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Types of Freezers and Freezer Care Tips

Description: Comparisons of different kinds of freezers and how to care for and clean them.

Freezers are electronic devices where food is stored and frozen for a long time. There are various types and sizes of freezers, with the standard one having a capacity of storing up to 35lbs of frozen food. Basically there are three types of freezers - the chest type, the upright type and the refrigerator-freezer combinations. The refrigerator freezer combinations and upright freezers are most cost efficient as they have manual defrost functions. The chest type does not have frost-free or manual frost types but the advantage is that the frost builds up quite slowly in these freezers.

The upright freezers look similar to the general home refrigerators. They may have more than one door and about 3-7 shelves to store the food. They require less of space to stand and so are mostly preferred. In this type, however, cold air escapes much more than any other type, every time the door is opened.

The chest freezers require more space to stand but are comparatively cost effective and economical than the others. They lose less of cold air from inside, every time they are opened. The third type is the Refrigerator-Freezer combinations. This is a single device with different spaces for both freezer and fridge. The freezer is usually above with less or equal space as the fridge.

There are various things to be taken into considerations, when maintaining the freezers. They have to be taken care of properly. It should be kept in a cool and dry place which is quite comfortable and easy to access. The freezer should never be kept very close to the wall, as space should be given for air circulation and for cleaning.

Manual defrost freezers need defrosting once a year or when the ice has reached one fourth inch high, whichever is earlier. If the frost is accumulated, this increases the power consumption and also reduces the storage space. When the food to be stored is less, defrosting can be done; this usually takes about an hour to two to finish. The freezer should be disconnected from electricity connections, before cleaning. Then the cleaning should be done quickly, as per the manual. Care should be taken to ensure that the freezer is cool before restarting it. It is mostly better to allow the freezer to take its own time to defrost.

Some freezers have trays to collect the defrost water, else, thick towels should be placed to absorb all of the water. Once the interiors have been defrosted completely, it can be sponged and then the freezer can be restarted. A frost-free freezer, on the other hand, does not require defrosting. However, it should be cleaned often so as to remove any odour or dirt from the freezer interiors. Odours are not good to remain in close areas like a freezer, as they might even start shadowing on the other food materials. The freezer should be cleaner thoroughly with baking soda and vinegar.

If the odour still persists, then an activated charcoal can be placed inside the freezer and the doors closed for sometime. This is quite effective as the charcoal absorbs the entire bad odour.

Care has to be taken about freezers, just like how each electronic device demands attention. They have to be cleaned often and defrosted when ever required, in order to maintain the freshness and longevity of the device.

Visit Freezer Guide website for Electrolux and Chest Freezer Reviews.