Freezer in unheated area

The_Biff

I've read somewhere about this - are you only supposed to keep them in heated rooms? If so, why?

Ted_Hutchinson

I understand that the refrigerant used doesn't work as efficiently when the ambient temperature is below 45 so many manufacturers say it is inappropriate to site freezers in an unattached unheated garage or utility room.

That said I have had a chest freezer in an unheated garage for many years and I haven't noticed it working excessively hard in the winter or not managing to keep the contents at the proper temperature.

YorkshireBoy

Just to add to Ted's post, one of the reasons could be 'condensation'?

However, our freezer has been installed in the shed now for 5 years with not a single problem, and my parents' freezer has been in their garage since 1992, and was in a cold cellar (at their previous house) for at least 10 years before that.

I was unaware of the refrigerant issue Ted mentioned and was going to add that I would have thought that energy consumption would be considerably less as the compressor wouldn't have to work quite so hard.

squirrelz

You can't keep fridge freezers in unheated rooms, unless they have dual thermostats - otherwise the thermostat cuts out when the fridge gets below zero, and the freezer starts to thaw out.

It happened to me - I used to have a fridge freezer in the garage, and had to replace it with a small freezer when all the frozen food thawed out two winters in a row.

Pink.

I have heard that you shouldn't keep a freezer in an unheated room. However, I have kept a chest freezer and fridge freezer in the (unheated) garage for the last 10 years.

The only problem I have had is me running in and out of there in the wind and rain to get things out of them.

Pink

[Deleted User]

I used to keep a small chest freezer in my unheated garage. In the cold weather it was contantly covered in condensation so I got rid of it.

Ted_Hutchinson

Deleted_User wrote:

I used to keep a small chest freezer in my unheated garage. In the cold weather it was contantly covered in condensation so I got rid of it.

This sounds either as if the freezer was being run at too low a temparature or the insulation has perished. To check the freezer temperature, place a thermometer between frozen packages. Read it after 24 hours. Freezer temperature should be kept at 0°F. You will save energy if you adjust the temperature so it doesn't go way colder than is necessary.

MATH

Some freezers can be kept in unheated areas and some cannot. If you explain that it is for garage instalation a good, reputable retailer will show you which are suitable and which ar not.

[Deleted User]

We've had this problem with the freezer producing condensation at the bottom of the freezer towards the front. It soak through the carpet it was on so we removed that and left it with lino under with plenty of air to circulate. The temp in our attached utility is the same as the house due to it being summer still and the adjoining door is open all the time. So it can't be the temp of the room causing this yet. We do plan to have a radiator put in before winter anyway.

Is it still worth trying the thermometer thing, can you get them from DIY shops?

Thanks.

Bay

nursemolly

i had problems back in the hot weather with my fridge...
i had loads of ice build up in my fridge..someone said it was due to the extreme heat.
now its got cooler the ice has since melted without me altering the thermostat...
so maybe its the opposite for a freezer!!
molly
xx

tawnyowls

I've had mine in my garage for 2 years, and never had a problem with it. Since a disaster when it accidentally got switched off, I've used a freezer thermometer - one end stays inside the freezer and then there's a display outside - and it seems to stay at a pretty constant -18 degrees without apparently working very hard.