Garage Kit for Whirlpool Fridge?

Hi All,

We are planning on moving our Whirlpool fridge/freezer (Model GX5FHTXVY06) into our Garage in northern NJ.

I've seen "garage heater kits" that are supposed to trick your fridge/freezer into thinking its warmer out than it is - apparently has to do with making sure the fridge/freezer keeps on putting out cold even in the middle of winter in a garage.

Anyway, i couldn't find anything specific for my model fridge/freezer, but I did read in a few places that all the heater kits are generally universal. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, I saw a few on Amazon that I could get (although they don't say "universal", I'm not sure if that matters.) I'm specifically looking at the Blue Stars model, No. 5303918301, but it doesn't really matter to me which one so long as it works.

[I checked the board rules and think I'm allowed to post a link to an Amazon listing, but I'm not positive. If anyone can confirm that I can post the link, then I will.]

Thanks for any advice!

 

There's no "trick" to it. A compressor cannot compress liquid in the refrigeration system so the heat kit keeps the compressor warm so the refrigerant stays as a gas. A small lightbulb.... 15w.... near the compressor does a similar thing.

You can post links to merchandise.

 

Hi PJMax,

Thanks (again!) for the info.

I had been under the (apparently mistaken) impression that there was some thingamajig in the refrigerator that checked difference in temperature between inside and outside and judged whether to click on the compressor. If it was too cold out and the temperature difference wasn't great enough, it wouldn't click on the compressor. The garage kit was (I thought) intended to keep that thingamajig warm enough so that it wasn't fooled by outside temperatures. [It didn't make much sense to me - why would a refrigerator care about the outside temperature? - but what do I know?]

Anyway, the items I am considering are https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0792N56QZ or https://www.amazon.com/Refrigerator-...dp/B073B2X6V9/ or something similar.

I'm not quite sure how I would put a 15w bulb near the condensor on the fridge where we want to put it. Do you think the Amazon items (or another?) might work?

Thanks again.

 

Those will work fine. They are just low heat warming pads.

 

Hi PJ,

Thanks again.

So you think that they are all basically universal, and that it doesn't matter which one I get? I can't find one specifically made for my model refrigerator.

Any idea why several of the ones I find say that they are for top-freezer models only?

Thanks again!

 

I had thought these were for heating the compressor area but they're not. They're designed to heat the thermostat to keep the compressor running longer. I'm thinking top freezer since the thermostat is located between the two. It would be in a different location with a side by side.

 

Ah, ok. So maybe it does sort of work like I was thinking (i.e., wherein it makes the thermostat warmer to keep it running)?.

Anyway, I have french door fridge on top and freezer on bottom. Guess I'll need to figure out where to install the device.

But assuming I can figure out where to install it, you think any of the devices would work and that its not specific to a certain type of model?

 

It appears to work with a mechanical thermostat. If you have electronic controls it won't help.

 

I have had refrigerator s and freezers in a garage and they all worked fine without any.modifications.

 

I would second that, have had refrigerators, freezers, beverage coolers, and mini refrigerators in my garages for the past 40 years without ever having a kit to warm anything!

Guess I missed out on that improvement!

 

Same thing. When the frig thermo " thinks" it needs to be colder it will run the compressor. The cold temp in the garage will do some or most of the work for the frig. In the summer it is business as usual.
Sid