Freezers in unheated garages
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: Surfbow
23-Sep-19
Check out Sam's Club or Costco too. I have a couple 7 c.f. freezers from Sam's that have lived in the garage through near-freezing temps for roughly 5-6 years now with no problems.
From: pav
23-Sep-19
Replaced my old relic freezer a few years ago after it finally gave up the ghost. Salesman talked me into an upright freezer. Very glad he did! Mine is also in the garage....but rarely gets below 40 degrees F in there.
From: Red Sparky
23-Sep-19
Not that I know of. My freezer is in an unheated garage for 16 years and no problems. Being an electrician I hooked in a motor control relay to the circuit the freezer is on. Not controlling a motor but rather a light. If the power to the freezer goes out a light turns on in the house.
From: wytex
23-Sep-19
We've had pours in the garage for 25 years, finally had to replace an older model few years back, no issues yet. Our garage gets well below zero in winter on occasion.
From: Grubby
23-Sep-19
Grubby's Link
I have one of 2 of mine in garage , probably ranges from -30 to +90 and have for years without issue
From: BowHiker
23-Sep-19
That is correct, refrigerant pressures are directly linked to ambient temps. There are ways to make it work, it low ambient temps. Weld in access valve and install condenser fan cycle switch, but you'd be looking at a pretty steep bill from the tech. I am a commercial refrigeration tech. If you have any questions feel free to pm me
From: PECO
23-Sep-19
I got an inexpensive chest freezer, no electronics, no bells, no whistles, and no auto defrost. It has been in the garage for a few winters, we get -15 and I've not had a problem. Sales rep seemed to really know her stuff. She said you get into problems when you have auto defrost and put them out in the cold. I will never have a freezer with electronics on it again. It's cute, but mine had trouble resetting after a power failure. That's OK when I'm home, but I travel. Lost a lot of meat with that POS electronic circuit controlled upright.
From: StickFlicker
23-Sep-19
StickFlicker's Link
They make very inexpensive alarms that you can put in your freezer that will warn you when your freezer gets above safe temperature levels with an alarm. Here's an article that shows just a few, but there are many and often under $25.
From: BigOzzie
23-Sep-19
I will vouch for the extended cold kills the freezer.
I have always assumed that the motor quit when it was cold for too long. But an above comment makes it sound like the coolant is the issue either way.
We have to unplug the refrig/freezer in the cabin each winter. After an extended period with out heat and not being warmed up the freezer melts everything, it will be warmer than the air temps. If we unplug the unit and plug it back in in the spring when things warm up all is good.
But it will thaw everything during extended cold snaps. We usually unplug at thanks giving and use coolers outside for the winter stays.
oz
From: mountainman
23-Sep-19
Like some others, I have two chest freezers that stay in an unheated garage, one going on 11 years. It may not help their longevity, but if I can get ten years out of a few hundred dollar freezer, I'm good with that.
From: Starfire
23-Sep-19
One thing I heard is do not get a frost free refrigerator for an unheated garage.
From: APauls
23-Sep-19
I don't buy chest freezers under 30 cubic feet. I've got one freezer for each person in the family. If the apocolypse hits I can eat meat for 5 years lol. But in all honesty I bought a new freezer last year and it sits in the uninsulated garage. We get real winter here in Winnipeg. Does what you have in Indiana even qualify as winter? Do your deer turn white in the fall?
From: Franklin
23-Sep-19
I hate the frost free freezers. I put a lot of capes and skins in mine and the newer freezers literally freeze dry the ears and skins. I buy the old ones off of Craigslist or garage sales and leave them in the unheated garage.
From: Backpack Hunter
23-Sep-19
BowHiker nailed it. I would follow his advice.
From: BIG BEAR
23-Sep-19
Wow Jeff.... our low was 4 below last year and we’re well north of you. If your figuring wind chill.... that’s cheating.
From: drycreek
23-Sep-19
Well, when it’s -10 you just unplug it and open the door......duh ! :-)
From: TEmbry
23-Sep-19
Why would one need a freezer in sub freezing conditions? If it’s truly that cold there, unplug them.
From: 0hndycp
23-Sep-19
They make really reliable garage ready freezers now that handle temps from like 110 degrees F down to like -30.
From: Scoot
23-Sep-19
Tembry, they need the freezer to keep its contents from getting too cold.
From: AZ8
23-Sep-19
Not relevant to the topic, but people here in Phoenix put freezers and fridges in their garages. During the summer months, garages get HOT to freaking hot! Like Africa hot on steroids! Then they pull in their vehicle and the engine heat adds even more! I never understood how those freezers and fridges make it through one summer.
From: dirtclod Az.
