As with anything, if you take good care of your freezer it will last longer. A freezer can represent a sizable investment, not just in the freezer itself but in the food inside of it. A chest or upright freezer typically lasts 12 years, sometimes more, so you’ll want to spend the time to maintain it and keep it in good working order to avoid needing to replace it before that amount of time has passed.
One of the most important freezer care tips is the placement of the freezer. Pay attention to where you’ll keep it and whether or not sunlight shines there from a window. If you put a freezer in a spot where the sun can shine directly on it through a window, that heat will cause the freezer to have to work harder, shortening its lifespan. It will also cost you more in electricity used to run the freezer because the compressor will kick on more often.
Be sure the freezer isn’t located close to any kind of a heat source that will warm the air and the freezer and cause the compressor to kick on more often. And be sure that there’s adequate room behind the freezer for good air circulation. Air circulation is crucial to its operation, so if it’s too close to a wall or anything’s blocking the air moving behind the freezer, it will have to work harder to keep food cold. If the condenser coils on your freezer are exposed, probably in the back, vacuum them regularly to make sure air can always circulate well around them.
If your freezer must be manually defrosted, do this regularly and don’t let ice build-up inside it. This lowers the freezer’s efficiency and makes it cost more to operate. And periodically check the seal around the freezer door. Any gaps or spots where it doesn’t seal tightly let in room temperature air which raises the temperature of the entire freezer, causing the compressor to kick on more often and work harder to keep the freezer cold.
Even if your freezer is frost-free, occasionally wipe out the inside with a mild solution of water and detergent, or water and vinegar, which ever you prefer. Wipe down the outside regularly to keep it clean. An opened box of baking soda can be added to the freezer and changed every year or so to absorb any food odors.
An important freezer care tip that often goes forgotten is the need to check freezers periodically just to make sure they’re running all right. If you don’t use your freezer daily or even every few days, get into the habit of checking the freezer every couple of days at least to make sure it’s still running and the food is frozen, to catch any potential problems quickly. If you don’t check and the freezer becomes unplugged or goes off for some reason you might not discover it until the food is spoiled, and in some cases, the freezer is ruined.
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