Some generous soul gave us(translate that to dumped) a dead freezer on our roadside. Before we haul it to the legal dump, we were wondering if anyone had actually used one as a root cellar. Our ground wouldn't allow us to partially bury it due to water table, no slope for drainage, etc., but we do have a grove of pines that would shade it very well. If insulated with straw bales, would it stay cool enough? We are in central Missouri and our winters can be really mild, pretty cold or anything in between. Some winters alternate warm and cold. Advice from those who have done it would be very much appreciated. Thanks

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), March 27, 2000

Answers

I would be more worried about things freezing in it in the winter than about items staying cool enough. Hope that someone can give you first hand experience.

-- greenbeanman (greenbeanman@ourtownusa.net), March 27, 2000.

I don't know about a root celler but I may a real nice smoker out of an old upright freezer.

-- Mark D. Williams (deadgoatman@webtv.net), March 27, 2000.

Marilyn, Mine is in it's third year. Only about 3/4 in the ground. I didn't know if it would work right or not here in Southern Ohio (Vinton county). So I put a thermometer in it the first winter. The thermometer read 36 degrees on the coldest mourning of the year. If I remember right it was about -18 degrees. So they work. I did remove the motor, tubing and wiring before I put it into the ground...ED

-- ED COPP (edcopp@yahoo.com), April 08, 2000.

People use barrels set in the ground for root cellars, and they don't have any insulation at all, while a freezer has lots. If you can't set it in the ground because of the water table, mound dirt up around it. Then put the deep layer of straw over the top and something over the straw to keep water out and keep the straw from blowing away. It ought to work just fine.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 12, 2000.