How to Defrost an Old Small Chest Freezer
Old small chest freezers usually do not have a built-in self-defrost. This means you must manually defrost the freezer chest at least once per year. If you allow excessive frost to build up inside the freezer you not only reduce the amount of usable space, you allow the frost to build up on essential components. The result could be a damaged evaporator core or even a damaged motor. Defrosting an old chest freezer should only take a few hours but could take longer depending on the amount of frost buildup. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Open the lid and remove all of the frozen items from the freezer. Place the items into a different freezer if possible. Otherwise, place them into a refrigerator. An alternative is to defrost your freezer during the winter months so you can set the frozen food outside in the cold.
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2
Disconnect the freezer from the electrical outlet to turn off the compressor. Open the lid to the freezer to allow warm air in.
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3
Locate the drain plug at the bottom of the freezer and attach a garden hose to it. Snake the garden hose into a drain or to the outside of the home. In some cases, your freezer will not have a drain plug or the drain plug could be frozen to the freezer. If this is the case, or you would rather not use the drain plug, move to the next step.
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4
Wait until the ice thaws out. If you use the drain plug, the water will simply drain out. If you do not use the drain plug, use a bucket to scoop the water out. Sop up remaining water you cannot get with a bucket with a sponge or bath towels.
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5
Clean the inside of the freezer with a clean rag and warm soapy water. Rinse the inside of the freezer clean with fresh water and then dry the inside of the freezer with a clean bath towel.
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6
Turn on the freezer and close the lid. Allow the freezer time to return to normal operating temperature before placing the food back into it.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not try to chip the ice off of the freezer using an ice pick or other sharp object. Doing so could damage the freezer.
