Uses for old refrigerator

Wolf Flower · #1 09/19/08, 10:47 PM

The old fridge we've been using as a kegerator finally gave up the ghost, and I'm thinking about dragging the old thing outside, lying it on its back, and using it as a feed bin. Should be fairly air and watertight. Any other ideas for an old dead fridge?

What, if anything, should we do with the motor and the freon?

WarriorMonk · #2 09/19/08, 11:08 PM

Dig a big hole in the ground, and put the fridge in there with only the lid above ground, and Voila! - easy root cellar. Take the freon out first, though. That needs to be disposed of in accordance with your local laws. Make sure any latches are removed so kids can't get stuck inside.

MELOC · #3 09/19/08, 11:15 PM

i've no help with the freon disposal, but the motor could be scraped for cash. recyclers pay for them by the pound...maybe only something like 20 cents per pound, but it adds up if you can find more.

i know a beekeeper who uses an old fridge to liquify crystalized honey. if you heat honey too much, you can destroy some of the groovy qualities health conscious people enjoy. so, he has hooked a thermostat up to a light bulb and mounted it inside to provide the heat. it keeps the unit heated to between 90 F and 110 F which is enough to melt the honey, but not enough to ruin it's groovy qualities. i imagine you could use such a setup as a dehydrator if you ventilated it properly.

hotzcatz · #4 09/19/08, 11:55 PM

You could use it for an incubater when you aren't heating honey, too.

Some folks use them to plant raised garden beds in so it is easy to weed the garden.

TiaD · #5 09/20/08, 01:26 AM

how about using it like an extra pantry. My aunt used to do that as she said it kept the mice out

bowdonkey · #6 09/20/08, 07:32 AM

I filled mine with concrete and used it for a boat anchor.

puddlejumper007 · #7 09/20/08, 07:46 AM

that must be one big boat....lol

StatHaldol · #8 09/20/08, 09:20 AM

We live on a lake; my neighbor made a worm bed out of his. Works great!

OkieDavid · #9 09/20/08, 09:39 AM

I've got an old one converted to an incubator as someone else posted. I've also got an old chest freezer converted to a feed bin as you said. Other uses- disable the door switch and use a 15 watt bulb for overwintering unused herbicides/pesticides and paint which all suffer ill effects from freezing weather. The low watt bulb keeps it just above freezing. A side benefit is that you can put a hasp and lock on it to keep the younguns away from the bad stuff.

SolarGary · #10 09/20/08, 09:47 AM

Hi,

Some people make batch solar water heaters from them. Mount the water tank inside the fridge box (painted black). Place the fridge on its back with the long side facing south and the north side elevated somewhat. Coat the inside of the door with a reflective material so that when its open at about 45 degrees it reflects more sun onto the tank. Glaze over the opening to prevent heat loss.

This is a 3 season tank in cold climates, but this can be extended some if you are willing to close the door at night and open in the morning, since most of the heat loss is out of the glazing.

It ends up looking a bit like the one here:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects...er_heating.htm
that is labeled "Maine Solar Primer Batch Water Heater".

Gary

neolady · #11 09/20/08, 10:05 AM

Use it in the winter as an outdoor refrigerator - keep it closed and stuff won't freeze. I have an old icebox that I keep in the barn just for that purpose. It doesn't cost anything to run, keeps out any pests, and provides extra refrigerated storage space when I need it.

Windy in Kansas · #12 09/20/08, 10:17 AM

Proofing box for raising doughs, bread, etc.

Germination chamber for seeds.

A light bulb for heat should work as aforementioned.

Wolf Flower · #13 09/20/08, 10:19 AM

I knew I could count on this forum for great ideas and advice. We'll figure out how to deal with the freon issue and take it from there... so many good ideas! Thanks!

HT should have a separate forum just for ingenious and creative ways to re-use old stuff. I myself love old plastic pallets. I put them on the floor of my chicken coops, like gigantic raised tiles. When I throw scratch/birdseed around, what doesn't get gobbled up sprouts under the pallets and provides the birds with fresh greens.

I also adore busted up concrete. I put it under waterers and duck pools to prevent excessive mud, and use the bigger pieces as stepping stones.

I'm currently mulling over what to use those plastic moist-wipes containers for.

texican · #14 09/20/08, 10:52 AM

Are you in a low humidity area? If so, you 'might' get away with using it for feed storage... Be aware, though, that the 'air tight' works against you, if there's any kind of moisture present. I used a dead fridge, once, and only once, for feed storage. Came back several days later, and had a mold farm... thankfully feed was 1/4 cheaper back then.

Windy_jem · #15 09/20/08, 03:42 PM

My hubby uses our old one to store tools in...he put a lock on it so the kids can't get into it and leave the tools laying around in the yard. lol

MushCreek · #16 09/20/08, 03:45 PM

I've seen more than a few of them made into smoke houses.

farmergirl · #17 09/20/08, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolf Flower

I knew I could count on this forum for great ideas and advice. We'll figure out how to deal with the freon issue and take it from there... so many good ideas! Thanks!

HT should have a separate forum just for ingenious and creative ways to re-use old stuff. I myself love old plastic pallets. I put them on the floor of my chicken coops, like gigantic raised tiles. When I throw scratch/birdseed around, what doesn't get gobbled up sprouts under the pallets and provides the birds with fresh greens.

I also adore busted up concrete. I put it under waterers and duck pools to prevent excessive mud, and use the bigger pieces as stepping stones.

I'm currently mulling over what to use those plastic moist-wipes containers for.

Let me know if you find a use for the metal lids that come on jars of pasta sauce and other things sold in glass containers. I recycle the glass, but end up throwing away all the metal lids because our recycling center doesn't take them.

chewie · #18 09/20/08, 07:01 PM

we used an old freezer for a hot box to warm chilled calvies. we use an old fridge to store tags and things that cannot get frozen out in the shed by putting a small lightbulb in it.

when we moved to this current house, it has one of those old freezers that are rounded on the edges. i use to store dry goods as the mice here are very active!

Quint · #19 09/21/08, 03:26 AM

How about using it as a toy for the neighborhood kids to play with. They're great for playing hide and seek.

DixyDoodle · #20 09/21/08, 06:37 AM

This is for a freezer, not a fridge, but the large freezers are perfect for throwing bags of garbage in until you can take them to the dump. Seals in the smells and keeps mice from chewing at the bags to get the food scraps.

I have a med freezer in the barn for feed I use within a few weeks and a larger freezer in the garage for extra bags of feed---it pays to have a little extra feed around in the winter, just in case a storm hits and you can't get out. We sometimes get -35C winters and I have never had sweet feed freeze in them yet. Carrots are less likely to get "crystalized", too.