Refrigerator is in the garage and the freezer stops working in the winter

If it is in a garage now, the compressor needs a heater pad on it. They call them garage kits. Put a fan heater on the compressor to fool it.

It is also possible it needs a gas top up.

https://www.google.com/search?q=refrigerator+garage+heater+kit

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Thermostat is typically in refrigerator section. So if it's say 32 in garage and knowing that temperature is measured in refrigerator, compressor has to run very little or not at all to satisfy thermostat in refrigerator. Thus freezer doesn't get much colder than refrigerator because compressor doesn't have to run.

There is only one source of cold in many refrigerators. If yours is a top freezer, then most likely it is in the freezer.
But the thermostat that you set temperature with is in the refrigerator, not the freezer.
In the cold garages, what can happen is that the refrigerator stays cold enough that it does not call for cold. So the freezer does not get enough cold.
The freezer control works by diverting cold air into the freezer WHEN THE RERIGERATOR HAS TURNED ON THE COOLING. If it is not turned on, oh well.
The best you can do for this is to put both on max cold. Then the refrigerator will call for more cold at a lower temperature, and the freezer will get it more often and will divert more when it is cooling.
This can result in the refrigerator freezing things too. You can try raising the refrigerator setting JUST A LITTLE and see if both work, but keep freezer on max cool.
This works for my situation, but ambient temperature fluctuations in the garage make this dicey. We don't put things like lettuce in the refrigerator in the garage in the winter because freezing damages them.
Good Luck

The problem is with the garage temperature. The temperature sensor for the refrigerator is in the fridge compartment, but the evap coils are in the freezer. Refrigerators were designed to work in an air conditioned space. When they are put into unheated spaces, it does not work well. The fridge thermostat typically is set to 40 deg F. If the outside temperature is close to that, then it does not turn on the compressor as much so the freezer will have a hard time staying below freezing.

There are garage refrigerator kits for people who put fridges in un heated garages in the winter. They just simple electric heaters that warm the fridge's thermostat to cause the compressor to run more often. This helps the fridge to maintain temperatures better in the freezer compartment. The same thing can be accomplished by putting a small wattage bulb in the refrigerator compartment. Just remember to remove it during the warm weather otherwise you will pay a large electricity bill in the summer months.

It could be a problem depending on how cold your garage gets in the winter. Most refrigerators depend on the compressor turning on to cool the freezer section and that cold air is used to cool the refrigerator section. If your the temperature in your garage gets in the 30-40 degree range in the winter. The compressor may not turn on sufficiently since the refrigerator is typically around the 35-40 degree range. This will cause the freezer to warm up to the fridge temperature and your freezer items will defrost.

Yes there is a solution. You need to install a garage Thermostat Heater. This will trick the thermostat into thinking it is in a warm environment. This article will tell you why this is happening and the solution as I described. Sorry but for some reason I cannot post this as a link. Copy & Paste into your browser. http://applianceparts.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/why-won’t-the-freezer-in-my-garage-refrigerator-freeze/

jeskjw

If it is below freezing in your garage the freezer will not work.
No freezer except one Frigidaire freezer will work in the extreme cold.
This one has a button to switch it to a refrigerator in the winter and a freezer in the summer.

Domestic refrigerators nowadays are designed not to operate at temperatures less than 45 degrees. First, if it's 45 degrees in the house, people probably are not living there. 2nd, 45 degrees keeps food refrigerated. 3, if people are not living in a space, then they don't need to keep frozen food.

This is a result of the changes in refrigerants we've been going through since 1992.
If you want an outdoor freezer, buy one, and make sure it's designed to be used in a non conditioned space.

is it a frigidaire model by any chance?? if so you can call the manufactue they do have a garage kit, to help the machine run at a lower ambient temp.

probable reason for this is that the thermostat controls freezer temp and freezer follows suit.
if temp in your garage is low ie in winter, then the fridge doesn't need to switch on and the freezer temp rises.
i know this sounds barmy but it is true