Can I keep the fridge off in the cold

When leaving the cottage after the end of the garden season, one often has to leave in the cold of the most beloved household friend of the family, namely the refrigerator. But is it possible to do this, is it worth keeping it off in the cold? Does it not turn out that after the next winter the refrigerating machine will no longer keep fresh food safe in the garden house?

Effect of low temperatures on parts

The cold affects the refrigerator, just like any other mechanism. At low temperatures, water freezes, the climate in the room changes, and therefore the parts and components of this device will be under particular stress.

What happens to the details in the cold:

1. Thermostat. The numerical indicators of this device, namely the installation and the differential, in an unheated room will be far from the norm, and therefore, if you try to turn on the device, nothing happens. The electrical circuit simply does not close, but in the off state, low temperatures will have almost no effect on the thermostat.
2. Butter. For different models of refrigerators it is typical to use different types of oils, which will react differently to low temperatures, but regardless of type, with a decrease in temperature they will gradually thicken.
3. Freon. In the cold line, the pressure decreases, and therefore, when trying to turn on the refrigerator, freon may refuse to leave the condenser, but this will probably not affect the device when it is turned off.
4. Evaporator. At low temperatures, ice build-ups occur on it, which during defrost will adversely affect the operation of the unit, especially not like this system No Frost.
5. Compactor. Here it really will suffer very much from low temperatures, as the rubber is not intended for frost, and therefore will begin to crack, collapse and lose its flexibility.

6. Electronic boards and conductors. Moisture, which is usually a constant companion of low temperatures, will adversely affect the state of their performance.
7. Outer cover The protective layer and paint, which is covered with a refrigerator, will also crack under the influence of cold and high humidity. The machine may start to rust.

Additional load on the external parts of the device will have its presence on the street in winter.

Some families are forced to store refrigerators on the open balcony, and therefore air, moisture and sunlight will definitely have a negative impact on its appearance and service life.

What you need to pay attention

If, nevertheless, there is no other way out, and you have to leave the refrigeration device in an unheated room, then you need to pay attention to the following points and follow these steps:

1. Carefully read the instructions for use of the device, there is usually data on the temperature conditions for the operation of the device and keeping it off.
2. If there is no such information, then it is recommended to disconnect the device from the network as soon as the temperature drops to +5 degrees.This is a permissible minimum; below that the refrigerator will work with great wear.
3. It is imperative to get all the food out of the unit, clean it and prepare it for wintering.
4. Try to move it to a place where direct sunlight, snow and rain will not fall on it.
5. It is better to cover the device with a cloth so that condensate does not settle directly on the surface of the unit.
6. During the winter, it is better not to touch the refrigerator, do not open the doors, so that the rubber seals do not get damaged, and certainly you should not turn on the device in the cold, although it should not allow it to do so.

By following these simple rules, you can make the wintering of your favorite household friend the most comfortable and least harmful for its subsequent exploitation.

Features of using the device after wintering

After overwintering in an unheated room, the device can again be brought back to life and useful operation, but this should be done wisely. First of all, it is necessary to dry the device well so that there is no short circuit. You need to make sure that it does not have ice buildup, and all parts are dry, only after that you can think about the use of the unit.

It is possible to turn on the refrigerator only after it is fully heated.

It is quite simple to do this, you just need to create a temperature around the device that is higher than +10 degrees. It is recommended to keep the device off at room temperature. not less than 2 hoursHowever, it is better to extend the deadline to one day.

Some craftsmen with the help of heaters heat up only a compress, in this case the refrigerator will also work, but such irresponsible handling of the device will reduce the useful life of the device.

Usually gardeners do not face the problems of drying and warming up their equipment, since the summer season begins when the ambient temperature reaches high enough levels, which means that the refrigerator has already managed to completely thaw, dry and warm up. In this case, it is sufficient to simply externally evaluate the device’s performance and plug it into the network.

How to extend the life of the refrigerator

If the device is forced to spend the winter in an unheated room, then over time its functionality gradually begins to give up its position. However, several simple rulesto extend the life of the refrigerator:

1. Always keep the appliance clean.
2. Maintain an acceptable level of humidity in the room.
3. Keep the unit out of direct sunlight.
4. Always adhere to the correct temperature conditions of operation and storage of the device.
5. Replacing all failed parts in time.
6. Remember the periodic maintenance of the device.
7. Protect the device from rust.
8. If the outer cover is damaged, the refrigerator should be painted with a special protective paint, this can be done in the salon for painting cars.
9. If foreign chemical odors occur in the refrigerator, it may not be safe to store food in it, it is better to take the unit for repair.

What else you need to remember

If the refrigerator is forced to be stored in the cold in winter, and the winter temperature in the home region obviously does not fit into the temperature regime of the device, then this is a serious risk of losing the possibility of warranty repair.

If the device is still under warranty, then you can not count on free repair. Specialists of the service center will immediately determine the cause of the device failure due to incorrect operating conditions.

Summarizing all the above, you can answer that you can keep the refrigerator off in the cold, but it is better not to do this, since such treatment reduces its lifespan. However, if there is a special need to leave the device for the winter in an unheated room, you can only need to follow certain rules for its storage and carefully monitor the operation of the device.