A freezer is a common household appliance in many homes, serving the essential function of preserving our food, particularly meat. If you have noticed your freezer showing signs of frosting, you may wonder what causes this and if it poses a problem for the food stored inside.
Your freezer can be frosting up due to warm air gaining access to the freezer through worn or damaged door seals. The warm air condenses on the evaporator coils and freezes on the sides of the freezer and the stored food. This can compromise the efficiency of the freezer and affect the stored food.
[ez-toc]
Maintaining a freezer is an important aspect of preserving your food and preventing contamination by germs and bacteria. We will uncover the main reasons for frosting in your freezer and investigate if it indicates a problem and poses any hazard to your frozen food supply. Fortunately, we have some answers for you!
What Causes My Freezer To Frost Up?
Each of us has taken a food item out of the freezer and wondered why it is covered in snow? Sadly, that’s the first indication that your freezer has a problem. You might wonder what caused the problem and what you can do to resolve it.
Frost build-up can occur due to multiple reasons. Frost in your freezer is caused by the coils in your freezer being exposed to moisture. However, the most common cause of frost accumulation is caused by damaged or old door seals that are worn out.
These seals are also known as gaskets. The door seal of a freezer serves an essential function. It seals your freezer door to keep cold air in and block warm air from entering your appliance.
If your freezer’s door does not close properly due to damaged or old worn-out seals, food in the freezer will spoil, which can lead to unpleasant odors. Some freezers have frost prevention features. Despite that, frost build-up can still occur in your freezer. Certain freezers defrost automatically. However, it is still essential to monitor your freezer – just in case!
What Are The Consequences Of Frost Build Up?
Frost build-up has unpleasant consequences. It can cause unpleasant odors, loss of sufficient storage space, and when the frosting is severe, it will cause inadequate sealing of the freezer door.
Below you will find there is a list of common problems frost build-up can cause.
- Your food is being adversely affected when it is stored for a long time. The lengthy food storage leads to “frostbite” or “freezer burns.” The frost will “burn” your food which will affect its taste. It will appear watery and have no taste. In cases such as this, it will lead to food being discarded.
- When ice crystals form, it makes it difficult to access your food. These ice crystals make it hard to physically remove food from your freezer. You will notice that it is frozen over.
- Frost build-up can harm your freezer’s efficiency.
How To Avoid Frost Build Up In Your Freezer
Frost build-up can happen at any time during your freezer’s life cycle. Every person with a freezer has experienced frost build-up in their freezer. However, there are some ways to avoid frost build-up from happening. Maintaining your freezer is very important to prevent the latter from happening.
Fortunately, there are ways to avoid frost in your freezer. Below is a list of valuable tips on preventing frost build-up in your freezer.
- Make sure that you keep your freezer door closed. Opening and closing it too much will interfere with the freezer’s temperature. The constant change in temperature can cause frost build-up.
- Keep your freezer adequately organized. By keeping it organized, you will find the food you need faster and avoid lengthy exposure to warm air.
- Don’t store hot food in your freezer. Storing hot food will cause humidity. Instead, wait for food to cool down properly before putting it in your freezer.
- When storing food in your freezer, always use quality storage containers to minimize access to air. Proper storage will keep your food fresher for longer and avoid freezer “burn.”
- Make sure that your freezer maintains a consistent temperature. Temperature changes regularly will cause frost build-up.
Following the above tips will make it much easier when maintaining your freezer to avoid frost build-up and all the adverse effects it has on your freezer.
What Should My Freezer Temperature Be?
One of the ideal ways to avoid frost build-up is to monitor your freezer’s temperature. What should your freezer’s temperature be and why? Luckily, we have the answer for that!
The freezing temperature recommended by professionals for the safe storage of food is 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius). The environment and other factors play a role in the temperature setting. Due to this, it may be necessary to set the temperature higher or lower. Freezing your food will avoid the growth of bacteria, which may be harmful to your health. Selecting the right temperature is therefore essential.
When your freezer’s temperature is selected correctly, you will notice less frost on the surface of your freezer. Ice cream in your freezer will be solid, and your food will be free of freezer “burn.”
How Should I Clean Frost Build Up From My Freezer?
Cleaning a freezer with frost build-up seems like a tedious task, but unfortunately, it needs to be cleaned. Using sharp objects to try and break the ice is not a good idea. Using sharp objects will damage the interior of your freezer. You might even puncture your freezer’s surface.
Below are steps you should follow in cleaning frost build-up from your freezer.
- Always make sure that you have unplugged your appliance.
- The above step will lead to defrosting of the ice in your freezer.
- Wipe down all the excess moisture and clean out the ice.
- When you have cleaned the freezer, plug it in and ensure the temperature is selected correctly.
It is easy to clean your freezer. However, if there’s a lot of frost build-up, it will take you longer to clean it. Your life will be easier knowing you don’t have to struggle with all the negative consequences that frost build-up can cause!
Conclusion
When you own a freezer, proper maintenance is essential. A clean freezer will prevent the formation of bacteria and germs in your freezer. Bacteria and germs are the real culprits and cause severe health problems. Unfortunately, food with severe “frost burn” should be discarded. Frost build-up affects the taste and quality of your food. Your food will also be watery.
You will receive an instruction manual when you have purchased your freezer. Always read the manual and follow the instructions. Maintaining your freezer should be as important as keeping your other kitchen appliances in check. So, when you take food out of your freezer and it is covered in ice, the information we have discussed will assist you in identifying the problem and solving it!
References
If You Have Frost in Your Freezer, This is What it Means
