Fridge freezers are an integral part of our kitchen. Without one, you are severely limiting the food options available to your household, resulting in you spending an absolute fortune on food that goes off quickly. Even worse is when you have filled the freezer with hundreds of pounds of food, come home from a day at work to find it has packed up, spoiling all of the food.
The problem is that many of us do not have a spare few hundred quid lying about to replace this rather essential piece of equipment at the drop of a hat.
Because of this, it is really important to look after your fridge freezer and maintain it properly, to keep it working for as long as possible. If maintained efficiently, your appliance could last you up to ten years, saving you a massive wad of cash in replacing it every couple of years. Here, we a few some tips to help you keep your fridge freezer in tip-top condition:
Stock It Correctly
It sounds strange, but the more food in a freezer, the more efficiently it will work. This is because it will retain the colder air more efficiently. Every time you open the door of the freezer, you are exposing it to warmer air, so it makes sense that filling it up will leave less empty space for this blast of heat.
The crazy thing is that when it comes to the refrigerator section of your appliance, having too much in there can actually be a bad thing. This is because if it is overcrowded, it is much more difficult for the cold air to circulate and increases the risk of pockets of heat forming.
Stocking the separate parts of your fridge freezer accordingly will make it much easier for the machine to run and reduce the risk of any issues occurring. Click here for more home refrigeration guide.
Defrost Your Freezer
To make sure that your freezer is working to its full potential, you need to be defrosting it reasonably regularly. As a general rule of thumb, this should be every four to six months, or earlier if you begin to see a thick layer of ice developing inside. Not only will it keep your freezer functioning at it is very best, but it will give you a lot more space in there for the food.
The best ways to defrost your freezer without causing any damage is to either use a hairdryer on a low heat or a pot of boiling water to melt the ice away. It will take a little longer than chiseling it off, but will protect the walls of your appliance from being damaged.
Keep It Clean
An obvious one, but so important that it does need pointing out. Not only do spills and leakages from food packets and jars create a hygiene hazard and create some rather unpleasant odors, but cleaning it out regularly will help to prevent condensation from happening.
Check The Seals On The Doors
Every so often, you will need to check the seals on the doors of your fridge freezer to make sure they are intact and clean. If they are showing any signs of wear, or have rips or tears, it increases the likelihood of heat getting in, which makes the fridge freezer work much harder to be efficient and stay at the right temperature. In turn, this would shorten the lifespan of your appliance, and will also increase your energy bills. If the seals are damaged, they would need to be replaced or repaired by someone who knows what they are doing to avoid any more damage.
It is also important not to open the doors or hold them open them any more or any longer than strictly necessary, for the obvious reasons!
Think About Where You Put Your Fridge Freezer
Many of us have little choice about where we put our fridge freezer. There may be one space big enough in the kitchen for it to go, and it has to go in there regardless of whether it is the best place for it. However, if you do have the option, try and keep it away from radiators, cookers, and any other sources of heat in the kitchen. This will stop the temperature from being interfered with and, as we mentioned above, extend the lifespan of your appliance.
Avoiding any of the mistakes listed here, and putting a little time into maintaining your fridge freezer can go a long way in saving you money and preventing the hassle of replacing it.
