Easily Adapting a Freezer into a Refrigerator

how to easily adapt a freezer into a refrigerator. more efficient and cost effective than running a refrigerator during a grid down situation or in general. Freezers are made to keep cooler longer and with to lower temperatures.
The temp control adapter shown in the video is a Johnson Controls Temperature Controller A419, however it has now been discontinued ( in 2024) you can still find them but I'm seeing them over $300 and that's simply too much...here is the newer version (A21) has a better price: amzn.to/3xfxi7u
Approx $130 (USD in March 2024)
you can find cheaper adaptors, remember to check the reviews and make sure they will last.
you can also turn an upright freezer into a refrigerator using the same adapter...this will allow you to have a fridge which doesn't have a freezer section and is less money up front and more efficient.
the beauty of the temp controller is you can turn a fridge into a freezer (or vice versa) and turn it back again anytime.
Keep in mind when drilling to add this adaptor to your freezer that you do NOT drill through the coolant line(s) ☮️

[@TimKaseyMythHealer]

I'm in the process of doing this right now. I have two of the 5 cu foot chest types, and am converting one to a refrigerator (the mini fridge died after 4 years). The efficiency is amazing with the chest style. What amazed me was how long it took for the temperature to drop down to refrigerator temperatures. It took hours.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

I found the same thing...it is great. when our power went out, we ran a geni for 1 hr in the am and 1 hr in the pm and kept the food in fridge temps. worked great!

[@JourneyNorthAK]

That's a great idea.. I am far enough North I can store goods under ground or in a pond or creek...but I am still gonna look into getting one of those adapters.

[@engineerjay420]

I have my chest freezer converted to refrigerator via temperature controlled outlet. I have it set to turn on at 39 and turn off at 33. It only runs for 5 minutes then doesn't turn back on for another 1 hour and 45 minutes. The best part is it only consumes 75 watts while running!

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

Right? and if the grid ever goes down or we have to run on generator we should be good for a while...we don't have to worry about refrigeration for long...and if we ever need another freezer, we turn it back! where did you learn about this Jay? I learned it so many years ago I forgot where :)

[@engineerjay420]

​@@OldSchoolPrepper Hello I learned about it while watching some off grid videos where someone was doing this. I used it on grid power for 3 years then 2 years ago I have been running it only on battery power with an inverter. I recharge my batteries with 1,000 watts of solar panels. I actually bought 2 freezers but converted one into a refrigerator which was still cheaper than buying a standard frig/freezer. Not to mention my old refrigerator used 800 watts and turned on and off every few minutes.

[@juliebutler8241]

What is that temp timer and where do you get it?

[@juliebutler8241]

I mean, temp controlled outlet

[@engineerjay420]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnXUYYmqhdefoJY

[@reedin9954]

Good setup! These are very efficient doing this job and when you open them all the cold air doesn't rush out. Always got to be thinking about how we can reuse and repurposed things. I have an old broken one I got from some neighbors that I'm going to fix and make run directly on DC power from solar panels. So eventually I will have some videos about that for everyone to watch. Right now my wife has me on other tasks. ;-)

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

nice~ as I've said before i'm really interested in more solar info...i'll look forward to you posting this video as time allows. :)

[@islandwitt1]

I am converting a shuttle bus into an RV tiny home. I’d decided to use a small chest freezer ($300) as my fridge instead of an expensive RV fridge ($900). So when our 2 year old house fridge ($1300) died, which pissed me off, I went ahead and got the chest freezer & temperature controller. It’s been set up now for 3 days and I am still working on the best set up for it. If you put the temperature sensor down too low inside the top isn’t cool enough, too high and the bottom freezes, so I’m still looking for that ‘sweet spot’. Also, it’s hard to see down into the chest fridge so I mounted an battery operated led light with an on off switch just above it, it helps tremendously to see into the depths. I put seldom used items on the bottom, sauces etc, next is my veggie bin, next is cheeses & meats, the shelf has milk tea & condiments we use often on it, then I have two baskets in the top, one has beer wine boost meal drinks, the other has eggs, butter, bread. I don’t want my lower layer sauces to freeze, I don’t want my eggs beer & butter too warm (45*) so I’ve been moving sensor up & down trying to find that sweet spot. Temperature settings are 35* off, 40* on, that’s the range I’m trying to maintain throughout. I saw a video where someone talked about a small computer fan to circulate the air. Not sure I want to deal with all that, or want the added energy consumption, but we’ll see. If I cant get it regulated better I will consider it. BTW, lots of videos on how to set one up, No videos on how to balance the system out, so thought I’d share my process.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

those are all awesome ideas! we have an inverted metal basket (with a plastic coating) in the bottom of the freezer with the sensor taped to the bottom of the basket (the underside of the upside down top...the 'ceiling' of the upside down basket if you will).... we've thought about the fan but frankly since I don't open this particular unit up each day, the whole cooler seems to be the same temp. However i can see how you (being in and out a time or two each day) will need something more reliable. This said, your comments along with your huge project of building out an RV begs the question....is now the time for you to start your own YT station? I only have my cell phone to record and free software to edit, doesn't take much to start and I do love the mobile tiny's.

