Anyone got a freezer in their garage? Questions! (specifically for those with electrical know how!)

[RVN123]

Hi all
I'm looking to put a mid size chest freezer in my garage due to constantly running out of freezer space in the house.
Can I ask anyone who may know a couple of things?

I've bought one that specifically says its rated for outdoor buildings and garages up to -15 degrees temperature so that should be okay, but I need to put it about 14 feet away from the nearest plug socket, so it will have to run on an extension cord.

Is this safe? And if so, do I need a specific kind of extension cord to run a large appliance?
I've done a bit of googling and just succeeded in confusing myself even more - some websites say perfectly safe on a normal extension cable, some say needs to be a specific 'heavy gauge' rated to a certain amperage, some say never to run a large appliance on an extension!

Anyone do this? And do you use specific cables? And have you ever had a problem?

Thanks for any insight.
(I'm scared and pathetic when it comes to electrical stuff).

Yep. It will stop working in winter!

Can't you just put it nearer the plug socket? Appliances don't like to run on extension leads and it's not really safe.

We've always had a chest freezer in the garage, well since 1983 anyway. No issues at all, but I think the temperature in the garage never drops below freezing anyway. The gauge in the car always seems to be 5c higher than outside.

@wasthataburp

Yep. It will stop working in winter!

This one says its specifically for sheds and garages and is rated for up to -15 degrees. I'm hoping this will be okay?

I can't place it nearer a plug socket unfortunately, we have a garage racking system against one wall from floor to ceiling and the only plug socket is at the back of the garage (mental new build!). Its the only place it can go. Believe me I've tried to juggle the space as much as I can, its infuriating.

Thanks for your help.

We've got a fridge and a freezer running on an extension lead in our garage, never had any problems and they've both been there for years. Normal extension lead, one of those ones you wind up.

I'm running two chest freezers off the same extension lead at the moment. No problems at all.

We've got one in the garage too. We picked one that specifically said it would work in low temperatures and it's been fine.

Can't help with the extension lead question but I wouldn't think it would be a good idea. Could you get an electrician in to add a socket close to where your freezer will be?

I've had a very old small chest freezer in the garage for a couple of years with no issues.

Can't help on the extension lead, but could you have another (nearer) socket put in if you are worried? It would just need a spur running off the existing circuit and a new surface mounted box and face plate.

Freezer here in the garage and no problem at all.

If you are worried about using an extension cord it doesn’t cost much to get extra sockets put in.

Will the extension be exposed to any wet or damp? If so use an outdoor one but if it's a dry area a household one will do.
Freezer will be fine in garage mines lived outside forever and it's an old cheapo.

I'd like a chest freezer to but am wondering if freezers in garages attract mice?

I mean the nice cosy electrics/heat dissipator at the back, not the lure of a frozen chicken Kiev

We have one in the garage (absolute lifesaver! I have no idea how we coped without it.)

We run it on this cable...

@TheQueef

Will the extension be exposed to any wet or damp? If so use an outdoor one but if it's a dry area a household one will do. Freezer will be fine in garage mines lived outside forever and it's an old cheapo.

Should be bone dry, never had any leaks in the garage. Nothing is ever damp and I store all my craft stuff out there (paper and fabric etc). It's always been perfectly dry.

Had a fridge and also a fridge-freezer on our wooden shed for the last 20 years, replaced sporadically/rarely, never a problem.

Decent quality extension lead should be fine and so will the freezer if it's suited to outhouses.

Do put the fear of god into anyone that might unplug it though, ime people ( and by people I mean MEN!) in garages like to unplug things for their own purposes and then in two weeks time you discover a freezer full of damp peas and a lake of Ben&Jerrys.

An electrician won't charge much to put in a proper plug socket where the freezer will be.

An outdoor extension just has an RCD (trip) which you should have already because the garage power supply will have it's own RCD.
The price is a bit higher for outdoor rated but apart from RCD there's no difference.

I have a cold temp fridge freezer in our garage... we also have a normal household extension cord and never had any problems with it

@BigSandyBalls2015

We've got a fridge and a freezer running on an extension lead in our garage, never had any problems and they've both been there for years. Normal extension lead, one of those ones you wind up.

Same

@TheQueef

An outdoor extension just has an RCD (trip) which you should have already because the garage power supply will have it's own RCD. The price is a bit higher for outdoor rated but apart from RCD there's no difference.

The IP rating would be higher, however OP says the garage is dry. You also can't assume the garage is on an RCD as lots of older properties aren't.

OP if you are going to have the freezer for some time it wouldn't hurt to have a new socket put in, and tucked behind the appliance so no one can quickly unplug it for something then forget to plug it back in again. The concerns of using an extension lead are accidently unplugging, the RCD in the extension lead tripping without you noticing, rodent damage causing a fire risk or the cord rubbing on things like shelving and getting damaged. If you do use an extension cord I would make sure you just have the freezer plugged in (do you know the rating of the one you are buying?), and that its run out of the way but where you can still see it in case it gets nibbled.

I have a fridge freezer in the garage. The freezer is fine the fridge isn't, it freezes everything. I really need to get rid as it must be using more electric and fridge part not useful

@SpookyScarySkeletons one thing you definitely shouldn't do is use an extension reel where a large part of it is still coiled up in the reel - the coil acts as an inductor and the current passing through it heats up the cable. If the current is high enough (though probably isn't with a freezer) it can melt the cable. The one you have has overload protection, but still best not to do it.

OP - you can use an extension lead if the power rating of the cable is high enough. This will be stated on the extension (or its packaging). Take 240V x cable rating in Amps and compare to the power rating of the freezer in Watts.

But I agree with others that the best way is to get an electrician to put in a spur socket.