Anyone drilled the side of a hisense fridge?

[Paul B]

Wondering is anyone has the following fridge or one similar: http://www.harveynorman.ie/home-appliances/refrigeration-appliances/undercounter-and-countertop-fridge-freezers/hisense-130l-under-counter-fridge.html

There are definitely pipes in the sides as you can feel them warm up when the fridge is on.  I can feel a cool spot on the bottom left and am considering the old 'poke around with a nail' trick, but still very nervous.

If anyone has a similar setup can you let me know where you drilled?  The door is the safe option but will make opening the door awkward?

[DEMPSEY]

Look up youtube and see if there is any how to repair clips about this model.

[johnrm]

Have a look at the rear of the fridge - where do the pipes go in? This may hint at where the pipes are.
Turn on the fridge, open the door and leave running for 20 mins - Where do you see condensate/frost forming?
My money is on the rear.
Also, rather than making a bunch of holes on the outside, try your nail poking from the inside.
The plastic liner will be easier to work with.

[Will_D]

There are definitely pipes in the sides as you can feel them warm up when the fridge is on.

Illogical Captain! The black pipey copper stuff at the back of the fridge in the free air gets warm as the fridge gets cooler. Very few fridges have cooling coils in the sides of the fridge. They are either at the back of (a larder) the fridge or in the ice box.

As John has said, open thedoor, turn on fridge and look for the condensation tracks (unless there is an ice box)

Note Chest freezers can have cooling pipes every where apart from the lid!

Note 2: No fridges/freezers have pipes in the doors!

[krockett]

I drillers hole in the Side of a fridge I got in HN no problem. Different brand though. If you do it manually from what I've seen online you should be able to see any lines before you burst em (I,e don't use a drill past the metal). The insulation in mine was like cotton wool.

[Paul B]

One more question before I go at this - where abouts have you guys made the hole?  As in high, low, front, back etc.

[Leann ull]

Go high keeps cables and co2 pipe work out of the way
Pierce outer skin and then with a long nail or screwdriver rummage gently beyond skin, until you hit inside plastic wall obviously feeling as you go for copper tubing

[Paul B]

Ok so good news!  Hole is in and no damage.  It would have been even neater if I did it at the back but was really nervous and reckoned there might have been a higher chance of something back there.

Anyway if anyone else is looking to do this here's where I drilled:

[Leann ull]

Nice job, all you need now is some proper grey or green gas line instead of beer line.

[Paul B]

Nice job, all you need now is some proper grey or green gas line instead of beer line.

Didn't know there was a difference... Is there any disadvantage to using the beer line?

[Leann ull]

From a cellar training doc.

In the beer cellar the gas system pipes are colour coded so you can instantly see which gas is going through which pipe.

This is very useful because beer cellars are full of pipes and being able to clearly identify each pipe makes your job a lot easier.

Carbon Dioxide - (CO2) - (100% Carbon Dioxide) - Pipe colour is GREY.

60:40 Mix - (60% Carbon Dioxide-40% Nitrogen) - Pipe colour is WHITE.

50:50 Mix - (50% Carbon Dioxide-50% Nitrogen) - Pipe colour is PURPLE.

30:70 Mix - (30% Carbon Dioxide-70% Nitrogen) - Pipe colour is GREEN.

The reality is they have different constructions and are multilayer with an outer LDPE Carrier, the beer line has an inner Food Grade Nylon 11.

You can use beer line no problems to convey gas but not grey or green gas line for beer.

[Pheeel]

My gas line is red. I'm screwed!

[johnrm]

@pdb, Now that you have an idea of what is involved, you could try for a hole at the back of the Fridge.
You could always plug up the hole at the side wih a dowel so that you can remove and reuse the hole if necessary.
If you want to permanently seal, you could silicone the hole.

[Leann ull]

Or you could quit while you are ahead

[molc]

Go on, what's the worst that could happen.... >