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right metal thickness for refrigerator defrost/cold diverter pan?

jml74

Plastic
Joined
Oct 18, 2017
I have an old fridge in the garage that is missing the pan that sits under the freezer to deflect cold air away from the refrigerator section and also catches water if the freezer happens to start defrosting (it's the piece with the Kelvinator logo in the attached picture). They're pretty impossible to find, so I thought I might just bend one up and weld it. What's the ideal thickness? I was thinking 18ga steel, but I'm wondering if that might be overkill. Would 20ga be rigid enough to keep from bowing, even if it got water in it?

1947 Kelvinator - Hollifield5.jpg
 
I would think anything inside the reefer would be either aluminum or stainless and probably not stainless. Everything in my fridge is plastic. No clue on the gauge though.

Stuart
 
It is cheaper to buy a new fridge rather then continue to use a perfectly good one that is ten years old. You will pay for the new one in under ten years with reduced electrical bills.
Bil lD
 
Nice fridge!

I would think 18 gauge is more than sufficient, particularly if you hem the edges. I have a similar vintage GE in my garage and they weren't shy with the steel in its construction.

The really old fridges actually aren't that terrible on electricity usage. Not as good as a modern one, but nowhere near as bad as the early frost free units.
 
It is cheaper to buy a new fridge rather then continue to use a perfectly good one that is ten years old. You will pay for the new one in under ten years with reduced electrical bills.
Bil lD

When I say old, I mean 1947 old. It draws very little power, plus it's cool (in more ways than one). I shouldn't need to say it on this forum, but stuff back then was built to last.
 
I would personally think you could buy a turkey roasting pan or one of those throw away lasagna pans and you would be fine. Cut it down with shears if it is too tall. I think you are heading into the overkill zone on this one.
 
Twer it me I'd use .062 aluminum. Way nice reefer,BTW. I use a 1932 GE Monitor top to keep my beer cold..........Bob
 
.. sits under the freezer to deflect cold air away from the refrigerator section and also catches water if the freezer happens to start defrosting

How often has it done the water-thingie, and what was the cost of stuff it ruined when t did?

IOW.. why not an ignorant store-bought cookie-sheet to just deal with the airflow and take a chance a pre-frost-free 'fridge just ain't gonna be a problem often enough to care on a power-outage defrost?
 








 
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