Refrigerator garage kit

[avgjoeracing]

I just bought a 15.5 cuft top freezer refrigerator to use in my garage and I'm wondering if I need to find and install a "garage kit" for it. I keep my Chicago suburbs garage "heated" to 45F in the winter but don't have AC in there yet.

Is 45 warm enough that I would not need to put one in? Would the compressor oil be to cold for long term reliability?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[38Chevy454]

Will work fine, no need for any special kit. If your garage gets below freezing, for extended period of time, that is when it messes up the frig. Remember the way a frig works, it takes heat from inside and discharges to outside. If below freezing, this will not occur.

What will happen is your frig will cycle less, since there is not as much temp differential. Don't worry about it, the frig will be fine.

 

[mooseracing]

If your garage gets below freezing, for extended period of time, that is when it messes up the frig.

I haven't had any problems just every thing inside the fridge freezing solid.

I went and bought a temp controller that has heat/ cool functionality. I set limits and the fridge cycles as needed, too cold and the "heat" (lightbulb) comes on and warms it up.

 

[38Chevy454]

I haven't had any problems just every thing inside the fridge freezing solid.

I went and bought a temp controller that has heat/ cool functionality. I set limits and the fridge cycles as needed, too cold and the "heat" (lightbulb) comes on and warms it up.

I should have used different word. It does not break the frig, just keeps it from working properly, ie the inside refrigerator side can freeze.

 

[kbs2244]

I live in Lake county Il.
2 miles from the cheddar curtain.
I have had 4 different refrigerators in 3 different unheated garages and done nothing to them but plug them in.
I did have some beer freeze one winter, but the refrigerator wasn't affected.

 

[avgjoeracing]

Well, I went with the let 'er rip philosophy but found some of my stuff in the freezer slushy yesterday. I didn't check the freezer temp at the time, the garage temp was 45F. A few weeks ago I set the thermostat in the fridge to the coldest setting figuring that it would be less than 45F that I keep the garage at and would let the the fridge cycle enough to keep things frozen. But alas, no dice.

moose: can you elaborate on the temp controller? All I find are the homebrew writeups that are not concerned with the heat function. I was hoping to find a less hammer-like solution than putting an always on light bulb in the fridge.