The freezer in your refrigerator is supposed to be cold. But do you frequently find everything inside covered in ice? That's freezer frost, and it’s not a good sign for the longevity of your refrigerator. Apart from making everything messy, that annoying ice buildup can affect the flavor of your foods, take up unnecessary space, create a bad odor, and lower your appliance's efficiency.
Fortunately, there are ways through which you can fix that pesky ice buildup. The tips below will make you understand what causes frost to accumulate in the freezer and what you can do to prevent it.
1. Reduce the amount of time the freezer door remains open
The more you open your freezer door, the more warm air you are letting in. This is the first thing you need to make a mental note of. Humidity is the primary cause of frost accumulation. When moisture makes contact with the freezer’s evaporator coils, located behind the back panel of the refrigerator or freezer, it results in the growth of frost inside the compartment. One of the best ways to reduce moisture in the freezer is to make a habit of opening its door less often.
2. Avoid putting hot foods in the freezer
This is a very common mistake that a lot of people do. Hot foods will release humidity into the freezer compartment, and that moisture can trigger frost buildup inside the freezer. Let the food cool for a while on the kitchen counter until it’s no longer hot, and then refrigerate it for an hour until it cools down completely. Now you can proceed to store it in the freezer.
3. Don’t keep your freezer crammed with stuff
Make sure that you're not overloading the freezer unit with stuff. A fully crammed freezer will block the cold airflow circulating through vents in the back and the sides of the compartment. Blocked airflow promotes frost. So while stocking up your freezer, ensure that there’s at least one inch of space between the food item and the interior walls of the compartment for uninterrupted airflow.
4. Use the right storage containers
A simple way to prevent ice from accumulating inside the freezer is to use the right storage containers. Meaning, they should be appropriately sized for the food that’s stored in them. This will allow extra room for air to pass inside the compartment and let it circulate freely. Store the containers in an organized fashion, as gaps and holes cause frost to build up. You can also use freezer-friendly bags or stackable containers.
5. Dry off food before storing it
Putting wet food in the freezer is also an issue. Frozen foods, particularly, begin to thaw by the time you bring them home from the grocery store and put it inside the freezer. The moisture on the outside of the packaging can then cause frost. Therefore, if you notice wetness on the outside of frozen foods or ice cream, make sure you wipe them dry with a clean cloth to remove moisture before placing them inside the freezer.
6. Get your defrost sensor checked
Defrost sensors are designed to detect any ice or frost that forms and then warm up the evaporator coils to melt it. Once the job is done, it returns to the cooling mode to maintain temperature. So, if your freezer is regularly frosting up, one of the reasons could be a faulty defrost sensor. Getting the defrost sensor checked or replaced might solve the issue.
7. Your freezer door seal might be damaged
The freezer gasket is a flexible elastic strip attached to the outer edge of the refrigerator and the freezer compartment. It acts as an air-tight seal, serving as a dividing wall between the cool air inside the appliance and the warmer outer atmosphere. Over time, gaskets tend to become brittle or worn out. A damaged freezer door seal won’t keep the freezer door shut properly, and that allows warm air to flow into the freezer compartment. Check and see if that’s the case with your freezer’s gasket seal and get it replaced if necessary.
You can also do this job yourself. Just check the video tutorial above.
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