How Often Should I Defrost My Deep Freezer?

If you have a big family or cook all the time, then there is a good chance you have a deep freezer in your home. These grand appliances are a great investment for those who want to keep fresh groceries safe to eat for many months. While these large freezers can keep your food fresh for many months, they also need a bit of maintenance, including occasional defrosting.

You should defrost a freezer at least once per year. If you have a lot of ice crystals or a sheet of ice along the freezer’s walls, then you should defrost it. Defrost and clean out your freezer after a long power outage, or if the fan is blocked. The age, quality, and location of the freezer can all impact how frequently you should defrost it.

It can be easy to forget about the contents inside a deep freezer, but you shouldn’t forget about giving it a little love and maintenance from time to time. These appliances are not cheap, and can sometimes cost more than $1,000. Sticking to a regular maintenance and defrosting schedule is a great way to ensure your deep freezer lasts a very long time.

How Often Should You Defrost Your Deep Freezer, And Why?

Generally speaking, you should perform a complete defrost of your freezer at least once per year. This will ensure that any ice buildup along the walls and near important hardware melts away. It ensures your freezer isn’t filled with ice, and it will help ensure it isn’t working harder (or using more electricity) than necessary.

There are, however, several factors that impact how often you should defrost your deep freezer. For example, some freezers are smart and can defrost on their own, and others have variables that require you to defrost them more frequently.

Five Factors That Impact How Often You Must Defrost A Freezer

1. Where You Store Your Freezer

The location of your freezer can have an impact on how often it must be defrosted. Mainly, freezers in climate-controlled environments (inside the home) tend to need less defrosting than those located outside the home.

If you store your freezer in a hot and humid garage, for example, then more heat and humidity will enter into the freezer each time you open it. This will cause more crystallization. In turn, ice walls will build up faster. Consider this when you decide where to place your deep freezer.

2. How Often You Open It

One major factor that impacts how often you must defrost a deep freezer is how frequently you open it. As a general rule of thumb, the more often you leave a freezer open, the more often it will need to be defrosted.

If, for example, a freezer is left open by mistake overnight, it could require an immediate defrost, as ice can quickly build close to the fan and other important hardware.

3. If Items Spill Inside The Freezer

If you have a spill or two inside your freezer, then you will need to defrost it. You don’t want to let spilled items freeze over and stay frozen. This can cause other frozen items to stick together. It is also unsightly and unsanitary.

Make sure you are careful when you stack items in a deep freezer. You should also ensure you properly pack leftovers for later use.

4. Power Outages

If you live in an area that suffers from frequent and prolonged power outages, then you may need to defrost your freezer more frequently. When you lose power, frost will turn to water, and the condensation all gathers in one place. Later, once your power turns back on, a large pool of ice forms. 

Check the contents in your deep freezer after a power outage. Make sure it stays at a safe temperature, and see if there is any ice buildup in the bottom of your deep freezer.

5. The Age And Quality Of The Freezer

Lastly, the age and quality of your appliance can impact how often you need to defrost a deep freezer. An old freezer may not seal as well as a new one. Therefore, humidity and outside air can sneak in. This causes frost to build up in the freezer. 

Newer high-quality freezers can sometimes self-defrost. This means you may not need to defrost a modern deep freezer as often as an older one.

Five Simple Steps To Defrost A Deep Freezer

Step One: Remove Everything From The Freezer And Store It 

This first step in defrosting a deep freezer is to ensure the contents of your freezer remain safe. It is a good idea to use coolers filled with ice, and put all perishable products like meat and dairy, in these coolers. This way, these items will stay frozen and safe during the defrosting process.

Step Two: Prepare Cleaning Materials And Bucket For Water

Defrosting a deep freezer can be a messy process. Once the freezer completely defrosts, you are left with dirty water. Prepare a sponge or rag that can absorb lots of water. Also, have products to clean the inside, and a bucket for all the extra water.

Step Three: Turn Off The Freezer And Wait

Once you are ready, empty the freezer and unplug it. A freezer can take anywhere between two and 24 hours to fully defrost. Leave the freezer door open, and point a fan inside the freezer to improve air circulation and speed up the process.

Step Four: Remove Water And Clean Freezer

Use your sponge, rag, and bucket to remove all the water from your freezer. Once the water is gone, make sure you clean the surfaces with a disinfectant. Finally, wipe the freezer with a clean dry rag until no moisture remains.

Step Five: Turn The Freezer Back On And Load Items

Lastly, turn your freezer back on. Once it is at a safe temperature (freezing or below) you can add your food back. Use this as an opportunity to organize your freezer, and dispose of anything that has been in the freezer for too long.

Warning Signs That It’s Time To Defrost Your Deep Freezer

While the one-year mark is a good rule of thumb for defrosting a deep freezer, there are also some warning signs you should look for. If you notice any of the issues listed below, it is time to unplug your freezer and let it defrost.

• There Are Ice Crystals Everywhere: One red flag to look out for is ice crystals and frost on your containers. If you can’t make out what any of the food items are in your fridge due to frost and ice crystals, then it’s time to defrost your deep freezer.
• You Lost Power And Everything Melted: If you lost power for a very long time, then you might need to defrost your freezer. This is particularly true if you did not empty and clean the deep freezer during the power outage.
• There Is A Thick Layer Of Ice: If you notice a thick layer of ice along a wall of the freezer, then you should defrost it. Any layer of ice thicker than .25 inches is a sign that it’s time to defrost your deep freezer.
• The Fan Is Blocked: If the fan is blocked, then there will be a temperature variance within your freezer, and ice will likely form quickly near the fan.
• It Is Not As Cold As It Should Be: If your freezer is not freezing, several things could be wrong. The first step to diagnosing the problem is often allowing the freezer to defrost, and then restarting it.
• You Haven’t Defrosted It In More Than One A Year: Freezers should be defrosted about once a year. If it has been a lot longer than that since you defrosted yours, then it might be time.

Wrapping Up How Often You Should Defrost A Deep Freezer

A deep freezer is a great appliance to have in your home if you do a lot of cooking. These large freezers, however, are not cheap. Therefore you must maintain your deep freezer by defrosting it regularly. You should generally plan to defrost a deep freezer at least once per year. If you have frequent power outages, store the freezer in a humid location, have an old freezer, or notice frequent ice buildup, you may need to defrost it more frequently.

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• How Long Can A Deep Freezer Go Without Power
• How Long Until Food Goes Bad In The Freezer?
• Can You Put A Deep Freezer In An Apartment? (Find Out Now!)