Why The Cold Weather Is Bad News For A Garage Fridge And What You Can Do About It

When it's time to upgrade the refrigerator in your kitchen, rather than getting rid of the old one, many homeowners choose to move it to their garage instead. At first, this may seem like a wonderful idea without any drawbacks. Maybe you'll finally be able to start shopping in bulk, and it will probably be easier to strategically organize your refrigerator when it's not overflowing. Plus, if you love tinkering in your garage, it will give you quick and unfettered access to snacks and beverages. While there are plenty of benefits, there are also some important elements you should consider before getting a garage fridge — or moving your old one into the garage.

Despite the benefits, keeping a fridge in your garage may come with a set of challenges, especially if your garage isn't insulated and you live in an area with cold winters. Refrigerators have a thermostat, and when the temperature rises above a certain point, it lets the compressor know to kick on and cool things down. When it's colder than the set temperature in your garage, your fridge may not know to turn on. This in turn means your freezer will also not work, which can lead to its contents thawing. 

If the temperature in your garage drops really low, it's even possible for items inside your refrigerator to start to freeze. This can cause its own host of problems, including exploding canned beverages. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to mitigate this issue and continue to reap the benefits of a garage fridge, even during the winter months.

One possible fix for your refrigerator not turning on in a cold garage is to purchase a garage-ready fridge, which is designed to continue to work even when the temperature drops down to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a significant step up from standard refrigerators, with which you may start seeing issues in performance when the temperature of the room drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. While this may be a good option for someone specifically planning on buying a new fridge for their garage, it's not the best solution for someone who wants to move one they already own into the garage.

To give a standard refrigerator the same functionality (or better) in the cold as one that is garage-ready, you can purchase a garage kit. This will spike the temperature that the thermostat in your fridge registers, leading it to turn on even when the ambient temperature is very low. You can purchase these garage refrigerator heater kits for $10 to $40, which is significantly cheaper than buying a new garage-ready fridge. Just be sure that you purchase one that is meant to be used with your model of refrigerator.

It's important to know that garage heater kits will typically allow your fridge to function only with room temperatures as low as 34 degrees Fahrenheit. When temps drop below that, your heater kit may no longer work. If that happens in your garage, you may want to either insulate the space to keep it warmer or avoid placing any perishable items in your garage fridge.