How can I keep my fridge from freezing in sub zero temps?
by Vickey
(Alberta, Canada)
Question: I have a fridge in my unheated garage and the refridgerated section is freezing. It's been below -15C (5F) outside for a few days, but the thermometer by the fridge hasn't gone below -6. I don't want to heat the entire garage since it's uninsulated and the temps will fluctuate from about 15C to -40 for the next few months so I can't just unplug it and use it for a freezer. Would a space heater or some sort of blanket work?
Answer: We are sorry to say that the problem you seem to be dealing with is the fact that the internal temperatures of the fridge get colder than the temperature it expects to be. So it shuts the cooling part off.
The next part of your problem has to do with the fact that in order to keep it from freezing it would need to have a heater of some kind to do this. While a refrigerator is well insulated, it does not have this ability.
Furthermore, you need to be careful not to burn your refrigerator out as if it gets too cold it will potentially blow. The oil inside the mechanics will not move well at freezing temperatures and cause a true problem with the motor.
Our best advice would be to get a refrigerator made specifically for garages. The Gladiator refrigerator is the only one we are currently aware of.
Hope this helps.