Tower Temperature Problem?

[MrZ123]

I have a Summit outdoor kegerator. I have it built in to a stone wall type thing and the tower is mounted on top of a piece of granite drierctly above the kegerator.

Becuase the temp of the kegerator was not getting cold enough (~41 degrees), I sealed off the whole in the top of the kegerator with insulation foam. Now, along with a replaced door with a better seal, the kegerator gets to 36 degrees as desired.

My issue though is that the tower gets hot. Even before I sealed the hole in the top of the kegerator, it would get hot. It is basically in direct sunlight all day so it gets to about the outdoor temp, which can be in the 90's here in NY in the summer (when the unit will be in use primarily).

If I don't use the thing for a few days, am I going to get bacteria and yeast problems because the beer in the tower will be warm?

If so, how do I remedy this without major mods or money?

[De Hooter]

As I understand it, the hole, that you closed off with foam, is there to allow the cold air from the refrigerated box to circulate in the tower. While this is inherently inefficient it is also cheap.

To fix it without much expense or work is going to take some major juice with the Big Guy upstairs. Which is not as crazy as it at first sounds sincs his son's first miracle was the whole water into wine thing.

Other than a miracle, I expect that you will need to probably look on fleabay for a refrigerated tower. This is one of those professional towers that pumps a refrigerant liquid through the tower. Oh, and you might want to get your tower out of direct sun.

Admittedly, that last part is a no brainer for me, but then I have moved back to within arms reach of that big fire in the sky(aka Arizona). Around here we are pretty anal about keeping metal, or anything we don't want hot enough to fry on, out of the direct sun. Yes, it is possible to get some pretty nasty burns from your seatbelt latches...

[MeridianFC]

As above a cooled tower is your only option. Most smaller units have air cooled towers, with a hose from inside the unit going up into the tower. Larger commercial operation have the above referenced glycol cooled towers, but they are very expensive.

Will the beer in the line in the tower get funky when not used and exposed to heat. Yes.

Personally I wouldn't recommend a permanent outdoor kegerator of the type you have. Sorry just telling it like it is. I know from around here professional units have a hard time maintaining temp out of doors.

[fretlessman71]

Could you paint it? A nice, reflective white? Just a dumb idea from someone who doesn't know what he's talking about... but I've done that to pieces of musical gear in the past and it makes a difference... honest, it does.