At All Pro Appliance Service, while we’re proud to provide appliance repair and related services for numerous appliance types, a few common items are by far are most frequent calls. And as you may have guessed, the refrigerator – one of the single most commonly-used appliances in any home – is at or near the top of this list in many cases, and we offer refrigerator repair solutions to numerous clients on a regular basis.
One possible cause of fridge issues we’ve seen in some cases: Those who store a fridge and/or freezer in the garage despite the conditions not being right for this move to be made. While there are certain situations where storing a working fridge in the garage is perfectly fine, there are others where you’re putting the appliance at risk if you don’t take the proper steps. This two-part blog series will go over everything you need to know in this area.
Fridges and Temperature Basics
Moving forward in this series, it will be important for you to understand some broad basics on how fridges and freezers work. Internally, these applications gauge the current temperature of their interior and compare that to the exterior surroundings of the unit – this is the baseline they use to create their cooling output.
What this means, however, is that if you store such a unit in the garage, temperature fluctuations can make a big impact. If the garage space gets too cold during the current winter, the freezing temperatures will trick the fridge and freezer into thinking the right level of temperature has been reached even if this isn’t the case – the machine might fail to turn on, which can spoil food and damage the item. If it’s too hot, such as during the sweltering Utah summer, the machine will have to work incredibly hard to provide cooling, sending your energy costs skyrocketing while also leading to premature failure of the fridge or freezer.
Insulation Themes
One of the top methods for preventing the above risks: Insulating the garage space if you plan to store a fridge or other temperature-impacted appliances in the space. You can either insulate the entire garage space or just a portion of it, in which you store temperature-sensitive items like the fridge/freezer or others. Such insulation will help both during the summer and winter, preventing major temperature fluctuations in either direction.
Other Summer Cooling Methods
If insulation either isn’t practical or can’t be budgeted for in your space, you have other methods available during summer heat. You might be able to use a ceiling or pedestal fan, for instance, or other forms of ventilation that will keep air flowing and prevent the temperature from getting too high. However, for the winter period, insulation is one of the only good options for keeping the space warm.
For more on how to prevent issues when storing a fridge and freezer in the garage, or to learn about any of our appliance repair services, speak to the staff at All Pro Appliance Service today.
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