I was going to order the Lec but thought to ask what would happen if the kitchen temperature fell below the 16 degree limit and the chap at Fields said the freezer would break at that point, not just temporarily cease to function perfectly and allow the contents to warm up a bit.
Blimey, what a frightening salesman.
I would have been delighted to have heard a detailed description of the internal damage the fridge/freezer mechanism would suffer if it got a bit chilly in the kitchen.
Actually, the motor might not run for the correct amount of time and because you're not using the motor, the contents of the freezer will not be kept at the normal -18ºC and might warm above that point while still remaining frozen.
If it got really cold outside - ie. lower than the temperature the fridge thermometer is set to, the motor might not run at all and over a few days, the freezer section would defrost.
Most fridge/freezer units have a keep cold time in the specifications which will tell you how long your food would remain safely frozen for in the event of a power cut. From memory, it's going to be in the region of six or more hours and it should say in the instructions. By that token, if it gets a bit cold in the kitchen overnight but is generally over 16ºC you'll likely be fine.
The only set of curcumstances that would concern me occur if you were away from home with the heating off during a cold spell for a prolonged time. In that instance, I'd be a bit concerned about food integrity but overall, I wouldn't worry too much.
To jump off topic for a moment, I used to sell white goods a couple of decades ago and while refridgeration equipment is generally very reliable, I don't recall ever having a problem with a LEC unit.
Regards,
B.