When the outside temperature reaches below 38 to 40 degrees, the optimum refrigerator temperature, some refrigerators will not regulate properly. You see this commonly in garage refrigerators. Outside temperatures, to be more specific, the temperature in your garage is what’s in question. If you live in a cold climate where the outside-the-garage temperature reaches 0-20 degrees, most uninsulated garage temperatures will get near freezing. Some symptoms you will see is the freezer food will start to soften.
Here’s how most top-mount refrigerators work.
- The thermostat turns the compressor off and on based on the temperature it senses in the refrigerator. If the garage temperature is 32 degrees, the cold air will permeate into the fresh food section. Based on this temperature, the thermostat will not turn on the compressor even if the freezer temperature is warming. The thermostat cares about the refrigerator only. When the refrigerator was designed, it was so that a proper balance was struck between the cold air in the freezer and the cold air in the refrigerator, based on an ambient outside temperature. When you have your refrigerator located in the garage, in near-freezing conditions, this design does not work properly. The refrigerator was not designed to be stored in a garage.
Refrigerator Garage Kit – Electrolux Frigidaire – Part No. 5303918301
Frigidaire and their parent company – Electrolux, designed a garage temperature kit to be installed in their garage refrigerators. This kit is to be installed in Top-Mount Frigidaire and Electrolux refrigerators only. It is not designed for other brands so if you install it in something it wasn’t designed for, you may have issues.
- This kit is comprised of a heater pad which gets its power from the thermostat voltage. It generates enough heat around the thermostat area to trick the thermostat into thinking that it’s warmer than it actually is in the refrigerator.
- The heater pad will heat around the thermostat, inside the control housing only. Because of this, the compressor will stay on for a longer duration to cool the refrigerator, and the freezer will be cooler as well.
- Adjustments may be needed to adjust this balance.
Garage Refrigerator Kit Installation Procedure
- Be cautious when working on any electrical items and ALWAYS have the power OFF before you touch anything.
- First step is to unplug the refrigerator from the wall outlet. Use an external light source so you can see what you are doing during this procedure.
- Remove the control housing by removing the four hex screws. There should be two up front and two to the rear. Carefully let the front of the control housing drop down to reveal the wire connector.
- Disconnect it and pull the control housing down and forward to release defrost drain spout from the back wall. Move the control housing to a comfortable work area.
- Remove two screws that secure the refrigerator defrost timer to the housing and place in a safe space. Refer to the instruction booklet included in the kit. Remove the heater pad from the kit and bend in a u-shape, like the picture shows. Remove the backing of the heater pad being careful not to let it fold back on itself.
- Lift up carefully on the defrost timer and place the heater pad along the inside of the housing, like the picture shows. Press carefully into place. You may want to route the thermostat capillary tube away from where you’re placing the heater. See picture of how I did this. Route the orange and black wires as shown.
- Inspect the thermostat’s wiring. You will see two wires, one orange and one black. There is 120 VAC on these wires when power is applied. This voltage will also supply the heater.
- The orange and black wiring from the kit, will have a piggy-backed connector on it. Remove the orange and black wires from the thermostat and place the wires on the heater connectors, orange-to-orange and black-to-black.
- Connect these terminals on the thermostat.
- You are done. Reinstall control box in reverse order.
