Freezers and fridges in back room

[Heritagefarm]

We have a small room on the back of the house... OK, we have an "enclosure" on the back of the house: some might call it a room, but it's really not. The room is usually the same temperature as outside, except during the summer, where it is actually hotter in the room than outside.
Now, my question is, what happens to freezers and fridges when they are subjected to cold temperatures? Do they freeze, do they have heaters or anything, does the freon freeze? Thanks in advance.

[Danaus29]

A regular manual defrost freezer just doesn't run. I've been told the frost free ones and refridgerators will freeze up and get ruined. Don't know for sure. Guess I'll find out soon. The fridge in the guest house is still full of food and still running. It's cold in there.

[Dandish]

I've had a refrigerator and have a freezer in the garage for 2 years now, not a single problem, and it gets very cold here in SE MI.

[MO_cows]

We have a 25 yr old refrigerator running in our detached garage. It has a frost free freezer. The garage is not insulated and only heated when dh is puttering in there in the winter. It has been running for 3 years like that at least. I would think twice about risking my food supply, though. Usually all ours has in it is beer.

[Danaus29]

It's not a lot of food, mostly popcorn, butter and chocolate. What could possibly spoil will be used long before warm weather returns here.

Forgot to mention we've had this fridge in an unheated house for 3 years now. If I remember I turn it off when the temp is below freezing for a few days. Forgot last year during a sub-zero snap.

[motdaugrnds]

We have a large chest-type freezer as well as a small chest-type freezer in the barn. Both have been there for many years. There is no heat in the barn and, though wind cannot directly hit them, the temperatures can certainly get cold. We have not had any problems with them.

[Callieslamb]

I have a frost free and a defrost-it-yourself - both are in an unheated garage and both have given me no problem, except for the doors that don't close themselves.

[blufford]

QUOTE=MO_cows;4807917]We have a 25 yr old refrigerator running in our detached garage. It has a frost free freezer. The garage is not insulated and only heated when dh is puttering in there in the winter. It has been running for 3 years like that at least. I would think twice about risking my food supply, though. Usually all ours has in it is beer.[/QUOTE]


I'd be more than happy to check that frig for you this winter. Wouldn't want it to stop working while your away.

[Michael W. Smith]

We just bought a freezer a while back to put on our enclosed front porch. It is actually a room but it is not heated at all.

The manufacturer of our freezer suggested that the freezer not be run in a room below 40 degrees - but from all the other posts, it looks like they are hardier than the manufacturer gives them credit for.

My Step-Dad had an Upright Freezer and a very very very old frig in his unheated garage. The memories I have are at least 20 yrs old. Never a problem for them.

He even had a very old frig in the milk house and another frig in the unheated Machine Shed. He always made sure he had soda and beer nearby. Never had to walk too far. LOL

EDIT: Keep in mind.... our regions, -40 wind chills are common.

[mightybooboo]

Big difference between 25 year old machines and new ones.Different coolants and construction.

Friend put a tarp over his on his open porch,says its working like a champ.Mine does rarely get below freezing in my front room,both working fine and are the new types.Manual defrosts if that matters,IDK.

[Tracy Rimmer]

We bought a 27cu ft chest freezer a little over a year ago. It's in our unheated, uninsulated garage, and has been perfectly fine through the Manitoba extremes of heat and cold.

I had the same concerns as the OP when I bought it, as I knew it would have to be in the garage (no WAY a unit of this size was going to get down the basement steps) -- spoke to neighbors (it's pretty standard here to have freezers and fridges in barns, milkhouses, outbuildings) and heard from people with both brand new and decades-old units -- absolutely no problems.

[Heritagefarm]

Thanks, everyone, for the reassurance!

[tinknal]

I think the main problem occurs when the temperature is around 40. The refrigerator never cycles on so the freezer compartment never gets cooled down enough to freeze.

[longshadowfarms]

We are in Alaska and most people keep their freezers outside so they don't use so much electric.

[haypoint]

I had a freezer fail after very little use, in an unheated porch. Used it a couple years. Then it sat for a few. When I went to use it again, it failed. There is oil in the compressor. When it is cold, thick, it strains the motor.