[@islandwitt1]

Hi. I did put a plastic tub lid (with holes punched in it) down in the bottom to keep things out of condensation build up, don’t have room to lose a baskets worth of height right now, maybe later! I will keep your idea in mind. I’ve thought about doing a yt channel, not sure how public I want to be, so for now I’m just keeping a photo log. It would probably be a good idea to keep a video log so option avail later. Will think about it. Thanks for vote of confidence 🤣

[@GUNSLINGEROUTDOORS]

Great idea.. ill have to look into that....

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

at some point i'll hook up our Killawatt (watt tester) and test it ...see how efficient it really is...

[@elvicentefernandez]

Thanks for the idea, I will look into it.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

this works great, we have two of these freezer to fridge conversions....took one over to mom's when we stocked her up with food during the pandemic, we changed the temp settings and presto! it's a freezer again.

[@PalmettoPrepared]

Wonderful idea. Thumbs up from me

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

it works really well. I'm going to hook up my Killawatt thingy and get some real data on this to share as well.

[@CamppattonFamilyCompound]

Now that's thinking outside of the icebox.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

and it works.....during the power outage we only had to cool it one hr in the am and one in the pm to keep it below 35....when the outside temp was in the high 40's

[@incidentalprepper2566]

Very interesting idea.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

thanks for the comment, 'll pop over to your channel and check it out.

[@splatbubble]

This is wicked cool. If you do this kind of consistently, and you mention an hour twice a day... do you think you could also use a conventional plug in light timer as well?

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

yes you could certainly use an old school twisty timer thing or a digital timer. We recently went thru 10 days without power and put the one hr in the am and one hr in the pm to the test and it WORKED! YAY. We moved all the food from our kitchen fridge into this old freezer and viola! so happy we did this, it saved our food ..

[@riktarnoff7914]

a question where do you put the actual thermostat from the controller so it knows when to kick on an off? do you remove the OEM thermostat that the unit came with?

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

hi Rik, we put the new unit thermostat temp reader thingmajig (3 inch metal piece) in the bottom of the freezer with a small metal basket over the top of it so it doesn't get squished. We disconnected the oriiginal thermostat the unit came with but left it in place. Hope this helps...this has been an awesome change and I love having the flexability of freezer or fridge.

[@mrbrown6421]

This is a problem as an engineer. Buy this thing! WHAT does it do and how does it do it ? Sounds like a temp sensor is stuck inside the unit, and that temp sensor controls power to the freezer. I hate to reverse engineer people speak. Don't see why the freezer needs any modifications since the goal of this new temp sensor is to regulate temperature HIGHER than the freezer does, there fore freezer electronics should not be modified. BUY THIS THING! IT WORKS. Me: Sure, but HOW does it work.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

It sure works for me. Glad you like it...and you're right it's just a different temp controller...that's it.

[@adamtrolinger9054]

Do you think running it for an hour and unplugging it would get same result? Off grid for over a year and keeping food good is my biggest hurdle right now.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

I believe you can run this system for 2-3 hrs in the am and 2-3 hrs in the pm and keep the food cold enough. Consider placing on a timer to automate this so you don't need to manually plug in and unplug. There are many other factors to consider. Where is the fridge/freezer? (outside in the sun or inside in the dark) how hot is the ambient temp (is it 100F or 50F) how full in the fridge? (the fuller the more it will regulate it's own temp) and if you can add containers of frozen water (or whatever) to it, this will also keep things colder longer. All this said I should really test it...thanks for the video idea!

[@diySolarPowerFunWithRay]

Cool. Are those adapters just a electronic timer?

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

not a timer but rather a different temperature controller. But yup, that's all they are. Still works great and I'm finding that this works much better than a regular fridge with the power down...I can use my solar or geni to cool for 1 hour in the am and 1 in the pm and it keeps fridge levels of cold but that is without getting in and out of the fridge all the time. As you know the more it's opened the more cold air leaks out ... this is one of the reasons I prefer the chest style rather than stand up, keep that cold inside.

[@x_MrYAYA_x]

What name brand is your giant freezer? How long have u had it and any issues? Im looking to buy a Frigidare deep freezer its 24.8 cu feet 6 feet wide.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

We think we've had it for 10 years or so, no issues at all and it runs 24/7. It is a Fridgedare Gallery 24.6 CU Ft. I love it. I'd certainly buy it again. Good Luck with yours

[@x_MrYAYA_x]

@@OldSchoolPrepper thank you so much for your quick reply. The sale ends tomorrow and i was trying to figure out if i should buy 2 16 cubic ft Whirpools and put them next to each other or 1 24.8 cubic foot Frigidare. I already have 2 whirlpools for past 5 years with no problems but i was scared to buy Frigidare because wasnt sure the name brand was good. I really appreciate your quick reply.

