What Does A “Garage Ready” Freezer Mean?

Not all freezers in the market are suitable for your garage, especially if your climate changes constantly. But if you have no idea what a "garage-ready" freezer is and you're curious about what this means, you're in the right place. We've researched what you need to know about these freezers.

A garage-ready freezer is a freezer that is designed for the fact that garages are not climate controlled and can fluctuate in temperature. Manufacturers accommodate for this by adding more insulation, investing in larger condenser coils, or using a higher-quality compressor.

Keep reading as we elaborate on the features of a garage-ready freezer. You'll find out here if it's the appliance you need, how it works, and how to take care of it.

How do I know if a freezer is garage-ready?

You will know that a freezer is garage-ready if it has extra design features that help it operate in more violate temperatures. As a result, your frozen goods remain safely frozen despite the shift in climate outside.

Manufacturers achieve this through several possible accommodations.

Some brands simply add more insulation to garage-ready models than would be found on regular freezers.

In other cases, the freezer's condensing coils are placed on the outside walls of the freezers and are larger.

Other manufacturers use a higher-quality compressor in their units. These are intended to last longer despite having to run more frequently.

Some brands use a combination of these methods. Whatever garage-ready freezer you're looking into, make sure to investigate whether it uses a proven accommodation for the variable temperatures it will face.

Do I need a garage-ready freezer?

If you need more space to store frozen food, then a garage-ready freezer is right for you. Having the ability to store extra food is always a good thing, and can make prepping for large meals even easier.

Just make sure that your freezer is in fact garage-ready and can handle the variable climate of your garage. Otherwise, the freezer may not be able to maintain the temperatures needed to keep your food frozen.

What are the different kinds of garage-ready freezers?

Worried about fitting a freezer into your garage? Don't worry! Even if you don’t have much room in your garage, garage-ready freezers may come in different shapes and sizes.

A chest freezer uses less electricity and you’ll be able to store large quantities of frozen goods. There’s also the option to go for an upright freezer.

Upright freezers are best suited for garages that don’t have that much floor space. Another thing to note is that a majority of upright freezers come with a self-defrosting feature that will help with ice build-up in your freezer. This makes for easy freezer cleaning and maintenance and an efficient freezer. 

How much space do you need around a chest freezer?

A full-size chest freezer will take up more floor space than an upright freezer, so you should keep that in mind when looking for one.

Also, you'll need a fair amount of space for your chest freezer since most are manual defrost. Having more space will make it easier and quicker to clean your freezer, especially when reaching the plug to drain it.

Meanwhile, a compact chest freezer takes minimal space giving you the ability to move it around more often. A compact freezer is a good option if you regularly clean out your garage.

To learn how long it takes to defrost a chest freezer, check our post here: "How Long Does It Take To Defrost A Chest Freezer?" 

Where should a freezer be placed in the garage?

It depends on what type of freezer you have. The most common of these are chest freezers and standing or upright freezers.

Many freezers will likely have a self-defrosting feature that will produce a lot of noise compared to manual ones. Keep in mind that most chest freezers are manual defrost; it is better not to keep them in a cramped space for easy access to cleaning or getting goods.

On the other hand, standing or upright freezers are mostly self-defrosting. Which means it has a heater that will emit a louder noise. Placing them away from your living space will be the best option for you. 

You can also build an enclosed space for your freezer to keep it closer to an ideal temperature at all times.

Rust is another thing to consider, so we advise keeping your freezer away from water as much as possible as it may damage the compressor located outside of the fridge.

How do I protect my freezer in my garage?

If you have the budget and time, you can insulate your garage or build an enclosed space, you will achieve the best performance out of your freezer. This will introduce some amount of climate control to the space, so the freezer won't have to work quite as hard during extreme temperatures.

It's also recommended to keep your freezer away from windows and out of direct sunlight. Exposure to sunlight can warm your freezer further, forcing it to work harder than it otherwise would.

If you don’t have the budget or time to build one, setting up fans will help the airflow of your garage. These fans will help circulate the airflow of your freezer’s cooling system. You can also set up a dehumidifier to help keep your garage dry, reducing the risk of rust.

Putting your freezer in a cool and dry environment with constant temperature should be your top priority since this will extend the life of your freezer, saving you a lot of time and money in the process.

Can I put a freezer on my porch?

The short answer is yes. You can put a freezer on your porch, but it's certainly not ideal. Here are some things you need to keep in mind.

Rain is a huge factor that can ruin your freezer. There is a chance that the compressor may short-circuit when getting wet since it is outside of the freezer. Water from rain can also lead to rust issues in the long term.

Weather is also one thing you should look out for. Expect higher electric bills in the summer but lower in winter. The weather will most likely make your freezer work twice as much if you live in a climate where the temperature constantly changes, potentially straining or decreasing the lifespan of your freezer. 

If you plan on putting your freezer on your porch, we recommend putting it in a spot where it's somewhat protected. You wouldn't want your frozen goods to get ruined if your freezer shorts.

In Closing

Garage-ready freezers give you a ton of options, from giving you the ability to store fresh food for longer to the different types of freezers that you can choose from depending on your needs. Just remember the location of your freezer is important to prolong the life of your appliance.