Care for your freezer
Freezers are one of the most reliable appliances and can last for up to 20 years. You will be very unlucky if it breaks down during your tenancy.
Most of the freezer faults which are reported are due to freezers not being defrosted or being over filled.
Here are some of the common problems with a freezer and what you should do:
If your freezer is not cold:
- check the door has been shut properly – close the door, leave for a few hours and see if it starts to freeze again
- check the internal temperature control switch hasn’t been accidentally moved to a low number
If the door doesn't shut tight:
- the seal around the door makes the unit airtight
- a build up of ice will prevent the seal fitting closely to the frame, this lets warm air in and makes even more ice
- over time this will warp the door and you could be charged for a new freezer
You must defrost the freezer at least once during your tenancy OR if the ice is more than 2cm thick:
- to defrost: turn freezer off and let the frost melt on its own, wipe up the water as it appears and taking care it doesn’t flood all over the floor
- to protect frozen food while defrosting, wrap in several layers of newspaper and keep in the fridge, they should remain frozen while you defrost the freezer
- for a list of foods and whether they can be safely refrozen see http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/frozen_food.html
We cannot check for faults if the freezer is full of ice. You must defrost it before calling us.
