still worked the same, just no sweat. I forgot about it after awhile. Then I went to my buddies house (who has my old kegerator) and for the hell of it I opened the tower and saw no insulation, I hadnt really noticed it before but afterwords it made perfect sense. The sweating is cool but I grown to like the clean no sweat look.

[tfvdw2at]

@psv6 - How's this look? Better I think.

[pvs6]

How's this look? Better I think

I think it looks great too. In fact your whole set up is pretty handsome, really like your countertop. The Zappa quote rocks, I've never heard that one before but it sure sounds like him. Are your totally dialed in now or are their plans for further tweaks?

[tfvdw2at]

@pvs6 - I think that I am good for now. Not sure what other tweaks I could make. Beer temp is between 36 and 38, no foam on the first pour, sweating draught tower corrected, all is right in the world. I would like to replace the CO2 regulator with a two dial model, but in no rush as the current one works fine. If I do come up with something though, you can count on me posting it here, first thing. Thanks for your suggestion, it is a much better look not having the condensation all over the tower. Oh, and the Zappa quote? I love it too.

Greg