Confusing Your Fridge

Randy Richardson of Holland, Michigan, writes:

Marilyn: Why does the refrigerator in my garage turn on and run in the winter?

Marilyn responds:

Another reader asked a similar question about keeping a freezer in an unheated garage. The answer is the same. Household cooling appliances have compressors, condensers, evaporators, and more. Many of these components need indoor temperatures to operate as intended. (The design of the unit is also a factor.)

If you run a freezer or refrigerator in an unheated area, weird things may happen. The unit may work only in the winter, or only in the summer, or it may try to defrost at inappropriate times. Or it may seem to work fine but consume extra energy to do so.

Or you may have no problem at all. It depends on your particular appliance and the weather where you live.