How to Run Beer Lines from Your Kegerator

Running beer lines is a major concern in any home bar where draft beer is served. Seldom is the beer stored directly under the bar, as is the case with most home-based draft beer systems or kegerators. Usually, glycol chillers are required to keep the beer at the proper temperature throughout its journey from the beer chamber (usually a walk-in cooler or chest freezer in the basement or garage) to its final destination, the glass under the tap. Here we will go into some of the problems and solutions for installing longer range beer lines in the home.

Mounting shanks and taps through a wall in your home can be useful if space is tight. Run insulated beer line from a garage or basement refrigerator.

If your kegerator is within 12 feet of your final tap destination, it may be possible to run the beer lines to the tap without much cold loss, if you do a good job insulating the beer lines and draft tower (if you use one). There will probably be some loss of beer coldness, however.

Modify Your Kegerator

Tools List To Mount Beer Line Shanks

Drill with metal cutting drill bit of at least 1/4" diameter for a pilot hole.

Metal hole saw bit to match the diameter of the shank being installed.

Screwdriver to install an optional mounting plate if you have multiple shanks.

Flathead screwdriver or bolt driver suitable for hose clamps.

Short Line Runs
If you are running a kegerator beer line just a short distance (5-6 feet) from the cooling unit, run the beer lines into some wall mounted shanks with faucets or a draft beer tower and insulate the lines heavily. You can use a temperature controlled Kegerator Glycol Pump Kit to pump glycol from a container inside the kegerator. The glycol lines will run up against the beer line within an insulated bundle called a trunk line. Wrap the beer and glycol lines in mylar bubble wrap and then heavy foam pipe insulation.

Insulation - a product that is a combination of mylar and air bubble wrap is a good choice for insulating beer lines for short runs. Double wrap this material around the beer line(s), with some foam pipe insulation around that. If you are running beer lines from your basement kegerator straight up through the floor to the kitchen, for example, this should work to keep the beer lines relatively cold.

Another way of handling a short run of beer line is to encase the beer line in a PVC pipe and blow cold air from your kegerator into the PVC pipe. Insulation on the outside of the PVC pipe can then be applied. This may be a better bet for running up to 20 feet of beer line without having to invest in a glycol cooling system.

Always be careful when drilling holes or cutting into the walls, ceilings, or floors of your home. It is best to consult the house blueprints before undertaking such a project, looking out for plumbing lines, electrical, and heating. Even if you insulate your beer lines, the beer is not likely to stay cold if the line runs next to or through a heating duct. Visual examination is always the most reliable.

Long Line Runs
In the case that you want to run your beer lines more than 12 feet, you are probably going to need a glycol cooling system. Such a system usually consists of a glycol chiller, which pumps propylene glycol through polyethylene coolant lines that are run alongside the beer lines to the point of serving and back to the glycol cooler.

Usually, the glycol coolant lines and beer lines are run together in an insulative barrier. The whole bundle is referred to as a glycol trunk line. Glycol cooling systems are capable of keeping beer lines cool for up to 500 feet. Although they cost a pretty penny, I would suggest buying a system like this versus trying to DIY something that might not last very long. It is possible to design your own compressor, but it might be messy.

Related Kegerator Articles :
Modification Project: Adding Double or Triple Tap Tower -- Learn how to add a double or triple tap tower to your kegerator.
Adding Chalkboard or Whiteboard Surfaces to your Kegerator -- Add a chalkboard or a whiteboard to the outside of your kegerator.
Maintaining Beer Lines With A Beer Cleaner -- Learn How To Maintain Your Kegerator Beer Lines With a Beer Cleaner Like Iodophor, BLC or Power Punch 22.