Unheated garage gameroom?

zookeeper

New member
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
287
Reaction score
7
Location
Zumbrota, Minnesota
I'm considering setting up my games in an unheated garage. I live in Minnesota (where it gets real cold during the winter). Anyone else used an unheated garage for their games? Thanks!
 
I had put them in the garage but I like to try and get them in the basement before the snow flies!
 
I started my routes out of an unheated garage. Sucked to work on games in the dead of winter and i'd recommend wiping some thin oil on all exposed metal to delay rusting, but i never had any serious problems.
 
If you have any pinballs with backglasses, I would recommend that you take the backglasses inside for the winter. Heat and cold changes WILL make the paint flake off the back.

Other than that, I couldn't see an issue with it. Cars have electronics in them and they are fine all winter, so I can't see how an arcade game would differ. I wouldn't play them at all during the winter if they are in the garage, though... Condensation in the wrong area would NOT be fun! Lol!

Bill
 
Last edited:
I have 5 games in my unheated garage and play them sparingly over the winter. You'll be cold, but you won't have any problems with the games.
 
If you have any way to get heat to the garage from the house, then anything will help. Even just setting a space heater designed for an unattended garage to low will also help. For the most parts, the electronics will appreciate you keep them above freezing.

Scott C.
 
If your gonna play the games in the winter, won't the heat of the games transistors and caps create condensation in the cold? I would think that type of liquid could reek havoc on boards and such.

I was told about the glass and paint last year. So I stored my Joust & Robotron glass in the house all winter. It got down to 19 here, the only year I have had games in my garage.

My pinballs live in the house so they were ok. :D
 
Once it starts getting in the low 50s and 40s when I wont be out in the garage much, I pull the printed glass off all the games and take it inside. Other than that, I have never had a problem, and we got into the single digit temps last year.
 
My arcade is the attached garage. I'm in upstate NY so it's cold here too. Buy a ventless propane heater, they're cheap and I can roast the garage out!
 
If your gonna play the games in the winter, won't the heat of the games transistors and caps create condensation in the cold?

Actually... exactly the opposite. Heat keeps the condensation away. When you breathe hot breath on a cold window that causes condensation because you're breathing warm humid air onto a cold surface (it condenses on the cold surface)... but take cold air and heat it up... you won't get condensation. When it cools down, as long as you haven't added humidity, it won't condense then either. There could be condensation before you turn the game on though... especially if it was warmer and more humid during the day, and you turn it on as it's getting colder.

Mostly, I'd worry about paint flaking on glass bezels, backglasses, etc. though.

DogP
 
I don't understand. What is this "cold" you guys keep mentioning?

Careful, everyone gave me sh*t last year for asking the cold garage question since I live in Dallas. Last year we dipped down to 19 degrees!

This year it could come down Austin way... I doubt it, but it could. :D
 
Bah. It gets in the 20s down here every once in a while, and I remember a zero way back in 89 (I think). But I know enough about games not to worry about it. I wouldn't be worried about my games in the cold, because I wouldn't be out in the cold playing them...
 
I have stored and occasionally tested games in my garage (I live in MN) I don't think I would recommend playing them very long in the dead of winter though, it gets pretty freakin' cold here.
 
Back
Top Bottom