Using Your Freezer Correctly

You might be surprised to learn that a garage is not the best place to have a freezer. I can remember many people who had a large chest freezer working perfectly in the garage. With newer machines and higher quality freezers, they don’t perform at their best if they go below 10 degrees Celsius.

Where you place your freezer is now crucial if you are going to get the best performance from the appliance long-term. There are things that you must consider if you are looking after the health of your freezer and keeping it working effectively.

There are reasons why you can get an excessive build-up of ice in your freezer; by reducing this as much as possible, it will allow de-frosting to become less frequent.

External conditions of your freezer

Whilst you can control the temperature inside the freezer with the thermostat it is not as easy to control the outside conditions, but this can play an important part in the health of your freezer. High humidity and leaving the freezer in a position where the temperature can drop below 10 degrees Celsius can cause a build-up of ice on the inside, as well as opening the door too often. Keeping these factors to a minimum can reduce the amount of ice that builds up on the inside.

Built-up ice causes the motor to work harder and this can shorten the life of the freezer. However, some issues with appliances can cause the freezer to work harder than it needs, too.

If the door seals are leaking, they let in too much air and this can create excessive ice to build up. If you purchased an ice-free machine and you suddenly get a build-up of ice, this could be an indication that the compressor pump is not working effectively.

Knowing when to de-ice your freezer is important, because it is working harder and this does mean it is costing you more money with which you will need to run it.

There are some great tips that you might not think of and they can reduce the work you need to do.

• If de-frosting a freezer don’t use newspaper to soak up the spill, the ink will come out and you will have that to clean up too.
• Don’t use a knife to scrap off the ice, you can damage the freezer or yourself if the knife slips.
• Don’t allow the ice to build up and block any vents on the inside, this can make the freezer unsafe.
• The ideal temperature to set a freezer is -18 degrees Celsius, any higher than this, there is the possibility for bacteria growth.

Making the most of your freezer

There is little point having a freezer if you are only keeping it half filled; it will need to work harder than if filled to capacity, therefore making the energy consumption greater and the cost to you greater still.

Keeping a freezer stocked is not as expensive as you might think; if there is a time that any of my freezers seem that they are emptying quicker, a quick cooking session can return it to a more cost-effective level. A great stock-up option is bread and even though I make most of this at home, I never miss the opportunity for reduced bread in the supermarket. They are great for quick and easy toasties and it can save having too much bread out at once.