Posted: 8/28/2011 3:35:46 PM EDT
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My neighbor lent me an old 5 cubic ft chest freezer... Plugged it in....24 hours later, stuff at the very top is defrosted and stuff at the bottom is frozen... The freezer is half full and located in a garage (100 degrees right now). Should I just buy a new freezer? |
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Should I move the freezer in the house where it is air conditioned? Don't have much space inside for it :( Depends. Most freezers should be good up to about 100 degrees surrounding, but its its more than that consider moving indoors. It will save a lot of energy in the long run. FWIW I just bought a new freezer from Sams Club for $200 for a 7cf model. They are not real expensive. |
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Should I just buy a new freezer? No, just RTFM. It won't work in a hot garage like that. In the summer my shop is always that hot or even hotter, my refrigerator/freezer has never had this problem. Sorry, may have misspoken a bit. My garage is about 120 degrees right now, that is above the operating limits of most freezers. |
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I'm a former pro reefer tech.
Make sure the condenser is clean and air flows freely through it. It probably has a static coil under or back there, meaning the condenser lacks a fan and just relies on convection to cool the coil and move the heat out of the box. ETAA: If it does have a fan down or back there make sure it is spinning of course, and still make sure the coil is clean. 100f is a burden, but there are freezers all over the world working OK under similar conditions. There is a "freezing curve" that flattens out abruptly just before the box pulls down below freezing, similar to ice water staying at exactly 32f as long as there is any ice left in the water, the freezer will pull down rapidly from room temp then stall for a while as the the water actually freezes. The last little bit sometimes takes forever. Wikipedia Your domestic freezer is incapable of freezing a substantial quantity of anything, it is only capable of keeping stuff that is already frozen frozen. If it is a chest type freezer the lid seal (gasket) doesn't mean much, cold air fall and pools, the cold will tend to stay inside, this is why the supermarket freezer chest don't generally have lids. ETA: It's also why most cheap freezers are chests. Last but not least, never invert or lay down a domestic refrigerator or freezer. The entire vapor phase refrigeration system usually flows through a copper tube called a capillary tube. This capillary's inside diameter is measured in hundredths of an inch, and it's length in feet. It is easily clogged with oil that should stay in the compressor but that unfortunately runs out into the tubing when the box is not kept upright. I've seen this condition many times with used fridges/freezers that "were working great when we unplugged it from the other place". If you suspect you do have an oil logged cap tube you should leave the box in it's upright position with the internal and external temps equalized for as long as possible, at least 24hrs then plug it in empty, give it a few hours and see what happens. The cap tube can be replaced if need be but it requires a skilled tech to do so, you would probably be better off spending $250 or so on a new domestic freezer. |
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Quoted: I'm a former pro reefer tech. Make sure the condenser is clean and air flows freely through it. It probably has a static coil under or back there, meaning the condenser lacks a fan and just relies on convection to cool the coil and move the heat out of the box. ETAA: If it does have a fan down or back there make sure it is spinning of course, and still make sure the coil is clean. 100f is a burden, but there are freezers all over the world working OK under similar conditions. There is a "freezing curve" that flattens out abruptly just before the box pulls down below freezing, similar to ice water staying at exactly 32f as long as there is any ice left in the water, the freezer will pull down rapidly from room temp then stall for a while as the the water actually freezes. The last little bit sometimes takes forever. Wikipedia Your domestic freezer is incapable of freezing a substantial quantity of anything, it is only capable of keeping stuff that is already frozen frozen. If it is a chest type freezer the lid seal (gasket) doesn't mean much, cold air fall and pools, the cold will tend to stay inside, this is why the supermarket freezer chest don't generally have lids. ETA: It's also why most cheap freezers are chests. Last but not least, never invert or lay down a domestic refrigerator or freezer. The entire vapor phase refrigeration system usually flows through a copper tube called a capillary tube. This capillary's inside diameter is measured in hundredths of an inch, and it's length in feet. It is easily clogged with oil that should stay in the compressor but that unfortunately runs out into the tubing when the box is not kept upright. I've seen this condition many times with used fridges/freezers that "were working great when we unplugged it from the other place". If you suspect you do have an oil logged cap tube you should leave the box in it's upright position with the internal and external temps equalized for as long as possible, at least 24hrs then plug it in empty, give it a few hours and see what happens. The cap tube can be replaced if need be but it requires a skilled tech to do so, you would probably be better off spending $250 or so on a new domestic freezer. I moved it across the street to my garage and it was tilted somewhat during the move, so this, coupled with a hot garage could be it.... I moved the important stuff to my main freezer in the kitchen... I'll give it another day or so and see if freezes over... |
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Quoted:
Most freezers should be good up to about 100 degrees surrounding, but its its more than that consider moving indoors. It will save a lot of energy in the long run. If you move it indoors, any energy the freezer saves will be offset by the extra energy consumed by your house A/C system. |