How To Install A Short Draw Glycol Pump Kit 

One underrated way to enjoy draft beer using your kegerator is by setting up a short-run direct draw draft system. Typically these run through an adjacent wall with a draft faucet mounted on one side of the wall and the kegerator stationed on the other side. A run of draft beer line of 3’ or less goes from the kegerator to the faucet and shank. 

This type of setup is perfect for when you want to pour beer in one room but don’t have the space for a kegerator, or you prefer the aesthetic appeal of a wall-mounted draft faucet versus a kegerator and draft tower.

The key to making this type of draft system work is keeping the beer sitting in the section of the draft line that extends outside the kegerator adequately chilled. When the beer in the lines gets warm, it will lead to the beer pouring foamy and potentially encourage the growth of mold or bacteria in the lines. 

An excellent solution for this problem is to add a short draw glycol pump kit to your kegerator. This pump sends a solution of glycol coolant and water through a separate line that runs alongside your beer line. The coolant line helps to keep the beer in the adjacent draft line cold as the entire package of lines is sealed with insulation and tape to keep the coolness from escaping. 

Setting up the short draw glycol pump is easy, especially if you’ve already installed a direct draw system through a wall.

Setting up a wall-mounted draft faucet

If you’re starting entirely from scratch, then first, you’ll need to install your draft faucet. Identify and mark where you want to install your tap on the wall, and then drill a 1” diameter hole. Insert a draft faucet shank into the hole and secure it by tightening the coupling nut on the back of the shank. Attach your draft faucet to the front of the shank with a spanner wrench, and screw a tap handle onto the faucet lever.

Disconnect the beer line from your kegerator’s coupler and remove the draft tower from the top of the kegerator by loosening the screws. Take a vinyl beer line jumper and attach one end to the keg coupler and the other to your shank.

How To Install Glycol Pump Kit

Setting up your glycol supply/return line

With your draft faucet set up, you can begin installing your glycol pump. Start by identifying how long you’ll need your glycol supply/return line to be. Take the glycol line, feed it through the kegerator, run it up to the draft faucet, and cut it to length. Connect the end of the supply inside the kegerator to the glycol pump and secure it with a screw clamp.

Attach the included U-bend to the open end of your supply line and secure it with a screw clamp. Run the remaining glycol line from the opposite end of the U-bend and feed it into the kegerator. Set the U-bend, with both lines attached, on top of the draft shank. Tape the glycol lines to your beer line to create your trunk line (the bundle of glycol lines and beer line).

Pour the included glycol solution into the reservoir, and then top with water until the level reaches the Min/Max fill lines marked on the reservoir. Make sure not to overfill the reservoir. Place the reservoir inside your kegerator, insert the pump, and secure the lid. Cut any extra length from the glycol return line and insert it into the reservoir. Plug in the pump unit and check for any leaks. 

When placing the reservoir inside the kegerator, put it in an area where it won’t get damaged or crushed by a keg or CO2 tank.

Insulating the trunk line and kegerator opening

You’ll want to properly insulate the entire run of trunk line sticking outside of the kegerator as well as the opening at the top of your kegerator to prevent the loss of any chilled air. Cover and wrap the entire surface of your trunk line with foil tape, and then wrap with foam pipe insulation tape. Complete insulating your trunk line by wrapping it with electrical tape. Seal the kegerator opening using both insulation tape and electrical tape.

With your glycol pump installed, you’ll always have perfectly chilled beer flowing from your tap and no worries about losing any from foamy pours.