A second refrigerator or freezer in the garage

A refrigerator or freezer in the garage can stop working properly when the room gets colder or hotter than it's built for.

How garage temperatures affect it

A refrigerator or freezer is built to work within a set span of room temperatures. The owner's manual gives it, usually under installation or location. One manufacturer's manuals set these limits:

• A top-freezer refrigerator. Below 55°F, it won't run often enough to keep proper temperatures. Models with an adjustable freezer control can go down to 38°F, with the fresh-food and freezer controls set for cold rooms so food doesn't freeze in the fridge or thaw in the freezer.
• Above 110°F. The same refrigerator won't perform properly.
• A chest freezer. It won't hold proper temperatures where the room goes below 0°F or above 110°F.

Placing it

• Out of the weather. Keep it away from rain, water and direct sunlight.
• On a strong, level floor. It has to bear the full load, and the leveling legs set it solidly where the floor is uneven. On a damp floor, a chest freezer can sit on 2-by-4s along its length.
• With air around it. One chest freezer needs 3 inches at the top, back and sides.
• Away from heat. Keep it clear of heat-producing appliances and heating ducts.

Check the temperatures inside with an appliance thermometer, especially in the coldest and hottest months. Checking refrigerator and freezer temperatures covers the targets. Refrigerator age and what an old one costs to run covers what age means for the fridge itself.

An annotated example

What to do next

Look up the room temperature range in the owner's manual for the garage refrigerator or freezer. Then put an appliance thermometer in each to see whether it holds its temperature through the year.