Routinely vacuum the coils of your garage-ready fridge and ensure there is proper airflow around the unit. Avoid storing items near or on top of the fridge which can prevent the air from circulating and driving up energy costs.
If you don't need the full capacity of your refrigerator, consider putting gallon bottles of water inside to fill up the space. If the temperature inside your garage regularly exceeds 110ºF, it is not an ideal location for a refrigerator. Sweltering conditions can cause a refrigerator to burn out from overuse.
Chilling foods to proper temperatures is one of the best ways to slow the growth of these bacteria. To ensure that your refrigerator is doing its job, it's important to keep its temperature at 40 °F or below; the freezer should be at 0 °F.
You can put a fridge in an uninsulated garage, but temperature fluctuations in the garage can affect the fridge's performance and ability to preserve the items inside it. Drastic temperature changes in the garage can also accelerate wear and tear for the fridge's components.
If your garage tends to get too hot (more than 100 degrees F), you may benefit from setting up a fan to increase airflow over your fridge's cooling coils. A ceiling fan will work, or a pedestal fan set up to one side. Just make sure the air is moving across and around the back of the fridge.
There are two different dangers associated with a garage fridge: frozen food in the refrigerator compartment, and thawing food in the freezer. If your food in the fridge becomes frozen, the produce can become ruined. More dangerous, however, are the pressurized containers like sodas that you keep in your fridge.
A refrigerator in an uninsulated garage will require a lot more energy to run during the hot summer months and may not operate correctly if the temperature gets too cold. 90 degree environment will use 45-50% more energy than one in a 70 degree environment.
Refrigerator garage kits are accessories that help with the optimal functionality of refrigerators stored in garages, particularly in climates that experience extreme temperatures. These kits modify the refrigerator's built-in thermostat system, which can be fooled by ambient garage temperatures into underperforming.
To prevent problems, buy a garage-ready fridge that can function efficiently when it gets bitterly cold and also stiflingly hot in your garage. A refrigerator designed to run in a garage has better insulation and components that can handle temperature changes. This special design does make them a little more expensive.
During the summer, we depend on our fridges to stop food from spoiling and to keep our drinks ice cold and refreshing. However, once the temperature begins to soar, this can put a strain on your fridge and decrease its efficiency.
Refrigerators are sensitive to heat and may struggle to cool if they are in an environment too hot (or too cold). We all need a little help to stay cool in the summer, and refrigerators are no different! Luckily, you can do a few simple things to help your fridge run optimally.
If the fridge is too warm, it could mean that the motor fan is broken and not functioning properly. You can replace a motor fan — but it can be pricey.
Placement
However, according to Consumer Reports, “check product specifications if you plan to put the freezer in an unheated area, such as a garage.” Aim to keep it away from a window, but the top and back should get enough air circulation to prevent overheating.
A garage-ready fridge's manual should clearly state that the fridge will work in temperatures between 38 °F and 110 °F. Garage-ready fridges should have a feature that allows you to separately adjust the temperature of the fridge and the freezer compartments.
Check into A Heater
If your fridge doesn't already have a heating element, it may be time to look into one. Some refrigerators allow you to purchase this feature to help your fridge operate properly in unheated spaces. Other manufacturers have made heater-coil kits that can be added to an existing fridge.
As a result, GFCI outlets were made mandatory as a safety measure. Non-GFCI outlets are a safety hazard when they are installed in garages, so it is definitely better for them not to allow them in garages, but it does cause quite a bit of inconvenience when it comes to plugging in a refrigerator!
The defrost heating element in a refrigerator is responsible for preventing the buildup of frost on the evaporator coils. It functions by activating at regular intervals during the defrost cycle to generate heat, which melts any accumulated frost on the coils.
Garage-ready refrigerators are designed to function in uninsulated garages with variable ambient temperatures, and are usually certified for temps from 38°F to 110°F.
You just want to make sure the garage space is dry. All you have to do is make sure the fridge freezer away from the windows and out of direct sunlight because it will make it harder to maintain the right interior temperatures.
While a refrigerator will work in the summer, the motor has to run longer to keep the interior of the appliance cool. This will make running the refrigerator more expensive and will wear it out faster. It is better to invest in an outdoor fridge that can withstand the heat of the hot summer months.
A garage over 110 degrees is not an ideal place for a fridge. However, with a well sealed and insulated unit, there are ways to maintain its life during a hot summer. Try to minimize how many times you open the fridge door.
Garage fridge energy consumption
An indoor refrigerator costs less annually to power than one in a garage. The average kitchen refrigerator costs $84, while the one in the garage costs $95 a year to operate. Energy consumption varies but tends to increase with: Larger-sized refrigerators.
Looking for solutions, I hear of something called a 'garage kit'. Seems straightforward. You add a heater inside so that the compressor continues to work even when the ambient temperature is lower than the fridge interior.