extending temp range of domestic fridge

[kubcat]

Hi all. I just registered (so the links I inserted are not allowed, since I am a newbie, so I hope you can figure out what I am talking about without them)

I am hoping to get some good advice on this problem. I have a garage fridge in the northeast that thaws frozen foods in the winter. Having recently done a lot of web surfing, I learned that this is a well documented problem with frost-free refrigerators. I have found 3 recommended solutions, and I would like advice on what is the cheapest/best answer.

I have a Whirlpool top freezer frost-free basic fridge, which just happens to be the same basic fridge design of the gladiator garage works garage fridge
(google gladiator garage works fridge to see it)
with an operating range of 0-100 F

I compared the parts list of my fridge with the Gladiator, and the only real differences I found after comparing specific part numbers (other than molded plastic housings, etc) are for the thermostat, the wiring harnesses, the drier, and the compressor assembly.





It seems that the key differences in the harnesses are:

• the addition of 2 bi-metal sensors, one in the "unit parts" group wiring harness, and 1 additional bi-metal sensor in the upper liner wiring harness (the freezer?)
• the accomodation for a different thermostat

Regarding the compressor assembly, there is no specific part number for the compressor alone, but every other part listed in the compressor assembly is the same except for the drier, so I have assumed the compressors are actually the same parts. Is this a bad assumption?

So, can someone tell me what the bi-metal sensors do to extend the operating range of the fridge, and, if I buy the following parts and install them in my fridge will it result in extending its operating environment to be the same as the Gladiator's (0-100F), or is there something else I am not understanding about how these machines operate?

3 Wiring Harnesses, including additional bi-metal sensors (about $75)
Gladiator Thermistat ($65)

Another option I have found to get my 6 cu ft freezer working through the winter is to try to adapt the frigidaire garage heater kit (google frigidaire garage heater kit to see it). As I understand it a heating wire wraps around the refrigerator thermistat to fool it into thinking the fridge is warmer than it really is, keeping the compressor on longer. This is to make up for the auto-defrost cycle in the freezer when the garage is colder the refrigerator themistat is set for. This would cost about $25.

Or, finally, should I just go for a dedicated cheap manual defrost freezer?

So, to sum up, my choices seem to be;
1) Buy a cheap freezer (5cu ft for ~$150)
2) Buy the frigidaire Garage heater kit ($25) and adapt to my fridge
3) Convert my fridge to a gladiator ($140) (is this really possible even?)

Please help me with a recommendation.

Thanks,
Kubcat

[nike123]

1) Buy a cheap freezer (5cu ft for ~$150)