Fall is the season to defrost your freezer

Of all the appliances in your house, your deep freezer might be the least demanding. But don’t ignore it altogether. For all the valuable service it gives you, it’s good to give it a little attention.

And since fall is on the horizon with the opportunity to do a garden clear-out or a big shop at the farmers’ markets for the last of summer’s bounty, it’s the perfect time to prep the freezer to hang on to some of that homegrown goodness.

With maintenance, the first question is: Does it need a defrost?

Dan Muller, manager at Ron’s Appliance Service, said both chests and upright types can benefit from defrosting about every six months or when you see about 1/4 inch of frost, especially if buildup is affecting door closure.

“If you see rapid frost buildup, it points to an issue, possibly a door seal,” Muller said.

He said to check the door hinges and gaskets for debris or defects. Wipe them clean and make sure the door closes properly. Gaskets can be expensive to replace and sometimes difficult to obtain, so keep them and other places where stickiness builds up wiped clean.

Once you’ve checked the door gaskets, you can do a manual defrost and start it up again. If things return to normal function, you’re done. If the problem persists, Muller said it’s time to call a technician. Continued buildup might be a problem with the cooling system or the automatic defrost system. Ice should not be on the floor of the freezer. It could suggest a plugged defrost drain.

To prevent drain blockage, keep the freezer floor clean and immediately clear out any liquids, crumbs, vegetables or other food that can spill from containers.

Before you start a defrost, have a plan to keep your food cold. Move food to another freezer or load coolers with ice. Have large towels ready to soak up any water that might end up on the floor, under the freezer or in the bottom of the freezer.

“Generally, leaving the unit off and the door open for a day is sufficient,” Muller said.

“You could choose to speed up the process, but care should be taken.”

Resist the temptation to hack away at frost. The interior can be easily damaged, and it takes only one slip to punch a hole in the interior wall.

“When technicians manually defrost appliances, we prefer to use a handheld steamer,” Muller said.

“Using a steamer involves some care. However, the balance of performance and safety is preferred over hair dryers and heat guns.”

Muller is referring to a multi-purpose handheld steamer available from hardware stores for around $50. He said it’s a worthwhile investment.

For draining water, some models have a drain port at the bottom.

“If you are using the drain port you could use a sheet pan to catch the water. But take it slow because you can overfill a shallow pan,” he said.

Have a large bucket or dishpan at hand for tipping water out.

Muller said you can soak up water with towels or even carefully use a wet/dry shop vac to draw it out. He uses a large microfiber cloth, rinsing it with warm water and wringing it out.

Once drained, it’s time to clean the inside. Warm water with a bit of vinegar or baking soda, or even a few drops of dish soap, is all you need. Also check your owner’s manual to see what is suggested. Ensure the interior is thoroughly dried.

To clean a basic white exterior, Muller said the same gentle cleaning with no abrasives or scouring is fine.

“Stainless steel panels take special care. Any scratches left from vigorous cleaning tend to stand out. Also, many chemicals negatively react with the stainless steel and can remove some of its properties. If needed, there are some special cleaners and wipes and they’re available in stores,” Muller said.

Once cleaned and dried and the unit is turned back on, look over the food. Purge too-old or dodgy-looking items. Ensure packaging is properly labelled and dated to encourage timely use. Work gloves are helpful to wear when handling frozen foods.

Take time to organize as you return food to the freezer. Don’t fill beyond two-thirds to three-quarters full.

“The fuller freezer is more efficient. When you have more items in the freezer it minimizes the system runtime. It also retains the cold better if you were to have power outage,” Muller said.

“However, if it’s much more than three-quarters full you might reduce air circulation, especially in a frost-free unit.”

Muller also suggests grouping similar items together in bins or bags for easier access and to reduce time the door is open.

“As a servicer, I’ve seen large items like ice cream pails or pizza boxes accidentally hold the door open a little bit and go unnoticed,” he said.

“Close the door with care and make sure the seal is tight.”

If you keep your freezer in a garage or on a porch, Muller said to check your owner’s manual to ensure that the ambient temperature is meeting approved temperature conditions to prevent malfunction and spoiled food. And if you are away from home, plan to have someone check the freezer along with the rest of the house.

And finally, Muller said that there is plenty of good information online to help keep your freezer humming, but a qualified technician can always be of service.

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