Garage refrigerator conundrum

[Flail]

1st world problem here. When the garage falls below 32’F my beer and other water based liquids freeze in the garage fridge. Makes a mess. Anyone know of a fridge that can maintain a temperature range above freezing?

 

[Road Wrench]

How much colder than freezing does it get in your garage? Most fridge/freezers maintain a relative temperature difference to their environment at a given setting. 80 outside and 38 in the fridge, and 40 outside makes slushies in the fridge at the same setting. An accurate thermostat with the sensor in the fridge controlling the compressor/fan circuit could do the trick if its not much below 32 for short periods overnight and warmer otherwise. If it is below 32 in the garage for longer periods, maybe rig up a thermostat controlling a incandescent bulb 40-60 watt ??? That kicks on at 34 degrees and off at 38 maybe and set the fridge thermostat around 38-40.

 

[Shiftless]

Maybe until the spring thaws you should consider switching from beer to bourbon. 80 proof bourbon won’t freeze until it hits -16 F.

 

[StreetGLi]

My folks just turn their garage fridge off in the winter. It seemed like the temperature in their garage had a negative effect on the compressor or something.. when they shut it off things stopped freezing and it was close enough to zero celsius that their stuff was cold. The fridge was kinda like a cooler at that point I guess..?

I suppose it really depends on how cold your garage gets and if its insulated and such.

Maybe just using a cooler would keep things from freezing on you in the coldest part of winter?

Sent from my LG-H873 using Tapatalk

 

[dreamingmuscle]

A 100w Light bulb in the fridge might keep it warm enough.

Set it on the bottom shelf away from the thermostat.

Glen

 

[The Cobbler]

A 100w Light bulb in the fridge might keep it warm enough.

Set it on the bottom shelf away from the thermostat.

Glen

this but I think a less wattage bulb, perhaps even a night lite bulb

 

[TheLurker]

Frigidaire makes a garage kit for some of their refrigerators (it's a heating element).

If it's that cold, I'd just unplug it or put it on some kind of programmable timer so it'd only run for about an hour or so during the warmest part of the day.

 

[tinker rick]

Heat the garage

 

[firebirdparts]

Life is good, isn't it?

Some calculations are in order, but I think the "garage kit" could easily be replicated with a thermostat turning on an internal light bulb. Certainly not 100 watts. Since refrigerator cold controls have been called into question, and rightly so, I don't know how much you can trust them.

There is a heating element in the refrigerator already, but I don't really want to go there. It's in the freezer, so it can't reach the beer. There may also be heat tape on the refrigerator exterior, (on mine there is) but I don't know how much power you really have there.

P.S. A refrigerator defrost thermostat costs $10 and should open about 40 degrees. That would work, but it's more temperature than you really need.

 

[b-boy]

A light bulb will skunk your beer. You need very little heat to keep the temps above freezing.

Reptile heater and a temp controller. They work great. I have a chest freezer that I use for fermenting beer. I use one of these to get the freezer up into the 80s if needed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071GKDXBL/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Another option is a reptile blanket. It might be a little safer and it has the thermostat in place.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MA6VCMG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Fixed]

A light bulb will skunk your beer. You need very little heat to keep the temps above freezing.

Reptile heater and a temp controller. They work great. I have a chest freezer that I use for fermenting beer. I use one of these to get the freezer up into the 80s if needed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071GKDXBL/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Another option is a reptile blanket. It might be a little safer and it has the thermostat in place.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MA6VCMG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I thought that UV light skunked beer? Didn't think that an incandescent bulb produced much if any either. And definitely not an issue with cans, and probably not much with brown bottles, either.

I do completely agree with your assement that it wouldn't be the best way to go about it though.

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[ForceFed70]

I'd use a 13W CFL, you'll be amazed at how little it takes. Ideally on a thermostat.

 

[bbxlr8]

My folks just turn their garage fridge off in the winter. It seemed like the temperature in their garage had a negative effect on the compressor or something.. when they shut it off things stopped freezing and it was close enough to zero celsius that their stuff was cold. The fridge was kinda like a cooler at that point I guess..?

I have found that when it gets too cold they don't run right and can actually lead to a thawing in the freezer section during extended cold (read polar vortex type conditions). Most of the time it stays above 32 in my attached one but the 32- 40 deg range seems to be my problem. I have found it doesn't last long enough to really worry about it too much.

 

[ForceFed70]

I have found that when it gets too cold they don't run right and can actually lead to a thawing in the freezer section during extended cold (read polar vortex type conditions). Most of the time it stays above 32 in my attached one but the 32- 40 deg range seems to be my problem. I have found it doesn't last long enough to really worry about it too much.

Yes. And it can be hard on the fridge as well. Most fridges and freezers come with a warning saying not to use in temps below 40*.

 

[billspit]

Move to a warmer climate.

 

[kbs2244]

I just stack my beer on the beside the fridge in the winter.
Unheated, attached garage.
It hasn't even froze the iced tea sitting beside it.
Water doesn't flash freeze at 32 degrees
It takes time to freeze hard enough to break a bottle.

You have a problem besides 32 degree outside temps.
It took hours at 20 degrees or lower to freeze distill dorm room, window sill, beer.
(Freeze distilling works the opposite of boiling distilling. the water turns to slush and you pour the good stuff through a coffee filter get it out of the Slurpee.)

 

[James-W]

Heat the garage

That was going to be my comment as well. You beat me to it.

