Outhouse refrigeration

[nickuk]

Most refrigeration products, as I understand it, are designed to operate at normal `household' temperatures and struggle when placed outside or in an unheated building.

BEKO seem to be the only brand (from my research, though happy to be corrected) which state their fridge freezers can be used down to below freezing ambient temperature (down to -15).

I was wondering if anybody had experience of using BEKO refrigeration in these conditions and whether their claim is genuine!!

Essentially I'm after putting a fridge freezer in a garage if possible. A previous Hoover (GIAS) one didn't cope.

Thanks.

 

[launderess]

The mind boggles

As to what anyone would want with a fridge in an out house (loo), but thanks for explaining it was the garage you were after.

 

[gyrafoam]

Yeah, I'm thinking some quick-lime might be better!

Have seen many installations of refrigeration in cold garages over the years and none seems to have a problem.

 

[nickuk]

sorry for confusion!

I guess I used the wrong term....I don't know why I said `outhouse'!

I simply refer to refrigeration / freezing outside `regular' accommodation.

It seems that most appliances in the EU are designed to work from about 10c to 30/40c. I saw that in Australia the FP appliances (high end) are not supposed to work under 18c. I guess they are designed differently across the world.

In the UK a fridge will often freeze items and the freezer will start to defrost if used in an inappropriate location. Many documented cases here of nonplussed customers who have not been able to claim under warranty.....lose freezers full of food.....because the appliance has been in a porch, shed, basement, garage.......

As I understand it normal coolant thickens when it gets too cold and this causes problems for the compressor (??......motor) to start circulating it.

I myself had major problems with such an appliance and thought it was broken until I realised the above. Thankfully BEKO in Europe seem to have addressed this problem and will work down to -15. And now they even claim their machines won't catch fire........

The recent tower block fire tragedy in London (Grenfell) was apparently started by a spark from a fridge freezer with a flammable rear panel. I think that was a Hotpoint / Indesit appliance.

The house I live in now was sold (to us) partly due to a major fire having taken place caused by a BEKO freezer in an upstairs bedroom. Thankfully the fire brigade stopped it before the roof went up. Previous occupant (who was advancing in years and decided to find a smaller property) used to make considerable use of the fruit trees (apple, pear, plum) to bake pies and such, and used it for this purpose. Our neighbours still talk to us about the horrors of that evening.

For this reason it's counterintuitive for me to consider purchasing BEKO but I guess we're 10 years down the line now.....things improve??

 

[foraloysius]

What model are you looking at? I was just looking at a fridge/freezer overhere and it says the temperature of the environment it's in should be between +10C and +38C.

 

[nickuk]

Hi Louis

Indeed - most fridge freezers seem to operate broadly in the range you quote.

I've attached a link to one of the models I was considering but if you scroll down / navigate around the websie you'll see they make quite a big deal of what they call `Freezer Guard' on most of their products which means it will operate down to -15c.

Frost Free Combi Fridge Freezer CXFG1685D

Water on tap never looked so elegant, The Beko CXFG1685D freestanding frost free combi fridge freezer is sleek and practical too with auto-defrosting, reversible doors and an A+ Energy rating. Click to discover now.

www.beko.co.uk

 

[foraloysius]

Thanks for the link. That model isn't sold in the NL. After a search I found a few models with that feature on the Dutch website, but it's not specially advertised, it's just mentioned in the fine print.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I remember the Whirlpool (maybe Whirlpool-BUILT) Gladiator Garage Fridge...

Maybe a resurgence in demand for that type of appliance, even in today's world of Samsung/Electrolux/LG...

-- Dave