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Freezers in the Garage

Bob Kaplow of Dundee, Illinois, writes:

Marilyn: You're absolutely correct that one should check the instructions for a household cooling appliance before operating it in a garage. (October 31, 2010) Many freezers and even some refrigerators won't have any problems.

But here's the issue: Most combo units have a single refrigeration unit that cools both the freezer and refrigerator. The system cools the freezer, and convection does most of the refrigerator cooling. That's why many cheap units have the freezer on top. A thermostat in the refrigerator unit controls the temperature of both compartments.

The problem occurs when the garage temperature drops to nearly freezing. The thermostat in the refrigerator tells the system that it's fine and doesn't need to run, or at least doesn't need to run often. But that lets the freezer warm up from its ideal 0 degrees to nearly the same temperature as the refrigerator, and the contents of the freezer of the freezer start to defrost. Once the temperature drops below freezing, the unit won't run at all, and you risk stuff in the refrigerator getting too cold and freezing. At the same time, the freezer section is warming.

If you live in an area subject to freezing temperatures, you're better off putting a combo unit in the basement. Only a few combo units are designed especially for garage use. They have separate systems for the fridge and freezer.

Marilyn responds:

Thank you, Bob.

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