 

[DH007]

I have a Frigidaire with the winter garage heating kit mentioned above. It works great. I understand that won’t help you with your existing frig but if anyone else is looking to buy a fridge this is a great option.

 

[APEowner]

The true GJ solution is to heat the garage.

 

[lakelandcat]

check seal on door.

 

[mrvm]

I have found that when it gets too cold they don't run right and can actually lead to a thawing in the freezer section during extended cold (read polar vortex type conditions). Most of the time it stays above 32 in my attached one but the 32- 40 deg range seems to be my problem. I have found it doesn't last long enough to really worry about it too much.

Great to get a cold beer in the summer but during the winter the freezer thaws which spills into the refrigerator which cycles between freezing into ice and melting and repeat. By Spring the garage refrigerator is a mess, moldy and anything card board is stuck to the shelf. Had to throw out the moldy refrigerator. No more garage refrigerators as only the mice enjoy the compressor heat

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I just unplug my garage fridge over the winter since it's not heated 24/7. I also went from a full size fridge down to a mini fridge because the big fridge was a huge wasted space for 4-5 months a year.

You could add a light bulb as others suggested to throw just enough heat to keep the fridge above freezing, or heat the garage enough to keep the whole space above freezing.

 

[sreeb]

Give us some information on your garage and we can help you size a mini-split.

 

[larry4406]

Many of the home brew folks install temperature controllers and small heaters (reptile heaters, aquarium heaters, etc) to enable chest freezers to stay above freezing for optimal fermentation temperatures.

Google "home brew fridge heater" and start reading.

You should be able to do the same to ensure the fridge compartment stays above freezing.

 

[OccupantRJ]

In true GJ fashion, you should unplug the unit and fabricate and install a temperature controlled electromechanical solenoid to push open the door from inside the unit at the desired interior temperature setting. The more Rube Goldberg, the better.

 

[PNWguy]

A light bulb will skunk your beer. You need very little heat to keep the temps above freezing.

UV skunks beer, which is why Corona tastes like Corona, and all other beers come in green or brown UV blocking glass. Miller uses a hop that doesn't skunk when exposed to UV, which is why MGD & High Life come in clear glass.

Trivia: MGD and High Life are the same beer. HL is pasteurized, and MGD is filtered, so that it tastes like an unpastureized High Life on tap.

 

[Kevin54]

Who even leaves beer in the fridge long enough to get skunked? Asking for a friend.

 

[jacric2005]

I moved the old refrigerator to the garage when I remodeled the kitchen - a used Whirlpool by the way, that sat there 20 years and never needed a service call. Anyway, I only turn it on for holiday overloads and warmer season parties. I do store wine, beer, soda in there even when it's turned off. I keep a thermometer in both sides - I'm obsessive about monitoring food storage temps. I live in Western Oregon - doesn't get very cold here.

 

[JimH]

I have a dorm size fridge and just jumpered the door switch to keep the 3w light on. Come spring, removed the bulb. Works great.

 

[Jeffh40]

My attached garage is insulated but not heated. The diet coke can get a little slushy in Jan, but the beer stays mostly liquid, and the Vodka and Fireball are just fine. They don't notice the temps.

I guess if was a little further north I would have issues, but so far, so good in southern Ohio.

 

[ripperd]

I just left an incandesant 4w nite light on in mine all winter. That worked just fine.

Then I moved and installed a garage heater in the new garage

 

[PhantomEB]

Either insulate and heat the garage or leave the beer in the house fridge, easy peasy!

 

[pogrelis97]

I had the same problem, my fix was to install a furnace in the shop that keeps it at 40 degrees when I'm not in there working.
This is by far the best fix, its also the most expensive lol

 

[bbxlr8]

Who even leaves beer in the fridge long enough to get skunked? Asking for a friend.

I am curious about this also...?

 

[rburke65]

I’ve had the same problem in the winter. I have even unplugged the small dorm sized refrigerator and the sodas have frozen, I have no heat but the coldest I’ve registered is 32* in the shop. I would think my sodas should have froze.

 

[Showkey]

I’ve had the same problem in the winter. I have even unplugged the small dorm sized refrigerator and the sodas have frozen, I have no heat but the coldest I’ve registered is 32* in the shop. I would think my sodas should have froze.

Get a new thermometer...........or at least move to a colder spot

 

[sreeb]

I’ve had the same problem in the winter. I have even unplugged the small dorm sized refrigerator and the sodas have frozen, I have no heat but the coldest I’ve registered is 32* in the shop. I would think my sodas should have froze.

Quit buying diet soda. It's bad for you.

 

[Jack_Toepfer]

If the garage is cold enough to freeze the beer in the fridge, it is too cold in the garage to enjoy it anyway.

My fridge kept my beers from freezing, but they were freezing in my hand while I was frying turkeys this Thanksgiving... ~20*F will do that pretty quickly.

 

[XR4ti_GuyinMd]

I haven’t been on here for awhile, so chiming in. I learned a few years ago on some forum to do this: Keep the 40 watt bulb in the fridge and rig the door switch to stay on thru the winter, and unrig it in the spring. Conveniently the door switch on my whirlpool hits the plastic extrusion of the door shelves. I just took a saw and notched where it hits for the full throw of it . In the spring i cover the notch with duct tape. Works like a charm here in the Md suburbs of DC in my unseated garage. Frozen food stays as it should. Speaking of that another thing to do is put a glass of water in the freezer; let it freeze and put a nickel or any coin on top. If you’re away for awhile, and the power goes out, the coin will ink to the bottom of the glass. Then you know that froz food ain’t worth eating!