6/2013 Update 2:
I found another DANBY, Model
DAR125SDD that should make a good conversion - the dimensions are right
and it does not have an internal freezer. This model is available from
BestBuy,
Wal-Mart or
The Home Depot.
6/2013 Update:
As far as we know the only
reasonably priced candidate for this conversion is the DANBY Model
DAR440W. This is the white version of the DANBY Model DAR44BL that
Wal-Mart is currently out of on-line. But they also have the
Midea 4.9 cu ft beer keg refrigerator for $399.00, not a bad price
for a ready to use kegerator.
8/15/11 Update:
Sanyo mini-fridges have become almost
impossible to find but not all is lost. Wal-Mart on-line, SAMS Club,
Amazon and others sells a DANBY Model DAR44BL for less than $200 and
this fridge makes a great conversion. I have another set of instructions
on the web site for converting a Danby fridge but the instructions
listed below fit the Danby as well as the Sanyo.
2/12/11 Update:
Wal-Mart sells a Sanyo
5 cu ft refrigerator without freezer on-line for $249 (2/12/11) and they
offer free delivery to the Wal-Mart closest to you. They will also
deliver to your house for a small fee. Read the reviews on the Wal-Mart
site - quite a few people have already converted these into kegerators.
You can find these refrigerators here.
8/30/08 Update:
Most customers buy this fridge from Best Buy. I found out
recently that Best Buy has replaced the Sanyo fridge with Oster model
OR5005M3M. I stopped
by Best Buy and measured one and they are slightly taller
inside. The Oster fridge should make a great kegerator, I'll convert one
soon and will post the instructions to this site as soon as possible.
Beer dispensers have been made from just about all
types of refrigerators and freezers over the years. And most beer kegerator
conversions still look like a refrigerator with a faucet stuck through the
side once the conversion is done. A mini kegerator made from a mini
refrigerator, particularly one with a beer tower style kegerator tap mounted
on top, actually looks like a kegerator. A beer kegerator made from a mini
fridge should give you many years of trouble free service.
This is a step by step guide to build a kegerator for
homebrew beer or soda. A keg cooler or mini kegerator is a great home
project that can be completed in less than one day. These instructions will
help you build a home beer dispenser or beer cooler for homebrew beer from a
Sanyo mini fridge. A Sanyo mini fridge makes a great mini kegerator because
of it's compact size. This kegerator refrigerator would look great at the
end of a counter, inside a bar or on a counter top. The same conversion can
be done with two kegerator taps mounted through the door if you would rather put your
beer dispenser on a counter top.
Although these instructions were written for homebrew
beer kegerator and Cornelius kegs, the exact same conversion will work for
two tall, slender 1/6 draft beer kegs. The only difference between
the two conversions is that a kegerator conversion for draft kegs will use keg
couplers instead of the soda type disconnects shown in the pictures.

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These instructions will guide you
through converting a Sanyo refrigerator into a completely self contained
kegerator for homebrew beer.
As you see from the picture, two
Cornelius kegs and a 5 pound CO2 tank will fit inside the Sanyo
refrigerator. |

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Youll notice from this picture that
the door wont close because some features are in the way. |

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Many who convert a Sanyo
refrigerator will remove the inside door panel. But the solution is much
simpler you only cut away the parts of the door that are in the way.
This picture shows me using a rotary
cutting tool to cut away part of the can holder that is interfering with
the CO2 tank. You can also use a saw or a sharp box knife if you have
strong hands |

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You will need to cut away part of
the can holder and part of the ridge that runs across the bottom of the
door. The cutouts do not need to be exact & can be larger than needed
with no harm to the kegerator.
This picture shows the cut-outs and
the pieces I removed from the door.
The white areas in the door are the
door insulation showing through the cut out areas. The insulation is
made of Styrofoam and does not need to be covered. |


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Remove the three screws from across
the back and the four screws from under the front lip. |

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Then lift off the top. |
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Sanyo refrigerators have a
refrigerant line running across the top and you need to find out where
this line is at before cutting through the top. Cutting through this
line will release all of the freon and will turn your new Sanyo
refrigerator into a curbside masterpiece.
You can find this line by plugging
the fridge in & letting it run until the sides are warm. Once the sides
are warm, rub your hand across the top until you feel a warm strip
running from one side to the other. The center of this warm strip is
where the line is running across the top of the fridge.
Mark the line with a piece of scotch
tape. |

