Yes, a commercial refrigerator will run in a house or a garage, but it is often a poor fit and it usually costs you the warranty. Most manufacturers cover commercial installations only, and a commercial unit is louder, gives off more heat and is built for a different kind of use than a home refrigerator.
What happens to the warranty
This is the first thing to check. The manufacturer terms listed on our warranty page say commercial installation only, and residential use voids coverage on most of the brands we carry. That applies to a kitchen, a basement and a garage alike. If you are buying for a home, ask us for the manufacturer’s warranty document for the exact model before you order, and read the section on where the unit may be installed.
Noise and heat
A commercial reach-in refrigerator is designed to pull the temperature back down quickly after the door has been opened over and over during a busy service. That takes a larger compressor and stronger fans than a home refrigerator uses. In a restaurant kitchen nobody notices the sound. In a quiet house you will hear it from the next room.
The heat the unit removes from the cabinet is released into the room around it. In an open commercial kitchen that heat is carried away by the ventilation. In a closed pantry or a small garage it stays, which makes the unit work harder. Follow the clearance figures in the manual for the model you buy and do not box the unit in.
Power
Read the nameplate or the spec sheet before you buy. It gives the voltage, the amp draw and the plug type. Many smaller commercial refrigerators plug into a standard outlet, but some larger units need a higher voltage or a plug that a house outlet does not accept. It is common practice to put a commercial refrigerator on its own circuit and to have an electrician confirm that the circuit can carry it. Do not run one from an extension cord.
The garage question
A garage adds one more problem: room temperature. Every refrigerator is designed to work within a range of surrounding temperatures, and the spec sheet or manual states the conditions the unit is built for. An unheated garage in winter or an uninsulated one in summer can fall outside that range. Outside it, the unit may run constantly, may not hold temperature, or may not cycle properly at all.
Garages are also dusty. Dust and lint collect on the condenser coil, and a blocked coil is one of the most common reasons a refrigerator stops cooling well. Plan on checking and cleaning the coil more often than you would in a kitchen. Garage floors usually slope toward the door, so level the unit when you set it in place so the doors close on their own and water drains where it should.
Size and delivery
Commercial reach-ins are deeper and taller than most home refrigerators and they are heavy. Measure every doorway, hallway and turn between the curb and the final spot before you order. Freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in our prices.
When it does make sense
There are good reasons to put commercial refrigeration somewhere other than a restaurant. Caterers and bakers working from a licensed home kitchen often need more cold storage than a home refrigerator gives, and the license may call for commercial equipment. Hunters, gardeners and large families buy chest freezers for bulk storage. Home bars use back bar coolers and glass door refrigerators for drinks. In each case the same checks apply: warranty terms, power, room temperature, noise and space. If the kitchen is licensed, your local health department has the final say on what equipment it must have.
What to buy
For general cold storage, look at reach-in refrigerators and reach-in freezers. Where space is tight, undercounter and worktop refrigerators fit under a counter. For drinks, glass door refrigerators let you see what is inside without opening the door. For bulk frozen storage, chest freezers hold the most for the floor space they use. Ask us for the warranty document and the spec sheet for any model before you order for a home.