Would you expect an issue with a freezer and tumble drier running from the same socket?

[John D v2.0]

Usually it's fridge freezers you have to watch, if they only have one compressor circuit they would be balanced to maintain the right freezer temperature when the fridge is cold enough. As the ambient gets closer to the fridge target temperature, the freezer temperature does the same IE increases. Some will switch on the internal fridge light to try to counteract it, but there's still a limit.

 

[JohnW2]

Usually it's fridge freezers you have to watch, if they only have one compressor circuit they would be balanced to maintain the right freezer temperature when the fridge is cold enough. As the ambient gets closer to the fridge target temperature, the freezer temperature does the same IE increases. Some will switch on the internal fridge light to try to counteract it, but there's still a limit.

Yes, I understand that theoretical possibility - but, as I asked, have you ever known this to actually result in a significant problem in practice?

I would also imagine that it is pretty uncommon to have fridge-freezers in unheated outhouses (unless, perhaps, the fridge part was being used to store booze)- one doesn't want to have to journey through the snow to get the milk for one's cornflakes on a cold winter's morning The same mechanism of 'problem' obviously'does not arise with a pure freezer.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Notch7]

We have a Beko fridge freezer in our unheated garage. Fingers crossed.... touch wood etc, so far its been no problem.

 

[JohnD]

Some Bekos can be used in cold outbuildings, I think they may use a different type of refrigerant. You would have to look up the model number to check. Beko make a very wide range of models.

 

[JohnW2]

Some Bekos can be used in cold outbuildings, I think they may use a different type of refrigerant. You would have to look up the model number to check. Beko make a very wide range of models.

There certainly now is a significant minority of fridges and freezers which are specified as being suitable for use in cold environments, but I don't know what the difference is. As you say, a different refrigerant (with a different boiling point) may well be one of the differences - but I don't think that that, alone, would necessarily be enough.

As has been said, a single-compressor (and single refrigeration circuit) fridge freezer is seemingly likely to always be a problem. If the fridge part falls to the desired temperature largely as a result of the ambient temperature, that would presumably result in the compressor being switched off, causing the freezer to become too hot. On the other hand, if the compressor was kept on in order to maintain the desired freezer temp, the fridge would also fall to sub-zero temps.

Kind Regards, John

 

[SimonH2]

As has been said, a single-compressor (and single refrigeration circuit) fridge freezer is seemingly likely to always be a problem. If the fridge part falls to the desired temperature largely as a result of the ambient temperature, that would presumably result in the compressor being switched off, causing the freezer to become too hot. On the other hand, if the compressor was kept on in order to maintain the desired freezer temp, the fridge would also fall to sub-zero temps.

As it happens, I acquired a similar setup to the OP - except it came with SWMBO. Her late father was the epitome of the BIYer and had run the extension lead out into the outhouse where it ran the fridge freezer and the tumble drier. It wasn't an immediate danger and I insisted on running the tumble drier on it's lower power setting. Was on my list of things to sort out, but we ended up moving before it reached the top of the list.
As to the FF ... Yes, this one had just a thermostat for the fridge, with the freezer temp being determined by the refrigerant and compressor suction pressure - for a given pressure, a given refrigerant will always boil at the same temperature. As long as the compressor runs reasonably regularly then the freezer will get down to temperature and only then will the liquid refrigerant reach the fridge section.
I can confirm that in cold weather, the freezer would get warm - even to the point of defrosting Could mean some interesting unscheduled menu choices

 

[JohnW2]

As it happens, I acquired a similar setup to the OP ... I can confirm that in cold weather, the freezer would get warm - even to the point of defrosting Could mean some interesting unscheduled menu choices

Indeed. As I said, that would seem inevitable with a fridge-freezer which has a single compressor and refrigeration circuit. In the 'extreme' case in which the fridge got down to 'operating temperature' by virtue of ambient temp alone, the compressor would be permanently 'off' (by virtue of the fridge thermostat), so that the freezer would inevitably eventually rise to around the same temp as the fridge (if environmental conditions remained unchanged).

Kind Regards, John

 

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