defrost

Defrosting is a procedure, performed periodically on refrigerators and freezers to maintain their operating efficiency. Over time water vapour in the air condenses on the cooling elements within the cabinet. It also refers to leaving frozen food at a higher temperature prior to cooking.

Defrosting a freezer

The resulting ice inhibits heat transfer out of the cabinet increasing running costs. Furthermore as the ice builds up it takes increasing space from within the cabinet - reducing the space available for food storage. Defrosting the unit is achieved by:-

• Temporarily removing all food from the cabinet.
• Turning off power to the unit.
• Leaving the doors to the unit open
• Waiting for the ice to melt and draining it appropriately. Using a towel is advisable when completing this step.

The process may be sped up by mechanical removal of ice, or the introduction of gentle heat into the cabinet. Placing a pan of hot water in the cabinet and closing it is an effective method. Using a fan to blow in room temperature air will also greatly speed up the melting process as well as help to evaporate the damp surfaces. Note that the fastest manual way is to use a vacuum cleaner: simply insert the hose into the exhaust port (nearly all are designed for this), and use the wand to blow on the coils; this method is much faster than any other.

Any mechanical removal of ice should be done gently so that the equipment is not damaged.

It is generally recommended that defrosting should be done annually.

Many newer units employ automatic defrosting (often called "frost-free" or "no frost") and do not require manual defrosting in normal use.

See also

• Heated defrost power mirror.

External links

• Energy Star recommendations

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)

This technology-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.