Freezer in unheated area

bob_a_builder

i've no extra switch but i wonder could it be done.

bit drastic, but if its got the plunger type switch in the body which gets activated by the door - just cut the plunger off.

So it thinks the doors always open

on 2nd thoughts - beware, some more intelligent units might just ramp up the cooling thinking the doors just been opened.

ButtersUK

SBuxton wrote: »

Hi Stan,

Your advice sounds perfect and we need to replace a fridge freezer that cannot cope with the recent cold weather. Can you tell me where you find the ambient room temperature information easily and what model Beko you went for?

Many thanks

The model I went for is CDA 539 and was the only one that fitted my height limit. Check Beko's website or Google 'Beko CDA fridge freezers' and you'll see the sizes they come in.

You need to check that the SERIAL number is followed by either -1 or -2 (that's either minus one or minus two) this ensures that the model is the most recent issue which is designed for lower temp's. You won't see the minus one or two in the advertising or on the website - you must assume that it's as I've described, i.e. the later issue with the -1 or -2, when it's delivered and it almost certainly will be. Only old stock (over 12 months old) doesn't have the -1 or -2

Not sure what you mean by finding ambient room temp's. The term 'ambient temperature' is another way of saying room temperature...it's the temperature of the area in which the appliance is sited. So you just need a room thermostat to determine the ambient temperature.

anne15

Hi , thanks for everyones helpful comments. i have learnt alot - if too late !!

I was unaware of the importance of ambient temperature on the operating of fridge/freezers. I bought an Argos own brand one as my unheated kitchen regularly is below the 16 degrees ambient temperature i've had lots of problems since i bought it 3 weeks ago.

Argos insist it has no obligation to provide this for customers and if i bought the 'wrong' type of fridge/freezer for my kitchen that is my problem not theirs. These appliances are exempt from the 30 day guarantee.

has anyone any advice on how i proceed either getting my money back or an exchange for a suitable Beko fridge/freezer ?

i can't afford to dump a brand new appliance and buy a new one and do not want to heat my kitchen for the winter every year for the next 10 yrs.

i'm puzzled this vital info should not be widely available to anyone thinking of buying a new appliance...


Thanks, Anne



i

ButtersUK

anne15 wrote: »

Hi , thanks for everyones helpful comments. i have learnt alot - if too late !!

I was unaware of the importance of ambient temperature on the operating of fridge/freezers. I bought an Argos own brand one as my unheated kitchen regularly is below the 16 degrees ambient temperature i've had lots of problems since i bought it 3 weeks ago.

Argos insist it has no obligation to provide this for customers and if i bought the 'wrong' type of fridge/freezer for my kitchen that is my problem not theirs. These appliances are exempt from the 30 day guarantee.

has anyone any advice on how i proceed either getting my money back or an exchange for a suitable Beko fridge/freezer ?

i can't afford to dump a brand new appliance and buy a new one and do not want to heat my kitchen for the winter every year for the next 10 yrs.

i'm puzzled this vital info should not be widely available to anyone thinking of buying a new appliance...


Thanks, Anne



i

I imagine you've exhausted the possibility of returning it to Argos?....they do sell Beko fridge/freezers (the only make suitable for unheated areas) .....have Argos head office refused to allow exchanging your present one for a Beko?

You've obviously discounted the possibility of providing localised heating/insulation as suggested earlier. (Not entirely sure this would be a good idea anyway).

I still can't figure out how anyone can have a working room - ie. your kitchen...and not heat it it. It must be impossible to cook or whatever in an unheated room in the middle of winter?

Other than that an advert in a local shop window or free yellow pages etc and cut your losses and get a Beko from the cheapest place you can find (For me it was Electrical123.com but you'll do your research).

Or as a very last resort, a seperate fridge and seperate freezer will work...but if you want a fridge/freezer then your choice is limited as described above.

The information re. low temps is in the handbook but I agree it's not all that clear or obvious....it's these last three years of cold weather that will have made the problems worse. Up till recently no-one had heard of winter tyres on cars...now you can't buy them for love nor money as people realise their normal car tyres don't grip on snow and ice and have bought them all up. The cold weather has brought about unexpected consequences that we all learn from.

Andy_ArT_Trigg

There is some relevant and hopefully useful advice on the subject here http://www.whitegoodshelp.co.uk/wordpress/freezer-defrosted-can-you-put-a-fridge-feezer-in-a-garage/

The article (especially in the comments) discusses how much responsibility should fall with the retailer. The problem is that a large percentage of people need to put their fridge freezer or freezer in a garage and have done for many years. Retailers know that this causes lots of problems as their engineers are constantly being called out to them under warranty and refuse to fix it under warranty. Despite all retailers engineers being called out thousands of times their actual sales staff rarely if ever ask customers where they intend to site the fridge freezer or freezer before selling them and the customer is left having bought a totally unsuitable appliance.

The customer is footing the bill for these mistakes when surely there's a moral duty on the retailers to ask the simple question - where do you intend to put this product sir/madam? It seems many retailers don't sell refrigeration suitable for a garage so are they more worried about losing a sale? They also appear to do ok out of the service side as many customers end up paying a call out charge when they call their engineers out.

ButtersUK

Indeed the article you refer to covers the topic comprehensively but it, and the associated comments (all 90 of them), don't seem to come to any further conclusion other than that which I think we now know only too well....it's F/F's with one stat controlling both compartments that play up and it's the cold ambient temps in unheated areas that cause it and that manufacturers and retailers don't, on the whole, seem too concerned to advise prospective purchasers about the issue. Again Beko got a couple of mentions, but one contributor seemd to imply that even his Beko F/F (the same one I have bought, as it happens) exhibited poor freezer performance in very cold conditions. Mine kicked off a bit temperamental and I had a new PCB fitted under warranty a few days ago and it seems OK at present - but it hasn't been really cold out there since it was fitted...remember to keep a new (or repaired) appliance in a warm room for 24 hours before taking out in to the garage.....It tells you this in the handbook and it needs to be done.

I haven't seen any recommendations from people with seperate stats who have no problems....and off the top of my head, can't say which F/F's have seperate stats....I was told there aren't many about? Again I say to be on the safe side fit seperate appliances rather than fridge freezers as they WILL DEFINITELY have seperate stats and compressors!

Have very little further to add to the topic myself.

Fruball

http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/kitchen/reviews/freezers/page/features-explained/

HTH

Fruball

Best freezers for your garage... http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/kitchen/guides/best-freezers-for-your-garage/