Same old freezer, new purpose

[TanksHill]

I would love it if you could post some more info. I guess my question was, if it the appliance was just being used for insulation qualities, would a fridge on its back serve the same purpose? I just happened to come across old fridges much more often than freezers.
I guess I cold just google it. I totally understand the back burner. I just have several things boiling away on mine.

 

[2dream]

Actually Tank- now that I have looked it up it was an old fridge instead of a freezer.

Here are the steps from Root Cellaring -

Remove motor, shelves and crisper drawers. Dig a hole a foot bigger in each direction than your fridge. Throw rocks in bottom of hole for drainage. Put fridge on its back in the hole. The door will now swing up like a chest freezer. The top surface of the fridge should be at or slightly below ground level. Fill in around fridge with loose soil. Pack your veggies in the fridge. They used baskets and wooden tubs. You can also use the wire shelves you took out to seperate things. After you have it filled you can either cover it withhay bales, boards, tin or bags of leaves to keep out the winter cold. You may also find you need to run a small vent pipe/hose into the fridge for some fresh air.

Those are the books directions. I personally would run the vent hose before I back filled with the loose soil. I sure would not want to have to dig all that back out.

Be sure to remove any locking devices so a child can not become trapped.

 

[Homesteadmom]

The only advice I would add is to put some type of mesh cover over the end of the vent pipe to keep critters from getting into the tube.

 

[2dream]

Thanks Pam - good advice since that is the reason for using the fridge to begin with.

 

[Homesteadmom]

I just figured mice would have a hay day in mine if I left the vent open like that. I had a mouse get nto my washing machine thru the open greywater pipe once, eeeeewwwwwwwww!!!! I found it after a load of laundry, So I would probobly use a very fine mesh if I made one.

 

[TanksHill]

Sounds like an interesting plan. I think one thing I would have to keep in mind is temps. I would be trying to keep veggies cool. Freezing weather is not an issue here. Maybe if I dug it in really deep and covered with something. Anyways, thanks again, gina

 

[2dream]

Tanks, I am not sure but since I live in the south where temps rage over a 100 on lots of summer days I figure the leaves or hay bales will work just as well for that as well. That is my hope anyway.

 

[Homesteadmom]

I was thinking I would not be geting into it on a daily basis, so I would cover with a board & then pull one of the trailers over it to help shade it too. Plus then it is out of sight completely & neighbors would not know it was there. Or if marshall law is declared then no one would find it looking to see if we had an abundance of food that we need to share with others. I was thinking my extra buckets of wheat would store great in one! Maybe we will do a couple of them. Wish I could afford to build a true root cellar & disguise it real well.

 

[Mindy Lee]

Hmm ! My mom and dad have an old chest freezer they were hauling to the dump on Saturday . Thanks for all the advice think I''ll take it home w/ me and put in my new barn . Could you turn it into a compost container ?

 

[Homesteadmom]

Why not if left out in the sun it would really get heated up & help to break it down even faster for you. Great idea!