If you’ve ever wanted the convenience of a garage or outdoor fridge, here’s what you need to know! Click through for tips on how to keep your garage fridge or freezer running at optimum performance.
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Understand the Basics
Before committing to a garage refrigerator, it helps to understand the dynamics of how a fridge works. Without getting bogged down in the details, modern fridges function by comparing the freezer temperature to the outside environment, lowering the temperature as needed, and blowing excess cold air from the freezer area to the fridge area.
This balancing act means a refrigerator or freezer will struggle in a garage without heating or cooling. Excessive heat will force a garage refrigerator or freezer to work extra hard to keep cool, wearing itself out and sending your electric bill into the stratosphere. And freezing temperatures will confuse your freezer, making it think that it’s already reached the proper level of refrigeration. As long as the exterior temperature stays below freezing, your freezer will sit idle, letting its contents thaw out. Once you understand these parameters, you can determine whether a refrigerator works for your specific garage.
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All Climate Is Local
If you spend most of your time inside in conditioned air, you might be oblivious to the challenges of your local environment. Unless you’re OK with spending a lot of time and money repairing your fridge, take an honest look at the climate in your region in general, and in your garage specifically.
Possible issues for your garage refrigerator vary by geography. A garage fridge in Arizona may struggle in the heat without much problem with humidity, while one in Louisiana might deal with rust on its coils. Identify the specific threats your fridge will face, and you can help ensure that it will last longer and run efficiently.