Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Refrigerator Repair:
Refrigerator running in unheated area and about using extension cords
Can I keep my old (15 year old Hot Point) in my garage running during our severe cold winter months? Can I use a (proper gauge extension cord if I have to put it in my basement? Regards,
To your first question, actually no, unless you add a compressor heater circuit to the refrigerator. If you’re up to it my online book has an article that shows you how to do this.
Remember though if it gets too cold the refrigerator section has no way of supplying heat so things in the ref section will get as cold as the ambient environment.
About using an extension cord for a refrigerator, if you put it in the basement, it would be okay if you could find one that has at least 14 gauge (AWG standard) wires. These are often available in hardware stores sold as cords for window air conditioners. Check out the fine print because the gauge is required to be marked. This is because a refrigerator is an inductive load and needs the larger capacity feed wiring or there are problems.
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