Is it a good idea to move a freezer outside for the winter, to save energy? My new father-in-law wants to do it, but it’d be my husband and me who’d do the grunt work. Is it worth it?
The appliance will run for shorter times when the temperature of the air outside of the freezer is close to the desired temperature inside the freezer. However, the mechanical parts of freezers are designed to work at room temperature. If you place a freezer in temperatures below about 45 degrees, the components may fail prematurely.
A good compromise, if possible, may be to keep the freezer in the basement year-round. If the basement is colder than the kitchen but stays above 45 degrees, you get the benefit of slightly lower electricity costs without creating as much risk for valuable components of the freezer (and components of your husband and your backs, from all that lifting).
Li Ling for The Home Team