Chest Freezer

wizzywig27

Hi all, hope this is in the right area, couldn't find somewhere to put it...

anyway, myself and the OH move house at the end of the month and need to buy a chest freezer to put in the garage. A lot of the ones we have been looking at state they cannot be used in an outhouse etc. The one that are, are very expensive but they work down to -15 degrees. I was speaking to a family member tonight who stated you can use 'normal' chest freezers outside and they will be ok.

Can anyone back this up? Don't want to spend too much, but also don't want to buy one to break it by putting it outside

Bollotom

Something to do with ambient temperature. Might be okay in summer but not necessarily in winter. Having said that my daughter has a freezer in her garage and lives in deepest Essex which can get a bit parky.

Here's a quote from a 44 year sparky.

Warm weather is ok but not in winter, unless it has two separate compressors, (and thermostats)

Reason - If there is only a single compressor and the thermostat is in the fridge compartment (normal location for single unit f/freezers) and set at +4/5°C, when the weather (ambient) is cold (under +4°C) the thermostat will shut off the compressor which will also stop the freezer section from reaching -19°C. The freezer section will then RISE to ambient, possibly +2°C ?? and all your frozen food will defrost. The fridge temperature will still be ok at +2°C instead of +4°C.

If it has two compressors and thermostats and the ambient is say, 0°C, the freezer will continue to run down to - 19°C (or whatever it's set at?) and the fridge will go down to 0°C from the set point of +4/5°C without the compessor working, because that is the ambient temperature, which will gradually permeate into both compartments.

This is true in most cases, best to check with the manufacturer or get it in writing from the seller.

wealdroam

Bollotom wrote: »

Something to do with ambient temperature. Might be okay in summer but not necessarily in winter. Having said that my daughter has a freezer in her garage and lives in deepest Essex which can get a bit parky.

Here's a quote from a 44 year sparky.

Warm weather is ok but not in winter, unless it has two separate compressors, (and thermostats)

Reason - If there is only a single compressor and the thermostat is in the fridge compartment (normal location for single unit f/freezers) and set at +4/5°C, when the weather (ambient) is cold (under +4°C) the thermostat will shut off the compressor which will also stop the freezer section from reaching -19°C. The freezer section will then RISE to ambient, possibly +2°C ?? and all your frozen food will defrost. The fridge temperature will still be ok at +2°C instead of +4°C.

If it has two compressors and thermostats and the ambient is say, 0°C, the freezer will continue to run down to - 19°C (or whatever it's set at?) and the fridge will go down to 0°C from the set point of +4/5°C without the compessor working, because that is the ambient temperature, which will gradually permeate into both compartments.

This is true in most cases, best to check with the manufacturer or get it in writing from the seller.

That quote from your sparky is only applicable to fridge-freezers.

I have had the same chest freezer in my unheated garage for nineteen years without any problem.

If you are thinking about a fridge-freezer, then yes you do need to be careful.