Storing a chest freezer outside all winter?

[Elite]

Hello I live in Canada. The temps can get well below freezing in the winter I am wondering if I could store my chest freezer I am no longer using in my shed outside all winter. The freezer will be unplugged and not in use at all. Wondering if the cold will damage the compressor or the refrigerant in it?


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[mtjimbo]

I was told it wasn't good for it but I had a chest freezer I had no space for when I was renting and it sat on my back porch in the weather and in use and I never had any issues. It sits in a unheated shop now still in use and works fine. But like I said I was told that wasn't good practice so who knows. Maybe I got lucky

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[magtech]

Mine sits in my unheated/ uninsulated garage all year. It's always just as cold as the outside in there.. been working fine for 6 years.

 

[Billy Goat]

I have 2 freezers that sit outside plugged in year round. Well outside in an uninsulated shed. Over 15 years, no problems. Of course I'm not in Canada, gets to zero a few times a year here, that's all.

 

[Bear_Hunter]

Had a couple chest freezers outside in Fairbanks for years. Unplugged them around this time of year, plugged em back in spring time as temps began to creep above freezing. It's known to get a bit chilly in Fairbanks, so should be fine down Canada way

 

[R2R]

I have one that's been unplugged every winter for the last four years. Only use it in the summer for bait. Stays in an uninsulated garage.

 

[Voyageur]

I have two in my unheated dirt floor pole barn. One stays plugged in year round and the other is used as needed. They are still going strong after 15 years. We get temps as low as -30 F during the winter...lots of -20 F.

 

[journeyman713]

It will work as you can see above but... in extreme cold weather conditions, it is not running efficiently and it is hard on the compressor.

If you are in the market to buy one, you might want to make sure it is rated for extreme cold. If it is, it will be cheaper to run and last longer.

The units rated for cold weather have an internal bypass valve built in, to get the pressures proper.

 

[Elite]

Thanks for all the input guys!! Sounds like it will be just fine for the winter. I do plan on shutting it off completely


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[oenanthe]

My chest freezer here in Fairbanks is outside under the eaves. It still works fine and it has been there for 20 years. It doesn't get real cold here anymore but we've seen 40 below more than once.

 

[Billy Goat]

Why would a compressor be running in the cold?

Serious question, I'd think over the winter they wouldn't run at all, but maybe I'm incorrect.

 

[kid44]

If you do that be sure to prop the top open a bit, or when you open next time you may well find he interior full of mold.