IN THIS POST:
– Cleaning
– Defrosting
– General Maintenance
Most Pakistani homes are equipped with a freezer or deep freezer of some kind to help them preserve their frozen goods round the year. But one time of the year when this appliance takes on the centre stage is Bakra Eid or Eid-ul-Adha when you’ll not only be storing your Qurbani in the freezer but will also be asked by neighbours and relatives to store theirs if you have some space available. Our freezer maintenance tips will help you keep your appliance in top working condition, Irrespective of when you decide to take time out of your schedule for its upkeep during the year.
Best Freezer Maintenance Tips
Whether you buy food in bulk like most homes and need to keep it frozen to preserve their goodness for longer, or whether you need to clean and defrost the deep freezer before Eid to store all the extra meat, we’ve got you covered. Our deep freezer maintenance tips will focus on the following three aspects:
- Cleaning
- Defrosting
- General Maintenance
Let’s discuss these tips to maintain your deep freezer in detail below.
Cleaning
Cleaning the deep freezer does not only mean cleaning the condenser coils, but also the interior of the unit. For this, follow the steps given below:
Empty Out the Freezer
The first step to cleaning your freezer is to empty it. Turn off the unit and remove all the items from the unit. If you have items that will spoil quickly, place them in your refrigerator’s freezer for a short while or place them on bags of ice to prevent them from going bad too quickly.
Take Inventory of the Goods
Once you have taken all the food out of the unit, take an inventory of what you have and what you want to keep. You may discover frozen food that slid to the bottom of the freezer at some point in time and went unnoticed and has now gone past its expiry date. Discard all such items.
Defrost as Needed
Defrosting is a large part of cleaning the freezer, especially if you have high walls of frost and ice on the sides that are making it difficult to even close the lid. We’ll cover the defrosting method below in detail.
Clean the Interior
Once the unit is defrosted and drained, use a clean rag to wipe the interior completely. You may also consider pouring a few buckets of water into the unit to clean the walls, draining out the water every time.
Restock the Unit
Once the interior is clean to your satisfaction, turn on the deep freezer and close the door so that the interior begins cooling once more. Restock all of the food back into the deep freezer after about 15 to 30 minutes.
Defrosting
During the cleaning process, once you have turned off the unit and removed all the food, here’s how to defrost your deep freezer:
- Open the door of the freezer, letting the cold air escape.
- Open up the drainpipe of the unit.
- Let the ice melt naturally. You may use a scraper, but it is not recommended.
- Wait until all the water has drained away before cleaning the interior.
General Maintenance
General maintenance of a deep freezer means maximising its efficiency by cleaning and defrosting it at least twice a year. Some other deep freezer maintenance tips include:
Placing the Freezer in the Right Area
Temperature changes in the surroundings of your freezer can make it work harder to keep your food cold and frozen. While extremely hot environments are never recommended, it is also ideal to avoid an overly cold part of the house or kitchen for deep freezer placement. The best location for your freezer is an area that stays at room temperature around the year.
Moreover, the condenser coils in your deep freezer will give off heat, so it is necessary to avoid placing the unit directly along a wall. Avoid blocking the grill that contains the condenser coils with a wall or other obstructions, and leave plenty of space around the unit for it to emit heat without damaging its surroundings.
Cleaning the Condenser Coils
Condenser coils are covered with a grill, which means that dust and dirt will continue to collect in the space around the coils if you do not clean it regularly. Use a vacuum to suck out the dust and dirt at least twice a year, maybe even more if your unit is placed in a windy spot where it’s gathering more dust than usual.
If you don’t own a vacuum cleaner, you can open up the grill after turning off the deep freezer and use small brushes and brooms to sweep the dust away and collect it in a dustpan before wiping the individual parts and coils with a clean rag. Make sure the unit has had sufficient time to cool down after turning it off before you touch the coils to avoid getting burnt.
Inspecting the Gasket for Leaks
A gasket is placed around the door of your freezer to create an airtight seal. However, this gasket may become worn or torn over time with use, resulting in leaks. A leaking gasket means a poorly functioning appliance as the cool air is escaping out into the surroundings. A gasket might not just have holes in it. Usually made of rubber, the gasket also becomes loose with use, hanging around the door rather than fitting snugly into place.
Ultimately, a leaking or loose gasket will not allow your unit to perform to its optimum capacity. Your deep freezer will also consume more energy to keep your food frozen, resulting in higher utility bills. Detect the wear and tear timely and get your gasket replaced as soon as possible to maintain the performance of your freezer. You should also clean the gasket from time to time with a wet rag to prevent the collection of dirt and debris.
Keeping the Freezer Stocked
The best way to maintain the performance of your freezer is to keep it stocked up to its limits. A freezer that stores only the bare minimum number of items will never provide sufficient cooling. At least half of your freezer should be full at all times. This keeps the internal temperature stable and results in less energy consumption.
Be careful when you are buying a deep freezer and ensure that you get one that is of the size that you need so that you will not face a problem in stocking it partially round the year for optimum functionality. If you still do not have enough items to store, consider stocking up on bags of ice cubes, bottles of cold drinks, and other frozen goods that might be used to entertain guests at any point in time. They’ll come in handy when you have guests visiting your home without prior notice while also keeping your freezer running at its best.
Use these freezer maintenance tips to keep your deep freezer unit running at its best. Don’t forget to clean it out before Eid-ul-Adha or before a big party, so you can store food in it reliably without worrying about it getting spoiled.
Stay tuned to Zameen Blog for more tips and tricks. Send us your comments at blog@zameen.com. We love hearing from our readers!
