Freezer for an unheated garage

[erikwells]

We recently lost our old chest freezer that was in our garage. I need another and would like to see if I can find one used. My quesion is does it have to have some kind of thermostat to be able to work in the dead of winter? I assume that is the case. Any suggestions on where to find such a freezer?

Thanks,

Erik

[DooWap]

I just have your average old GE chest freezer I picked up from Home Depot and have been using it in my detached garage for a couple years now with no issues.

[jentz]

My bait beer fridge in the unheated unattached garage,Is a side by side fridgadair, fridge freezer,It quits in cold weather! we got a small coldspot I believe is the brand name,Its been in the garage for 5-7 years now and hasent missed a beat!

[Getanet]

I bought a smaller one at the Save Big Money store and keep it in my attached, unheated garage. I don't think the manufacturer would recommend it, but I haven't had any problems yet.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Ditto what others have said.. I have an attached, but unheated garage and just have a regular freezer.

[Hoey]

We've had two different, over/under frig/freezers and both stop cooling/freezing when the garage temps fall below 40F or so. We monitor it and empty the freezer for a couple of months during the winter.

[Raider4ever]

The one in my detached unheated garage also stopped doing its thing in the winter. Of course, it was probably 30 years old (it was a sweet antique/mustard yellow from a garage sale). Just got a neighbors that is probably less than 10 years (they redid their kitchen and got a brand new one). In the past we turned ours off after the T'Give leftovers got chucked and turned it back on in time for Easter leftovers. I may push the new one a bit just to see.

[erikwells]

Thanks for the responses. The manufacturer's manual I read had they do not recommend the unit get as cold as it gets here in Minnesota in an unheated garage. From what I'm hearing it appears the chest freezers seem to tolerate this type of abuse better than the standard fridge/freezer units. I think I'll see if I can track down a chest freezer on Craigs list used. Good info thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.

[CaptainMusky]

You will not have problems with stand alone freezers but fridges will not work unless its a "garage" fridge. They need a heater or something on the oil in the compressor.

[delcecchi]

The problem, as I understand it, is that the thermostat is typically in the refrigerator part. The freezer runs to make cold that then goes to the refrigerator, but there is no thermostat in freezer. If it gets down to in the 30's or below in the garage the thermostat doesn't need any cooling so the compressor doesn't ever run, even though the stuff in the freezer is melting.

Might be bogus but that is the way I think they work.

There is only one motor/compressor/ thing for both sections.

[BobT]

I think the biggest problem you might face with a freezer in an unheated area in winter is if it has an auto defrost feature it may actually heat the interior. If there is no auto defrost feature then I don't see how there could be any issues. If the freezer is set to maintain zero degrees and it gets colder than that, what does it matter? Frozen is frozen for what we need.

A refrigerator on the other hand could potentially be a problem where if it got too cold for too long things inside could start to freeze.

[delcecchi]

What I was trying to say what that if you have a combo refrigerator freezer, there typically is only one cooling coil and the thermostat for it is in the refrigerator part.

So if it gets to 34 degrees, the thermostat will never trip and the freezer part will get to 34 degrees, while the refrigerator part is also 34 degrees.

Beer will be cold, but meat thawed.

Some units probably have two thermostats, and a different system.

[jentz]

What I was trying to say what that if you have a combo refrigerator freezer, there typically is only one cooling coil and the thermostat for it is in the refrigerator part.

So if it gets to 34 degrees, the thermostat will never trip and the freezer part will get to 34 degrees, while the refrigerator part is also 34 degrees.

Beer will be cold, but meat thawed.

Some units probably have two thermostats, and a different system.

That I believe hit the nail on the head.

[amateurfishing]

we have beer fridge & full size deep freeze for 8 years, both free off crages site, never a problem with either in winter

[Shorelunch]

We shopped for a freezer a few years ago for an unheated garage. You should get a manual defrost freezer (as stated above). I believe having the freezer in an unheated garage voids the warranty. Our's has worked fine for quite a few years.