# repurpusing a refrigerator



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

In my food pantry I have some food in boxes and bags like pancake mix, MREs, And lots
of instant stuff. The thing is one mouse can really reak havoc on that stuff so I been thinking
about redoing the inside of an old refrigerator with shelfs to store that kind of stuff in.

Or put one in shed for dried corn or beans -- keep the critters from eating it 

Or if you buried one on it's back with the doors facing up only about 6" of dirt on top it might
make a good place to hide something. Might want to paint the door brown. In case.
Or install a smaller door into the regular door. Aren't they water proof?

I worked as a welder when I was younger and the place I worked had an old refrigerator 
that didn't work but it was rigged so the light stayed on. It was full of welding rods.
Over time the heat from the light bulb soaked into the welding rods they were so hot
you needed gloves to get the rods out. It kept all the moisture off the welding rods.

I have a old non working refrigerator in the garage I use for storage of anything flammable 
like Paint, pain thinner, And one shelf for spray cans. - spray cans fit in door nicely too.

Might make it safer to store cans of gas with stabilizer. Bet you could get a bunch of 5 gallon
cans in one. 

I wonder if you painted it black and put a vent on the top put it in the sun on a hot summer
day would it get hot enough inside to be of some use? Dehydrate food? Or dry something to smoke? 

Lay it on it's back and install a small door in what was the top and have a small chicken coupe
Install some laying boxes (made from milk crates and straw or dried grass) it would be easy
to harvest the eggs just open the door. Need a latch on the doors to keep the ***** out. 

Dog house? It would be well insulated -- a little straw would be nice--


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Just some thoughts: 
I think if you buried a refrigerator it would get wet inside, the seals are not hermetic. 
If a refrigerator is put outside in my area, the door must be removed or chained for safety.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

sideKahr said:


> Just some thoughts:
> I think if you buried a refrigerator it would get wet inside, the seals are not hermetic.
> If a refrigerator is put outside in my area, the door must be removed or chained for safety.


 Hummmm I see ,, Well then we'll just lay it on it's back in the deep part of the creek and
cut a hole in each end get some mess wire and make a great fish trap. 
Fresh fish in the fridge just open the door and get some

I dated a woman from china once her spelling skills sucked. Hermetic was also bad.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

I have ramen noodles and cereal in a freezer in the barn


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I've used a broken upright freezer for a gun safe at one time. Put a 100w light inside. Worked for many years. Re-purposing is a good thing. It came with its own door key lock


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

Powder and primer magazine.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

1skrewsloose said:


> I've used a broken upright freezer for a gun safe at one time. Put a 100w light inside. Worked for many years. Re-purposing is a good thing. It came with its own door key lock


You know you got a good idea there a few heavy hinges and a few pad locks.
At least they would make some noise stealing the guns and it would stop the typical
low life burglar.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I didn't do anything to it. Let it look like a locked freezer. The more something is heavily locked, the more valuables must be inside. Still had it plugged in, didn't do anything, but looked real.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Funny story.

I had an old refrigerator that quit, so I started storing reloading supplies and black powder inside. Some friends came over once to party, and one guy opened the fridge to put the beer in. I'll never forget his face as he looked back and forth from what he must have thought were 'bomb making supplies' to me. I just said, "I eat out a lot." LOL.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Should work great for dry storage. In fact I have small apt sized model full of Ramen noodles...and assorted stuff like that. Will have to vote with whoever said dont bury it in the ground. Would seem guraranteed to get water in it. PS..they also make great jerky makers. Put a 220 electric stove element in the bottom. Only hook up one loop to 110 and it dont get real hot. Place a pie pan with a chunk of wood in it on the element. Hang up the meat..shut the door and come back tomorrow. Should have heavy smoked jerky when its uncorked.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

budgetprepp-n said:


> In my food pantry I have some food in boxes and bags like pancake mix, MREs, And lots
> of instant stuff. The thing is one mouse can really reak havoc on that stuff so I been thinking
> about redoing the inside of an old refrigerator with shelfs to store that kind of stuff in.
> 
> ...


I love how your always thinking of new ideas.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

I got tired of buying USGI 30 cal and 50 cal ammo cans, plus they ain't cheap anymore.
So, I got a non working fridge and put it out in the barn as an ammo can.
It's full, too.:joyous:


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

budgetprepp-n said:


> In my food pantry I have some food in boxes and bags like pancake mix, MREs, And lots
> of instant stuff. The thing is one mouse can really reak havoc on that stuff so I been thinking
> about redoing the inside of an old refrigerator with shelfs to store that kind of stuff in.
> 
> ...


Here in the south we put them on the front porch and in the yard for art.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

If you lay it on its back and take the door off, you can strap two blue food grade plastic drums to it and sail 110 miles from Havana to Miami.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Interesting ideas.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I had an old stand up freezer that broke (nasty when you have to clean up pounds of spoiled pork/chicken/and other now thawed special stuff)

I put it beside my wood shed laying on its side took the door off and now use it to store gas cans... keeps them out of the garage and protects them from rain, direct sun...


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

I've seen an old fridge turned into a cold smoker. In places that get a lot of cold weather I see people set their freezers that work (unplugged) on the porch December thru March.


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## txmarine6531 (Nov 18, 2015)

I saw an article somewhere about repurposing old fridges and freezers. One idea was to build a nice wooden frame with legs, drill a hole in the old unit, lay the old unit on it's back inside the frame and you got a cooler for drinks or whatever.


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## Animalier (Sep 1, 2016)

I saw a good use for an old freezer-- chest freezer. Someone put a solar powered pond bubbler, filled it with water and started to use it to breed and grow catfish for his own families use. Yes, Fish farming. I supposed you could bury it in the ground. Not sure the whole pressure of water thing, but it is insulated. 

Another good use is mushroom farming and myco-spore farming. 

Refrigerators make really good drying boxes and maybe even smokers. I have seen one used as a burn out kiln for lost wax casting. 

These ideas anyone?


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

There was a guy out Tx way that had a bunch of em.

Pipe came out of his smoker, . . . went into the bottom of one. Pipe out the top of it, into the bottom of the next, . . . and this was done through several of them.

He came out early in the AM, . . . started his meat cookin', . . . went back home for some shut eye, . . . when he came back the next time, . . . meat was ready.

Open the doors, . . . here comes the lunch crowd for his little restaurant.

And, . . . YES, . . . it was good.

AND, . . . Thank you Bigwheel: _*PS..they also make great jerky makers. Put a 220 electric stove element in the bottom. Only hook up one loop to 110 and it dont get real hot. Place a pie pan with a chunk of wood in it on the element. Hang up the meat..shut the door and come back tomorrow. Should have heavy smoked jerky when its uncorked.*_

I think I see one of these in my future.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## preponadime (Jun 15, 2016)

I know a guy in Alabama who buried a chest freezer in his backyard put in some water, food and other supplies said if a tornado takes down his house he still has food and water for a few days.


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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

I shot one with a .357, it was full of mud on the Ohio River, and the holes were satisfyingly big. I had a buddy along, who had his 9mm loaded with HydaShok. It was fun and instructive, the holes, from both guns were as big as my thumb.:devil: And I was using plain old Blazer ammo.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

make a smoker out of it , seen it done on Hillbilly Blood .


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## AnotherSOFSurvivor (Sep 7, 2016)

Targetshooter said:


> make a smoker out of it , seen it done on Hillbilly Blood .


+1, fridges that are dead are good for targets and smokers

...or disposing your "paid for girlfriends"


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