[nostalgia]

We would like to get a bigger freezer but we really don't have the space for it. We have a covered back porch and someone suggested putting it out there.

Does anyone have their freezer outside? If so, does it stay there all winter and summer? Is it costlier to operate in hot weather? Does it have a lock on it to keep theives out?

Any advice would really be appreciated.
Thank you!

 

[comfortablynumb]

mine sits out on an uninsulated porch thats freezing in winter and hot hot hot in summer, when the condenser line ices up, so in summer I pit a lil fan under it to cool the compressor so it wont heat up. its been there for years. OUTside, i dunno, I would thing the only problem youd have is rust...

 

[Wendy]

Our chest freezer is in our summer kitchen which is hot in the summer & cold in the winter. Basically just a small building behind our house. Our freezer does have a lock, but we never use it. I figure if anyone is that hungry & they can get past the dogs, they are welcome to some meat!

 

[C and P]

this probably won't be much help, but when i was growing up in hawaii we had a large freezer on our back porch and never had any problems with it. of course, we weren't dealing with extreme cold... but the humidity, heat, critters, and neighbor kids never bothered it.

 

[Karen]

Ours is on enclosed, non-heated/cooled, back porch and we have also never had any problems. We just latch the back door so critters such as the possums, *****, and bears don't get in but more so "just so they don't get in" as opposed to worrying they will get into the freezer. I also don't worry about theives. If they are that hungry that they have to steal from a family's freezer, then I guess they needed it worst than we did. Of course, we don't get theives up here anyway, but if we did, I'm betting the freezer contents would be the last thing of interest anyway in view of all the homestead equipment, tools, etc. that they would more probably want. I doubt they would have room to cart off chicken soup, frozen veggies, sausage, and a few roasts! LOL!

I think the key to being certain your freezer is okay in these conditions is to be sure you have a tight gasket and to vacuum around the freezer on a regular basis, and to get one with a lock and key if your concerned about theives.

 

[Guest]

If you keep it outside, or in a place where it might be of interest to anyone peeking through a window, you should have a lock on it. Also to keep children from getting trapped inside by accident.

Keeping it outside, you might have to clean around it more due to dust and bugs/critters. Also from what I've read it is not as energy efficient as keeping it in a relatively climate controlled place like in the house.

 

[East Texas Pine Rooter]

Stick a shovel, a pick, and a post hold digger, in a wheel barrow at end of your driveway, and it will be there next week. Look down town in your city, and almost every store window has a sign that says NOW HIREING. Our govertment is trying so hard to deal with the iliegal mexicans, which is the hardest working people I know, who really appreciates a job no one want's to do. The mexican people stay up here 2-or more years, sending money back every week to there families in mexico. That's being loyall to your family. I have one who I pick up every morning I can, and when I don't have something for him to do, I look to my friends to give him a job. He is so nice, clean, and polite, you ask of him, consider it done. Mam, don't worry about locking up those tools, but tye your doderman to your freezer on you're back porch. Thank you for letting me get that labor problem off my chest.

 

[Guest]

Get this. When I went out of the deer processing business I had to find a place for one of my chest freezers that I was using. So I placed it on my front porch and it is not closed in. At about the same time that I went out of the deer processing business I also won a 1/2 beef from my nephews ball team, so I plugged the freezer in and placed all my deer and fish meat, plus some garden vegetables in the freezer outside on the front porch and placed my 1/2 beef in the freezer inside of my house. It has now been out there for almost a whole year now and no one has robbed us yet.

I don't know if it has used more energy in the summer time but I figure it is probably using less energy in the winter time. Kind of a trade off.

 

[Countrybumpkin]

We used to keep ours out in the barn, and I swear it ran less than it does i n the house! just too darn far to run if you need something in a hurry...

 

[Guest]

I have always just kept mine under some kind of shelter. I just have this thing about rain water mixing with electrical appliances......
Otherwise, 3 of my 4 freezers are not in the house.
Tana Mc

 

[terragirl]

I have a regular refrigerator/freezer on my covered porch and I think it uses more elec in the summer and less in the winter. The only problem I have had was a skunk who liked to hide in the motor area. Ammonia got rid of him.

 

[george darby]

ours is out in the barn.... some have locks but they are nothing that would keep a thief out just courious kids,,,,,,,,,id be really woried if i had to think somone would come to my farm and steal from my freezer most of the people i know who have had that problem were being robbed by relatives.....they said they stopped the problem by wrighting on the packages such things as (spoiled?) or for dog food only........or packaging a few odd pieces.... ears....just chunks of fat ecttt .. leaving them on top and marking steak roast ect....they said after the miss marked packages disapeared they didnt have anymore trouble.......guess thier brotherinlaw didnt like the odd cuts...... lol

 

[Denise K.]

We used to have a freezer on the porch of our garage that sat away from the house. It was an unheated area the freezer was 35 years old when it died (I inherited it from my folks when we bought the place)
It was always unlocked and we never had any problem until one night.......somebody must have been very hungry they opened the freezer and took things.
Oh the things they took :haha: I am sure they are still talking about it. You see we had butchered the steer that week. The steer was at the meatcutters being cut up. So we cleaned the freezer all that was in was several packages of raw rabbit hides (we were going to tan when we had several) and the bones from two turkeys (that we were going to make into soup)
Still wonder what they thought when those hides thawed!!
Denise

 

[pumpkinlady]

When we moved to our farm over 11 years ago we debated on where to put our freezer. Since we have a dirt floor basement and I didn't want the bulky freezer in my dining room, we opted to put it in the garage. Our garage is unattached from the house and is not heated. We have never had a problem yet with anyone helping themselves or in the working of the freezer. I like the idea of coming home from the store and just putting things away before having to carry them into the house too. I don't think it is as efficient as it would be in a heated area but it is the best place for it at this time.

 

[Don Armstrong]

If you're going to leave any electrical equipment, be it frig or freezer or washinh machine, somewhere where it may get wet underfoot, it's a good idea to raise it up a little. Put it on a pallet or a couple of boards or something so it won't get the machinery wet, and so any damp underneath can dry out rather than being in constant contact with the machine.

 

[bearkiller]

Hi all,

My neighbor has a chest freezer located outside his kitchen door. It is truly outside, even if under a roof. Runs fine, keeps everything frozen without problem. He has never been robbed, but keeps a chain and padlock handy for when he's gone fishing.

My own place is off grid so I do not have a freezer, but if I get one it will be gas fired. What I have learned in the past is my gas refrigerator was designed to operate at "room temp" meaning around 70 F. If I am gone in the winter when it is cold, the refrigerator seems to reverse cycle and heats up inside, not exactly desireable. Not sure if this is unique to my equipment or if others with a gas refer have experienced this. Anyone??

bearkiller

 

[Swampdweller]

Hi all,

What I have learned in the past is my gas refrigerator was designed to operate at "room temp" meaning around 70 F. If I am gone in the winter when it is cold, the refrigerator seems to reverse cycle and heats up inside, not exactly desireable. Not sure if this is unique to my equipment or if others with a gas refer have experienced this. Anyone??

bearkiller

We have a gas-fired fridge. It definitely freezes the food in colder weather if we're not paying attention. I like to open the kitchen windows on cold nights to save fuel. Makes for a snuggly marraige, too.


My brother has a freezer at his place (electric) that we use. It is in the unheated barn year-round, no problem.

An icehouse, underground, is in our future.

Swampdweller