These days quite a few people have extra refrigerators or freezers in their garages to store extra food or have a beverage fridge. But how many people know that having these extra appliances in the garage necessitates extra care? This week we're going to take a look at the extra care needed for your garage freezer or refrigerator.
External temperatures
Refrigerators and freezers work by pumping refrigerant through copper tubing by way of the compressor. When the refrigerant flows through the inner tubing any heat is transfered to the refrigerant and pumped back out to disperse from the evap coils in the rear. Because of this process external temperatures can effect it. While your house might be climate controlled, most garages are not. When it's hot outside a garage can be even hotter and cause the compressor to work so much harder and even prevent the unit from cooling as much as it can. On the other end of the spectrum a cold garage can confuse the compressor and make it assume the unit is cold enough, causing the inside to thaw. To beat the heat its recommended you point a fan at the rear of the unit to improve airflow or a fan to a window if available. Controlling cold temps is a little more complicated. Most manufacturers have a heating coil that can be added to your unit by a professional that will counter the external cold.
A clean environment
Garages can be dirtier simply by virtue of how they're built. Because of the excess amount of dirt in a garage, the rear of your unit will get dirtier, quicker. This dirt needs to be cleaned more often to allow air to flow freely in the compressor compartment and keep it from overheating and damaging the compressor, fan, or evap coil. Another problem with air flow in a garage is clutter around the unit. A lot of people also use their garage for storage, unfortunately that usually means items being put around the unit which can greatly reduce airflow. It's best to keep a wide area around the unit clear.
Be prepared for a lower lifespan
Even with these precautions it's best to know that being in the garage will lower the lifespan of the unit and cause more parts failures. By utilizing these tips and calling Royal for a yearly checkup you can help keep your unit cooling much longer. Please call us at (719) 546-0442 to schedule a maintenance check today.
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