Defrosting Freezers

[yogitunes]

The kids were in school, didn't feel like getting a tattoo or something pierced, and the bears in leather didn't showup for my birthday....so I thought I would defrost the freezer (manual defrost)....what a pain in the butt....had the floor steamer, plus the iron and a blow dryer, trying to melt and scrape the ice from in between the racks, water everywhere....next time I'm going frostless...but anywho I usedto have a chest freezer with the flash defrost option, open the lid, pull the button, and by the time you unloaded it, the ice melted enough to fall from the sides, 30 minutes toatl start to finish....

My actual question to you guys is....What or how do you defrost your freezers?...and how often?

 

[yogitunes]

Sorry about the double post!!!

 

[rp2813]

I have a device called a "Red-E-Defrost" which is a calrod element inside a perforated metal enclosure on a long bakelite base. It looks like a huge metal curler. I found it in its original box at a thrift store years and years ago.

I've used it to defrost our full-sized upright MW freezer from appx 1961, and a couple of old fridges we used to have around here (RIP). It does a pretty good job of loosening up large sections of ice in the freezer so they fall off the coils. The biggest hassle is emptying the pan that I run the drain hose into. The pan has to be shallow or the water won't pass over the side of it. I use a large roasting pan, but I still end up with a wet floor. The freezer is in the basement so I don't have to be too careful.

This freezer is beyond overdue for a defrost. It's been a good four or five years easy since I did it last. It doesn't get opened a whole lot, and we really don't need it, but due to some construction long ago after the freezer was already in the basement, it won't come out of there without some demo.

Next time somebody with a camera comes to visit I'll have him take a picture of the Red-E-Defrost, unless I buy a camera first, which I am very tempted to do. A biggish one that can't get lost.

 

[whitekingd]

When I defrost . . .

my '49 Westinghouse I use a special "defrost heater" I found at an estate sale. It was designed just for this purpose. I forget the name brand. Makes the job easy! Since it's just me, I only have to defrost every 4-6 weeks. I've got a little "red dot" thingy that helps you gauge when to defrost. When you almost can't see the red dot anymore because of the frost, then it's time to DO THE DEED!!!

 

[xraytech]

I only defrost the freezer every 2-3 years.

When I do I unplug it, remove all the food and I place a 4 or 5 qt pot of boiling water in the bottom of the freezer and
I shut the door. After letting it set for a while the ice starts falling right off

 

[mayguy]

I have a chest freezer, and defrost every spring. Mine is easy.. Empty the freezer, then I put in a pot of boiler water on the bottom on towels. close the lid. with in 3 to 5 minutes, the ice starts falling off the side.

I go in and grabs the ice chunks and throw it in the laundry tub. Job done in half hour.

 

[westingman123]

Yogi-

Those defroster things pop up at thrift stores now and again, I have one and it's the bomb for my old freezer. For the chest-type I use a dish pan of HOT water using the method others have described. A plastic spatula and 10 minutes later you're done! I'm not fond of frost-free at all, the dern things dry out everything before its time.

Boo boo

 

[kenwashesmonday]

On my 1951 GE Combination, I just put a lasagna pan of hot water in the freezer, close the door, and go have coffee.

It's a piece of cake!

Ken D.

 

[rp2813]

It's good to know that the GE combos are easy to defrost. I was sort of thinking they might be. That's my ideal fridge and I'm on the lookout for one.

 

[spiceman1957]

I have a small chest freezer

in my in laundry room. When I purchased this freezer, the sales lady told me to spray PAM cooking spray on the walls of the freezer before turning it back on. When it comes time to defrost it again, just hit the sides (after putting a pot of hot water inside) and the ice comes off in sheets, which cuts down on time when defrosting.
John

 

[sudsmaster]

I got a Kenmore 15 cu ft chest freezer about 10 years ago, and I specifically looked for a model with the flash defrost feature. It's great. I usually unload it before pulling the little tab to start the flash defrost, though. Seems like it does take only about 30 minutes for it to release all the ice, which I try to collect in sheets for easier disposal. There is also a drain at the bottom but it's so close to the floor that one can't get a very large drip tray under it.

I recall manual defrost fridges having a "defrost" setting. I used to distruct it because I could hear the compressor going when it was selected. Now I understand it was probably the same as a flash defrost feature, and was reversing the coolant floor to warm up the coils and speed the defrost process. Generally I'd use a pot of hot water set in the freezer compartment instead. In college in a shared house we had a woman who would use an ice pick to stab at the freezer... there were gouge marks in the aluminum all over the inside of the freezer compartment... She also used to wash the dishes in Lysol... what a treasure...

The worst was the fridge in a rental house I lived in for 12 years. Wards Signature. The auto defrost usually didn't work right, and it's a real PITA to manually defrost something like that. I'd have to unscrew the interior of the freezer compartment to get at the coils... I tried fixing it myself - new timer, new heating element... I think by the time I moved out it was sort of working ok, but...

 

[iheartmaytag]

I have a small upright freezer that is a manual defrost. I HATE, HATE, HATE IT!!
Lucky for me I only have to do this nasty task about every two years or so. I guess it's becaue the freezer is opened so infrequently, and for such a short amount of time.