by David Olshaski

Created on: February 24, 2009

20 years of servicing appliances and I still run across people that put fridges in the garage and then wonder why the jar of pickles exploded during the winter. Most refrigerators have a primary thermostat that detects the temperature in the fridge section. This is the on /off switch for the compressor to operate. The moment temperatures go below 37F/+2C many fridges will stop trying to cool. This means the freezer compartment will warm up to +37/+2C as well and thaw out the contents. Fridges that use a single temperature sensor in the fridge compartment rely on a temperature differential between the inside of the fridge and the outside temperature to allow the unit to run a portion of time necessary to keep the freezer compartment at -10 Celsius / 0 F. If you keep the temperature in your garage at a modest +55 F/+9C in the winter there may not be enough run time for the freezer section to keep product at a proper temperature.

Dual Thermostat units such as some of the higher end units with electronic controls may have less issues dealing with this as the computer system in them will turn on the freezer section to run independently. However the moment the temperature dips below freezing, you'll still have iceberg lettuce that is an iceberg. There are no non-commercial units that I know of that have heaters to accommodate for temperatures below freezing. The outdoor pop machines do have heaters in them for just these reasons.

If your unheated garage is attached to your house how likely is it that a cold snap that we haven't had in 20 years is going to drop the temperature to 25F/-4C. Most beer and high sugar content drink will not freeze till around that temperature. What else do you have in the unit?

Chest freezer will find the issue of dropping temperatures less of an issue with only the oil thickening causing premature failures to be the only real downside albeit a significant one. Almost all compressor driven units use an oil splash method of lubrication. The thick oil will make it more difficult for the compressor to start initially during the cooler temperature. The unit will run less and not at all once the temperature drops below -10F. I keep a small chest freezer in my garage because it doesn't make a big difference and it saves money in the winter, it does however cost more to operate in the summer due to the fact that it's usually hotter in my garage than my house in the summer.

Where you live will determine if you can or cannot put a refrigerator in your unheated garage. It is the temperature that your garage will drop down to that will make your decision for you.

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