[@fallingspark2258]

Since it was originally intended as a freezer, and frozen things aren't really fragile, how do you handle fragile things in this fridge set up?

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

hi Falling Spark, I don't understand your question. I handle things like I would in any refrigerator. If I have something in glass (which is fragile) i will set it down and not drop it. most of the items in my fridge are in containers so they easily stack. Even Vegetables can stack (I have a large garden so I always have veg in the freezer/fridge conversation). I also use baskets and bowls to hold things like thawing meat. Is that what you were asking?

[@nabindrabhattarai8975]

Hi without adaptor can we make freezers to fridge can you assist me

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

The only way to do this without an adaptor is to change the temperature your freezer is set at from 0C/30F to 35° and 38°F (or 1.7 to 3.3°C). if you cannot ajust your temperature manually (on the side of the freezer or back) then you'll need an adaptor. If you tell me the make, model and year of your freezer I can tell you if it's possible to do without an adaptor.

[@nabindrabhattarai8975]

Total gross volume: 82 litres Total storage volume: 73 litres 220 - 240V a.c. 50Hz Rated current:0.7A Energy consumption:0.630kw.h/24h Refrigerant: R600a(36g) Insulation blowing gas:Cyclopentane Made in China Model no HF80

[@nabindrabhattarai8975]

If you could able to help me with out adpt that will be great thanks

[@FullSunshineDreams]

I don't completely understand how this works so I have some questions! :) Is the thermometer plugged into a power source or is it battery operated? and where is the other end going/how is is gauging the temperature? I 100% want to do this!

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

hi Full Sunshine....this adaptor becomes the powersource for the freezer/fridge and manages the temperate. So it does plug into the wall, then you plug the freezer into this device. It will over ride the current freezer temp controler. It's really easy. Here is a video another person did on the device and I''m attaching the manual for the device itself.: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3e5kGh4aJeUg9U and here is the manual: cgproducts.johnsoncontrols.com/MET_PDF/125188.PDF

[@FullSunshineDreams]

@@OldSchoolPrepper thank you for the extra info, I appreciate it!!

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

@@FullSunshineDreams no problem...It's still working like a dream .... I love it.

[@mikesfarmmikesfarm3977]

can you quickly(flip of a switch) turn it back to a freezer if desired ? I think I have a $15 idea that will do it all. I am looking on craigslist for small freezer. I would be useful for me to use it as a extra freezer then flip the switch to fridge mode after hurricane or rolling blackouts.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

Yes and No, no switch to flip but all you have to do is adjust the refridgerator/freezer adaptor to whichever temp range you want....just like adjusting a bedside alarm clock. Up and down arrows, might take 5 seconds.

[@mikesfarmmikesfarm3977]

@@OldSchoolPrepper Tonight I just got a good deal on a 2019 7cuft chest freezer. I just finished design of a simple controller. I will leave the freezer as it is. When I want to use it as a fridge I will just plug the freezer into my controller. I will be very handy for me to swap it back and forth as seasons needs change.I even added hi/lo temp alarms. Hum.. maybe I will raise a couple pigs again. Btw I retired early a couple years ago, so now I have 7 saturdays a week. Thanks for the freezer idea and tolerating my comments. Btw you have a lot of sustained content for your amount of subs. Prepper content is timeless

[@AKhan-2024]

Does anyone know if this method lessens the life expectancy for the freezer itself? Since it turns it on and off in an abrupt way. In an emergency it doesn't matter but to use this everyday?

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

good questions, I don't know of any testing done on this, but I can tell you since this is a chest style freezer it doesn't turn on and off as often as you think it would. The cold stays inside when the lid is open. I have two of these and they are both more than 3 years old (as a fridge) they were both bought used as a freezers....so all I can say is they are still working. I even keep one on the back porch and it works great (even in 100 degree weather) so far so good....I hope you give it a try, when we bought these (used freezers) they were cheap so even it they only last a few years it's better than a new fridge.

[@tonyneibling3464]

No it does not in anyway shape or form interfere with the workings of the freezer. The original thermostat turns the freezer on and off in the same abrupt way so really all your doing is bypassing the freezers thermostat and If anything the freezer components would last longer as they wouldn’t be working as hard. So many off grid homes here in Australia have been doing this since they invented the domestic chest freezer with great success.

[@roa004]

What is that adapter called? which one are you using and from where?

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

hi Rick, we got the adapter on Amazon.. (I posted this in the description of the video too) is Johnson Controls Temperature Controller A419... good luck and you can do it.