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Match the tower diameter with a
drinking glass or a can lid. |
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Use the glass and a sharpie marker
to mark a circle where you want the tower to sit.
Note the tape line that marks the
refrigerant line. I'm marking the circle about 1/4" in front of the
line. |
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Drill a series of holes inside the
circle, making sure that the holes go all the way through to the inside
if the fridge.
Note: An alternative to
drilling a series of holes & cutting with a rotary tool is to use a 3"
hole saw.
Note again the tape line that marks
the refrigerant line. Don't cut or drill there! |
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When done, you will have a circle of
holes drilled through the top. |

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Use a rotary cutting tool or a pair
of wire cutters to cut away the metal left between the holes.
Note again the tape line that marks
the refrigerant line. Don't cut or drill there! |
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Use a screwdriver to pull out the
steel plug you just cut loose. A plug of insulation should pull out with
the steel plug. |
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From the inside, use a rotary
cutting tool or a pair of wire cutters to cut away the material left
between the holes in the plastic liner.
When done, pry the piece out with a
screwdriver. |

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Now, you will have just pit a hole
all the way through the top of your brand new Sanyo refrigerator!
It looks ugly now but things will
start looking better in a hurry. |

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Temporarily put the top back on the
kegerator, fastening it with one rear screw and two front screws.
Drill a series of holes through the
top from inside the fridge. Follow the edge of the newly cut hole when
drilling the holes. |

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When complete, you will have a
circle of holes through the top that outlines the opening you created
earlier. |

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Use a rotary cutting tool or a pair
of wire cutters to cut away the material left between the holes in the
plastic top. |

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Remove the top from the Sanyo
refrigerator and turn it over.
Use a rotary cutting tool or a pair of wire cutters to cut
away the ribs that are holding the plug in place.
Pry out the piece with a
screwdriver.
Put the top back on the Sanyo
refrigerator and attach it with all 5 screws. |

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Feed the beer tower beer lines
through the hole from the outside.
Note the white lining inside the
tower. Some believe this is packing material and they remove it. The
lining is actually important insulation and should not be removed from
the beer tower. |

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Center the tower over the hole and
rotate it until it the two beer shanks are aligned correctly with the
front of the Sanyo Refrigerator.
When aligned, mark the four mounting
holes with a sharpie marker. |

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Drill the four mounting holes
through the top of the Sanyo refrigerator, making sure you drill all the
way through to the inside. |


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Mount the tower with 2 ½ 3 ½-20
screws, washers, lock washers and nuts. I like to use wing nuts for my
conversions. |
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This is the hardware I use to
convert a homebrew beer kegerator.
4 2 ½ long Ό-20 Phillip head
screws
4 Ό flat washers
4 Ό split lock washers
4 Ό-20 wing nuts
This hardware is not included in my
conversion kits because some customers use my kits to convert their bar
and beer towers attach to wooden bar tops with wood screws. You can purchase
this hardware at any hardware or home improvement store.
Note: Some beer towers have a cover
that hides the mounting hardware and some do not. The towers without
covers will have counter sunk mounting holes. The screw in this picture
is a stainless steel Phillips head and it looks good with either tower
style. |

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If your beer tower came with beer
fittings on the end of the lines, cut them off. You wont be able to use
beer fittings on Cornelius kegs.
Note: Dont cut any extra length off
the beer lines. The long 3/16 ID beer lines will slow down the beer on
the way to the beer tower and will help to prevent foaming. |
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Locate or cut off two short pieces
(8 12) of braided CO2 line.
Attach the two short pieces to the
stainless steel tee with Oetiker or screw type clamps. Then attach the
long piece of hose the stainless steel tee with a Oetiker or screw type
clamp. |

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Attach two light grey gas
disconnects to the ends of the short lines with Oetiker clamps or screw
type clamps. |

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Place the kegs, CO2 tank & regulator
back inside the keg & connect the beer & CO2 disconnects onto the
Cornelius kegs. |

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Route the free end of the long CO2
line around to the regulator output.
Cut the excess off the end of the
CO2 line. |

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Locate the parts needed to adapt the
regulator output to the Ό CO2 line. |

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Assemble the parts to the regulator.
Note: The barb drops into the nut
first, then the tapered nylon washer. Then the entire assembly screws
onto the regulator output. |

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Assemble the CO2 line onto the
regulator with a Oetiker clamp or a screw type clamp. |

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When complete, the inside should
look like this. |

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And the outside looks like this.
Congratulations, you now own a 2 keg
homebrew kegerator!
And it even looks nice enough to not
be banished to the garage! |

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And although not absolutely
necessary because the top of the refrigerator is easily cleaned, a
stainless steel drip tray is a nice addition to your kegerator.
This drip tray is 8 Ό wide, just
wide enough to catch drips from the taps but not so large that its
terribly expensive. |