What Is the Difference Between House Refrigerators and Garage Refrigerators?

Why Get a Garage Refrigerator?

• Garage refrigerators are great for people who shop at warehouse stores to save money, allowing them to store those extra gallons of milk or 12-packs of soda. The extra refrigerator can especially come in handy around holidays, such as Thanksgiving when you might have a surplus of turkey, side dishes, extra beverages and pies. Though homeowners tended to put their old refrigerator out in the garage, energy concerns have led manufacturers to create new models just for this area.

Main Differences

• Your average kitchen refrigerator is designed to be inside your house in a dry, room-temperature climate. A garage is a very different climate; it can be much damper, and its temperature fluctuates seasonally. This means that if you put an old kitchen refrigerator in your garage, it may cost you a lot in energy bills as the refrigerator tries to maintain its temperature. A garage refrigerator -- made of stainless steel, like a heavy-duty toolbox -- is designed to handle extreme temperatures.

Garage Refrigerator Basics

• Garage refrigerators are Energy Star-certified by the U.S. Department Of Energy; according to the manufacturer of the Gladiator GACP15XXMG model, they can save you over $50 a year in energy costs. Some garage refrigerator models are larger than those in the kitchen. Some are even equipped with wheels so they can be easily moved around the garage. All garage refrigerators are designed to be tough and to last a long time; they don't sweat in the heat, and they don't chip or crack.

Tips and Tricks

• If you don't want to shell out the money for a new garage refrigerator, major retailers, including Sears, sell garage kits that will adapt your old kitchen refrigerator to its new life in your garage. You can also find kits that can convert between a freezer and a refrigerator, should you need extra space for one or the other. If you buy a new garage refrigerator, you can find ways to recycle the old one. In Sacramento, California, the local utility provider offers incentives for owners to replace their old, energy-sucking refrigerators with free pick up and a $35 check.