Refrigerator in garage.....

[Richard]

Wife wants to build a detached garage. She also wants to buy a new Fridge for the kitch....move the kitchen fridge down to the CURRENT garage and replace the CURRENT downstairs refrigerator. Getting rid of the current downstairs fridge.

Enter idea of detached garage. I'll likely plumb power to it so I can maybe add a summer fan (or something) for cooling when I'm working in there....

My question revolves around a refrigerator. The garage would be essentially non-heated (might get space heater for when I'm working in there in winter but no constant central heat/air type situation)

Which leads me to.... I've got a voice in the back of my head that says a refrigerator doesn't really "like" to be sitting in a cold situation (think 20 degrees in winter). My guess is it would essentially stop working since it's cold enough outside.... but then, if nothing is done long enough, the drinks that might be in there (basement fridge is full of various non-alchoholic drinks)

I'm guessing they'd be at risk of freezing should the conditions last long enough.

So would a refrigerator in an unconditioned garage lean to being a bad idea during the winter months or am I over-thinking things?

 

[Chewwy]

We have a refrigerator on an unheated porch as well as a smaller one in an unheated workshop. Temp gets down into the teens. Never been a problem.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I have one in my shop, unheated, but rarely gets below freezing

 

[garry1p]

You can buy refrigerator heater kits if you think it will be below 40 deg for an extended time I don't think they are very expensive.

 

[kozal01]

Ive had one in my unheated garage for almost 20 years, never had an issue.

 

[Willman]

I have one in an unheated garage also, some winters during extended cold spells if I notice any ice forming in water bottles , I use a 15 watt bulb in a drop light, just enough heat to keep above freezing inside

 

[chris the wrench]

Growing up outside Chicago my Dad always had a old fridge in our unheated garage. Several of my relations keep freezers in unheated buildings in central wa, where it gets down to zero.

 

[Jstpssng]

Would you be running it in the winter months? Thousands of people up here have camps which they close up for the winter, unplugging the frig and letting it set through the winter months.

Or you could buy a garage ready refrigerator... https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-Garage-...Vrm9HAR1EGig4EAQYASABEgJbf_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Tinhack]

Ive had one in my unheated garage for almost 20 years, never had an issue.

Same here but it's rare we get freezing temperatures. If we do, it doesn't last but a day or two (normally). The two times it was longer than that, the electric was out so it didn't run anyway. I have a small one for water and canned carbonated water. Sometimes some barley water too. It holds about three 12-packs of drinks and some of my glues. It's been going for at least 20 years. The only thing I've had to do to it is put a screen mesh in the back to protect the workings from mice.

 

[repete]

I would be mindful of the freezer when temps get down to the 30's as the refrigerator may not run and the freezer may actually thaw on a stretch of colder days then refreeze later and be deceiving.

I keep a plastic container of water in the freezer. Once it is frozen, I place a quarter on it. If the freezer ever thaws. the quarter will no longer be on top of the ice.

 

[dstig1]

"They" say you are not supposed to do it...but thousands and thousands of people do, soooo....

Repete's idea is interesting. You could get a temp monitor/alert with an app to notify on temp rise if you like, given that it is in another building and might not be noticed quickly.

 

[bigtiller]

Put a ceiling in the garage and blow in 15" or more of insulation. Along with some quality doors and windows. After that, there will not be any extreme low and high temperatures.

 

[Runner]

My solution is only keep beer, whiskey and Scotch in the shop fridge.

 

[KennyG]

I don't think it will be a problem but I've noticed that some freezers are marketed as "garage ready" and others aren't. Maybe some compressors don't run well at low temperatures?

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning Richard,

I would be mindful of the freezer when temps get down to the 30's as the refrigerator may not run and the freezer may actually thaw on a stretch of colder days then refreeze later and be deceiving.

I agree with repete, I have an old refrigerator out in my Vermont barn, barn is insulated, and during the cold winter months the freezer does not work properly! Fast forward to my Ct home and two years ago I purchased a garage ready refrigerator and it will work properly even in cold weather in an uninstalled garage ! It wasn’t any more expensive than a normal fridge! JMO !
Good luck with your decision !
BTW, the new garage refrigerator in Ct gives you the proper adjustments for winter and summer settings !

 

[dodge man]

I looked up how much energy it takes to run a refrigerator a month and came up with an average of $20. If you need the space it seems like a good idea to put one in your garage. On the other hand is it worth $20 a month just for the convenience.

 

[5030]

3 freezers and 1 fridge in the unheated garage and never an issue but then neither are vermin as I keep Tomcat bait blocks in there as well.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I keep a frig in the workshop all the time. Never had a problem of freezing or thawing. They're built with insulation to keep the temp constant. In addition, we keep our freezer in the garage. It stays at -3* all the time, summer & winter. Never had a problem.

 

[ponytug]

FWIW: I have had cans and bottles freeze in garage refrigerators. So, I wouldn't leave anything in it over the winter, and I certainly wouldn't rely on the freezer portion to stay frozen.

I have to admit that personally I'm on @dodge man's page. $20+/mo to save me a walk back to the house seems like a lot. Now, if I had trouble walking, and was out in the garage for the whole day, different story- but I would put a bathroom in the garage first. Just my $0.02

All the best,

Peter

 

[BravoXray]

I had a cheap chest freezer in my hangar at the airport to store ice and meat for hangar parties for 18 years, never shut it off, and never had a problem. A friend has had it in his garage now for the last 3 years and it's still working fine.