Quietest Commercial Grade Kegerator

[mslater]

I a building a home bar. The room is in the middle of the home and has all tile floor. I am considering units like the TDD3, DD58 & MDD68. The unit will be enclosed but will also have the proper ventilation. My question is on larger commercial units like this, is noise from the compressor or fans an issue? If so, does any manufacturer stand out above the rest in being the "quietest"?

[KillianBoy]

mslater,
Don't think any company would promote themselves as "We have the quietest kegerator", most will say as members will say noise is subjective, honestly I think all are about the same. If absolute quiet is needed, I'd look at making a remote dispense, basically taking noise out of room.
Couple of comments regarding your choices, all really don't need ventilation, all can be enclosed with no real ventilation needed, but bad news is that all the heat (and noise) is vented to the slants on left front side of unit.
You could look for phone apps that measure sound and find running units and find noise level and replicate with white noise in room and see if you can tolerate noise. If too loud, I'd look at remote dispense.
KB

[mslater]

Update

As an update I ended up purchasing the Beverage Air DD58. I had looked at a similar sized True that was in a home environment and the noise level was nothing that concerned me. I went with the Beverage Air DD58 because I needed two 5 tap towers and this was the unit that they fit on. When I plugged in the unit I was horrified. Literally the sound was so loud that carrying on a conversation in the room is next to impossible. When the unit turns on and my daughter is watching TV in an adjoining room, she has to turn it up so that she can hear the TV. I had a Beverage-Air service technician come out and he said that they all sound like that. He said most bars have carpet and so they wouldn't be that noisy in a commercial environment (my room has tile). Having worked in three different bars before, that was not my experience so I am a bit skeptical of his representation. My only option now is to order about $1,300 worth of soundproofing material and encapsulate it in a sound-proof cabinet as you recommended. Crossing my fingers that this will fix the problem!

[KillianBoy]

mslater,
Don't take this the wrong way but you really can't soundproof unit 100%, unit needs air in and out, if you block air unit will fry. It is like trying to dust-proof a desktop, you can try your best but dust will always get in. Unit needs a good source of air and must vent (through vents on left side), if you do soundproof you need to run a 2 conduits (from another room or floor or outside), one to add air (best with a fan) and vent heat (also best with a fan) and EVEN if you did somehow did get a system set up to soundproof compressor, you still might get some residual noise through unit itself.
The 100% way is to take unit out of room, with $1,300 you could build a kick-a$$ remote dispense and will work 100% if built right.
If you need help with remote dispense, describe floor plan with what areas you have to put unit in other rooms, wall material (drywall, stone etc).
Yes I said unit can be built-in but also said "bad news is that all the heat (and noise) is vented to the slants on left front side of unit.", this vent has to be open to air, cover up unit will overheat, all the sound of the compressor comes from these vents.
KB

[PointPleasantNJBeerguy]

$1,300 to sound proof??? Maybe start with crutchfield order some dynamat and line the inner walls of compressor area. Should be able to cut slits in it too for air. Never heard these units being "that loud". Maybe start by putting the unit on a piece if carpet to take some vibration out of it off the floor even ?make sure compressor bolts are tensioned ok and not rattling also. You want some play but not slop were it will vibrate . Can't remember if that units compressor sits on vibration pads? If not maybe look into that from a refrigeration supply house, will jus need longer bolts for the compressor pan.

[KillianBoy]

Again sound is subjective, some might say "TOO LOUD", others "ehh not that bad", could be tile is amplifying sound, if sitting on tile, put a piece of thick shag carpet under unit (preferably all four wheels on carpet), then maybe big piece of Styrofoam behind unit, if none of these work, I really think encasement won't help and really have to think remote dispense.
KB

[mslater]

KillianBoy -
Thanks for the response. Would a remote setup require that the unit be in adjoining space? If that is the case I am not sure that would work. The room is centrally located and surrounded by the master bedroom, the main living area, the entryway (with two large sliding barn doors that act as a wall/door into the taproom), and a outside wall that has large doors that open onto a covered porch. I would assume that putting it outside would not be recommended but of the four walls, that would be the "best" option.
I will try putting it on the thick cloth pad as recommended to see if that has any impact. The possibility of putting the compressor on vibration pads is interesting (as pointed out by PointPleasant). There are no pads in the unit. The way the compressor is mounted there seems to be contact between the compressor and its components and the sides of the unit. That would have to be contributing to noise.

[KillianBoy]

mslater,
Air cooling max at 25 feet, glycol 100 feet, every 90 turn for air equals 5 feet of straight line (so if 3 turns, max straight is 10 feet). All depends on how much you want to spend, 100 feet of glycol $2500-5000, depending how fancy you want to go, this is just the basics on how to air cool, there is more information in the resource section:
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From what you are describing the unit is in a room by itself like a closet? If so best to try and use carpeting, moving blankets and drapes on walls and try to absorb as much sound as possible, if sitting on tile, cover floor with carpet.
If that doesn't work, you may have to insulate inside the walls (assuming drywall construction) and as PointPleasantNJBeerguy says maybe use dynamat and spray insulation (most contractors won't insulate inner walls for sound unless you tell them).
I assumed the unit was in main room, stand alone against a wall, the room it is in may cause sounds to bounce around, look into soundproofing room, if not look into remote dispense.
KB

[PointPleasantNJBeerguy]

These are the types or variant of vibration dampers they use on commercial refrigeration compressors.If you can find something and unbolt compressor rack lift and inch and a half and install. and rebolt(with longer bolts)
SLFHA200.jpg
or these are cheaper.
NDARED.jpg

Google compressor vibration damper/compressor vibration pads/compressor rubber dampers

dynamat
Amazon.com: Dynamat 11102 Dynaliner 32" x 54" x 1/4" Thick Self-Adhesive Sound Deadener: Automotive