Old freezer how to bury

old · Jan 7, 2013

Well since my old freezer died on me this fall I am thinking about digging a hole to bury it so I can use it for a small root cellar. But how do you do so in such a way that it does not fill with water and also be able to get into it easy??
Thanks

Greg K · Jan 7, 2013

First dig a 8' x 8' x 8' hole. Next mpur some 8" thick concrete walls and a 4" floor. Leave an opening about 48" wide for an extra wide door. Now with plenty of support pour a 6" well reinforced lid on it. Now cover with dirt. Finally move the freezer down into it and VOILA! no moisture problems and easily accessible.

If I was just using the freezer I would dig it into a embankment so it is above ground level to solve the moisture problem. You would still have to leave the front open to the elements so it probably would not work well.

GeneMO · Jan 7, 2013

Rich, I would say to do it right you would almost have to have the hole so it would drain, either a pipe or drain tube. Or maybe like a walk out basement and leave one end open on the downhill side. But then you would need to insulate that open side.

I have heard the old timers talk about punching holes in the bottom, but thenyou would think bugs would get in.

If you left the lip above ground level, and kept it sealed, water couldn't get into it. But then would you need to cover the lid with straw bales or something in winter to prevent freezing, and summer to prevent "cooking"

Obviously I dont have all the answers.

Came through Camdenton yesterday from a Baptism that was held at Richland. All the new highways had me so turned around. Nothing looked right.

Gene

Glen SW Wi · Jan 7, 2013

Whatever you do. Destroy the latch or put a lock on it so kids can't get in. Has to be fixed so if they get in they can get out.

Craig2 · Jan 7, 2013

(quoted from post at 03:00:49 01/08/13) Rich, I would say to do it right you would almost have to have the hole so it would drain, either a pipe or drain tube. Or maybe like a walk out basement and leave one end open on the downhill side. But then you would need to insulate that open side.

I have heard the old timers talk about punching holes in the bottom, but thenyou would think bugs would get in.

If you left the lip above ground level, and kept it sealed, water couldn't get into it. But then would you need to cover the lid with straw bales or something in winter to prevent freezing, and summer to prevent "cooking"

Obviously I dont have all the answers.

Came through Camdenton yesterday from a Baptism that was held at Richland. All the new highways had me so turned around. Nothing looked right.

Gene

dont know what is wrong with mine. Maybe a bad seal? But it condensated real bad and ruined all my taters.

old · Jan 7, 2013

No latch on it. So if you got in you can get back out just by pushing up on the lid

old · Jan 7, 2013

So your saying you where with in 3 miles of my place then but just got lost even trying to go from point A to point B. Yep they sure did mess things up around here. If you want to go to Osage Beach now days you best have a map and a tour guide so you can find out which way to go and where to find any thing. A number of businesses closed down due to how mess up hwy 54 is now

old · Jan 7, 2013

Shoot if I was going to pour concrete walls around it I would just do the concrete and not worry about the freezer in the first place.

rustred · Jan 7, 2013

would have to find a water proof container like plastic or something to set it in. or build a wooden box and water proof it... tar or ?. or build a metal box for it.

Greg1959 · Jan 7, 2013

Best bet would be to dig a root cellar in a bank or hillside and cover with dirt. Those fridges have insulation and sometimes that is not good...seems to keep the heat in. After you punch holes in the walls they will draw moisture from the surrounding soil and collect in the buried fridge. Thus causing rotting taters. Airtight seal= no moisture has a way to escape.

Scrap the fridge and dig out a root cellar.

Greg1959 · Jan 7, 2013

(quoted from post at 02:54:44 01/08/13) Well since my old freezer died on me this fall I am thinking about digging a hole to bury it so I can use it for a small root cellar. But how do you do so in such a way that it does not fill with water and also be able to get into it easy??
Thanks

Here is a idea...

And pic of cover...

Janicholson · Jan 7, 2013

Get a 12X12 scrap of 60mill EPDM roofing. Make the hole for the freezer and line it with the EPDM. Put in the freezer and fold the EPDM over the door. Cover with about a foot of dirt, or use a pallet or two to space the top and cover with less dirt. Jim

ShadetreeRet · Jan 7, 2013

Old, I believe that was the point Greg was trying to make anyway. Just dig yourself a root cellar, then move the old refrigerator to the shop, lay it on it's back and stop up any drain holes. Makes one heck of an ice chest! Seriously, we used to take the small dorm refrigerators with bad compressors, remove the compressor and lay the box on its back, and use them for ice chests. Keeps beer cold for days!

old · Jan 7, 2013

Well this is sort of funny. A number of years ago some one in this very site said something about taking an old freezer and putting it in the ground to do this and now that I ask about ti I get all sorts of answers that say other wise so guess I will just have this poofed

old · Jan 7, 2013

Finally some one who seems to understand this and has at least heard of it being done and has maybe even heard it said on this site.
I was thinking about using some of the old dock foam I have over the top that way it is well insulated and yet easy to get into

Janicholson · Jan 7, 2013

Very good idea, and it allows you to open it with less fuss. Do it. I believe in the foundation of making things out of other things (even if they seem not to fit a polished point of view!!) Jim

Brad Buchanan · Jan 7, 2013

Aha Rich. YOU are the Poofmaster!

Brad

old · Jan 7, 2013

Yep learned years ago to recycle as much as I can and not just by taking it to some place o have it melted down or other such thing but recycle it in away that it is used for something worth while. That is why most of my buildings are made from mobile home frames and old dock section bar joists and other such scrap iron I have picked up along the way

JMS/.MN · Jan 7, 2013

Memory says you have a backhoe......just bury it and run some 4 inch tile downhill?

old · Jan 7, 2013

Yep back hoe dozier a few loaders and all. I have a good hill behind the house that has a lot of rocks to it so may just dig in till I hit bed rock and cover it that way and drainage should not be much problem. Sure wish the person that talked about doing this a few years back would chime in

El Toro · Jan 8, 2013

I had an old upright freezer buried in my back yard for keeping potatoes. It got very cold back in the 1990's down to -17°F and the spuds never froze. You could put stone under the freezer for drainage. My basement is too warm
for keeping them. Hal

Traditional Farmer · Jan 8, 2013

I'd dig a hole into the North side of a hill and put 4" drain tiles and about a foot of #5 gravel
then fill it all in leaving the top about 4" above ground.A piece of ply wood over top it would help it from getting too cold or too hot.

showcrop · Jan 8, 2013

You just have to look at it like putting in a leach field and staying above mean high water. Since you have your own hoe you must know how to do that don't you? So you dig down to mean high water, set your freezer, fill in around it, place your foam board over it.

Old freezer how to bury

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