Now more than ever people are obsessed with freezer meal prep. But, how do you keep your freezer running strong year after year to receive all those wonderful meals you’re creating.
Here’s a guide to freezer maintenance from Gulf Coast Appliance Repair.
1. Do a Full Cleanout of The Interior of Your Freezer At Least Twice a Year
Everyone knows that freezers have a tendency to become black holes. All of a sudden there is mystery meat from three Thanksgivings ago in the back.
At least twice a year, you’ll want to get everything out of your freezer and give it a thorough cleaning. This will do two things, it helps you get rid of unrecognizable food in your freezer and it allows you to organize everything in a clean space to make it more usable.
You don’t have to unplug the machine. Pull everything out of the freezer, throw out unlabeled packages you don’t recognize and the Hungry Man frozen dinner than expired last year. Then get to scrubbing.
Using a cloth, wipe out the whole freezer with warm water mixed with dish soap. This is gentle and the warm water will help you get rid of any buildup of ice hanging around. You’ll also want to give the freezer seal a good cleaning.
A good tip for cleaning the seal is to wrap your cloth around a credit card or other plastic card. Then it will be easier to glide the cloth through all the grooves in the seal and get the gunk out of there that somehow accumulates.
2. Vacuum Your Condenser Coils At Least Once a Year
Your freezer, like any other electronic appliance, has an engine. In order for that engine to keep on keeping on, you have to clean it periodically.
You’ll want to move the unit so you can see the coils in the back. Some freezers have coils in the front. To access those you’ll need to snap off the lower grill on the appliance. Most units house these in the back.
Once you can see the coils you’re good to go. Unplug your freezer and vacuum out the coils and their housing with the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. While you’re here make sure your clearances are good.
Your unit should be three inches away from the walls on the sides of the unit and one inch away from the back wall.
3. Maintain Proper Temperature Control to Avoid Overworking The Appliance
Your freezer’s ideal temperature is zero degrees Fahrenheit.
But, how do you check the temperature? A good experiment to see how cold your freezer is running is to take a cup and fill it with some vegetable oil. Take a submersible thermometer and put it inside the vegetable oil. Place the cup in the freezer and leave it overnight.
In the morning check the thermometer and you’ll have an accurate temperature of the inside of your freezer. If the freezer is warmer than 0 you can lower the setting on the unit and then test again the next night.
If it still isn’t colder you’ll want to check for escaping air. If the seal isn’t tight, your freezer won’t be able to maintain the proper temperature. To check the seal place a dollar bill in between the door and the unit. Close the freezer door and attempt to pull the dollar out.
A tight seal will give you resistance when you pull out the dollar. If it’s not tight it will be simple to take the dollar out or it may not hold it at all.
Another tip on keeping the correct temperature in your freezer is to keep it full and avoid placing it in direct sunlight, next to a stove, or next to a dishwasher. The freezer is most efficient when it’s well-stocked and kept away from any outside heat source.
Still Having Problems With Your Freezer? Call Gulf Coast Appliance Repair for Professional Freezer Maintenance
Have you gone through all the maintenance recommendations but your freezer still isn’t as cold as you’d like it to be?
As the number one appliance repair company in Pinellas County, we know a thing or two about freezer maintenance.
Contact us now and we will be happy to come to take a look at it for you and get your freezer ready for the next batch cooking session.
