The build-up of ice on the inside of a freezer often seems to be one of life's inevitabilities. The build-up of ice costs money in the form of spending more on electricity, and also time when the inevitable defrost has to be undertaken. There are though steps that can be taken to prevent ice build-up in the freezer.

-How to prevent ice build-up in a freezer

The first thing to consider is the purchase of a new freezer. The vast majority of new machines are classed as being frost-free. Freezer technology has advanced in recent years, and so these new freezers are temperature controlled to prevent the build up of frost. This though doesn't mean that frost cannot build up in frost-free freezers. These freezers normally have their own drain, and if this becomes blocked ice will quickly form.

There is one main reason as to why ice builds up in any freezer, be it frost-free or not, and that is because the freezer door has not been closed properly. Drawers should always be pushed completely in and boxes should not protrude. Sometimes though even when care is taken in closing the freezer door the door itself is not properly closed. The most common thing to go wrong with any freezer is that the seals go.

When seals on a freezer break or perish, moisture can get into the sealed unit. Moisture is to be found in the atmosphere that surrounds the freezer unit, and whilst in a cold environment this will be only a minor issue, if the freezer is in a humid location then more moisture is potentially going to get into the freezer. If the freezer is in a humid garage or a damp basement then it is possibly a good idea to purchase a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air.

Moisture doesn't just come from the surrounding environment though and the food that is put into it will continue a certain amount of moisture. Moisture being formed as the item warms in the time between it was taken from a supermarket's freezer to the time it is put in the home one. To a certain extent this is inevitable, although many people like to repackage their frozen goods into freezer bags, which helps to small degree.

Lastly it is always best to keep the freezer open for as little time as possible. The less time that the door is open, the less moisture can get into the freezer. A well organised freezer will mean that the door is not kept open as searching for that hidden bag of vegetables occurs.

Most freezers will need to be defrosted at some point, but it is possible to prevent the build-up of frost in a freezer through care and an understanding of what causes frost build-up.

Learn more about this author, Tim Harry.
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