23-Sep-19
Costco had 7ft. on sale a while back for $160 ea. bought two. Outside in the garage in Az. No problems all summer. Had a chest freezer out there that lasted 30 plus yrs!
From: ahunter76
23-Sep-19
My freezer (stand up) is about that age 75-76. It's in unheated garage (Illinois to start & now Iowa). I hope it keeps on truckin. I've had THREE fridges in the house in that time.
From: soccern23ny
24-Sep-19
I'd venture to say 90%+ of garages are not heated or cooled. Yet most freezers(And beer fridges) work fine for a decade(s). Get one toss it in, just get a decent brand one
From: SixLomaz
24-Sep-19
Buy two 7 cubic feet freezers. One in service, one in standby mode. Put in a system to notify you if freezer stops working.
From: BIG BEAR
24-Sep-19
You could always move to North Dakota or northern Minnesota where it’s really cold. Then you could simply unplug your garage freezer in the winter and everything would remain frozen.
From: 12yards
24-Sep-19
Yes, when my deep freezer goes, it will be replaced with an upright freezer.
From: BOHUNTER09
24-Sep-19
Here’s what I’ve been told regarding refrigerators in a cold garage. The compress runs when the refrigerator section calls for cold. Cold also cools freezer during the cycle. If the garage is below say 35, then the compressor doesn’t run to cool the refrigerator so the freezer won’t be colder than the refrigerator. I have several friends with freezers in their garage with no issues.
From: Bob H in NH
24-Sep-19
My stand up freezer (never will I ever own a chest freezer again!) has been in an unheated garage for about 20 years. First in NH, now in WY. Winter gets to 0 or lower, only heat was when we pulled cars in. Works fine.
It's not frost free, but has a "quick defrost" button that when pushed it pumps warmth through somehow. But in general it doesn't
From: Linecutter
24-Sep-19
It would be harder on a freezer in the hot summer 90 plus degree days in a garage cycling frequently to keep it cold inside. Talk about raising you electric bill. The fuller your freezer though, the less it will run. If you live some where, where the temp is below -5 for long periods of time, turn it off and crack the seal as long as you don't have rodents. that could get in. The stuff will stay frozen with the outside temps. Even plugged it wouldn't cycle much in temps that cold. Many times I have used my garage as a fridge or freezer by itself when it gets cold out side. DANNY
From: Nimrod90
25-Sep-19
I've always kept my extra freezer in the unheated garage for last 19 years and no problems yet, had an old chest freezer I gave away and now have an upright. JTV isn't lying about last winters temp in Northern Indiana, -25 actual temp and I believe - 50 wind chills during the polar vortex, it was BAD....
From: Jim Moore
26-Sep-19
Whats the thought on plugging the freezer that resides in in an unheated garage or shop into a line thermostat? One that shuts off at say 0 degrees then comes on at around 30 or 40 degrees? I use them to control window ac units at remote communications sites. They work pretty good in that application. I have a diesel heater in my shop that will fire off and shut down IAW the T-stat setting. Works pretty good.
From: Heat
26-Sep-19
Wouldn't be an issue here in good ol Yuma AZ! Summertime, whole different story. LOL!
From: scentman
26-Sep-19
I never fill my freezer with store bought items, I figure they'll stay fresh or frozen at the store till i need em... we lose power to many times a year to waist food that thaws from the freezer going down from this ancient grid in WNY.
Wild game... that is another story, get a whole deer butchered and ya need the large freezer... Red Sparky, great handle for an electrician... great idea you have there also!
From: Shawn
26-Sep-19
GE products are garbage anymore. I had an admiral(monkey Wards) for 30 years that was left in my shed year round. That baby withstood temps from 30 below to 110 and was still running strong 2 years ago when we moved. I would say any decent freezer today would be fine out in the shed or barn. Shawn
From: RIT
26-Sep-19
I have an upright frost free freezer in my I unheated garage along with a regular freezer/refrigerator. The freezer is fine (going on 7 years) but sometimes when it’s really really cold my water/beer in the refrigerator will get a little slush in it.
From: APauls
26-Sep-19
If you want your stuff to spoil faster, buy a frost free freezer. The only reason it's frost free, is because it goes through melting cycles where it allows the freezer to get warm enough to melt the "frost" and drain out the bottom. But those melting cycles compounded over time will kill your food. If you want your food to last, go chest freezer.
From: smarba
26-Sep-19
Bingo APauls: for long-term game meat storage, frost-free is no bueno.
From: DonVathome
26-Sep-19
It really shouldn't matter if the garage is unheated. I buy vacant homes all the time and the appliances work just fine. That said they do not continually freeze and thaw.
My guess is it will not be an issue but I would look into it
