How To Defrost A Kenmore Chest Freezer

Freezers are clearly designed to be kept at cold temperatures. The building up of frost inside the freezer, however, can be problematic to your foodstuff and the chest freezer in general. This frost build-up is brought about by a variety of reasons such as damage to the freezer doors or hinges or opening the freezer door regularly. This is a problem that can be solved. We have researched for you the most effective way to defrost your Kenmore freezer.

Once frost has piled up inside your freezer to a thickness above five millimeters, the efficiency of your Kenmore chest freezer becomes compromised. This may rack up enormous energy bills. Most freezers have a feature known as flash defrost. This feature allows one to thaw the ice lodged inside the freezer. Here are the steps to follow:

• Remove your contents from the freezer.
• Press to turn on the button for flash defrost.
• Once the cycle is done, turn off flash defrost and clean the interior of your chest freezer.
• Replug in the freezer.

Continue reading as we further discuss defrosting a Kenmore chest freezer below. Know what to avoid and discover methods of ensuring proper hygiene and cleanliness standards when defrosting the freezer.

Defrosting Your freezer

As stated earlier, flash defrost is a feature that is found on Kenmore freezers allowing the user to melt the frost or ice built up in the freezer. To clean the interior successfully, these steps should be followed:

Remove your contents from the freezer

Once the procedure has begun and there are items still inside the freezer, liquids will begin to melt. To contain this, it is necessary to remove your items in the freezer and place them in basins, on towels, or even on newspaper sheets.

You will need to have a dishrag on hand or nearby for wiping the melt-water in excess. All around your freezer, spread some magazine or newspaper pages. These will help in catching the dripping melt-off. Use a cooler or ice-box for items that have to be in an unchanging cold temperature.

Press to turn on the button for flash defrost

Activating the button for flash defrost powers on a coil in the freezer used for heating. This coil goes on to gain temperatures high enough to melt the ice or frost in a thorough manner. It is also fast compared to letting defrosting occur at room temperature.

Each model carries with it a specific time period for the wait as the frost gets thawed. These time periods are usually indicated in the user's manual that comes with the product. During this period when your freezer is defrosting, ensure the door to your freezer remains open so as not to interfere with the defrosting process.

once the cycle is done, turn off flash defrost and clean the interior of your chest freezer

After your freezer has no more frost or ice particles, turn off the feature using the defrost button. Next, unplug the power cord from your power outlet. This is for safety purposes to evade all dangers of electrocution.

Using a washrag, wipe inside your chest freezer to rid of liquid and dirt left behind. Odors left behind in the freezer can be rid of by the use of baking soda. A little detergent or liquid soap is also highly efficient in removing odors and stains.

Do not use cleaning supplies that contain toxic chemicals. These chemicals may end up contaminating items inside your freezer.

replug the freezer

Before you put your plug back in the power outlet, ensure all excess moisture is removed. Check to confirm the power cable or even the plug itself has not been exposed to water or moisture. Plug the freezer's power cord and switch it on. Restock your items in the freezer. Activated carbon can be added here to ensure odors do not build up.

Finally, wipe clean the area you were working at and dispose of the used newspaper or magazine pieces.

Troubleshooting a Flash defrost that isn't working

If your Kenmore freezer does not defrost fast once the feature is turned on, physically confirm whether the freezer has been plugged into a power outlet. Remember also that during this process, your freezer door should be open. Ensure that there are no exposed wires and that all moisture was cleaned from the interior prior to plugging in.

If the feature still isn't working, make a point of contacting the service center at Kenmore for assistance or for scheduling repairs. Your freezer nonetheless can still be defrosted by letting the interior get exposed to room temperature. While awaiting help or during the freezer's repair, the contents from the freezer should be in an icebox or a borrowed freezer.

Why Is My Chest Freezer Icing Up?

It is advisable to defrost your chest freezer at least once per year. This is to improve its efficiency, enhance cleanliness, and maintain it at a cool temperature.

Frost will normally appear when air that is warm from outside the freezer gets inside. As the inside of your chest freezer maintains a constant cold temperature, moisture found in the warm air is turned to solid through rapid cooling. The moisture will then appear as frost particles that will be on the walls and floor of the freezer.

Anytime you open and close your freezer door, some air from the outside, which is warm, will sneak inside. Accumulation of these frozen moisture particles over time will frost up your chest freezer. Another way that frost is formed is when you have food that is unfrozen and you put it directly inside your freezer. Also, steaming hot food placed in the freezer is a huge cause of frosting.

How do you drain A Kenmore chest freezer?

A defrost drain will remove all frost automatically. This is achieved by air circulation which deposits moisture present on a cooling coil. From time to time, the coil will warm up at a temperature just right to facilitate the melting of the ice. The melted ice, which is now water, flows to the drain area for extraction.

Turn off your freezer if it has an alarm for low temperature. Outside the freezer, there is a drain plug. Slightly twist then pull it. This exposes the drain. Insert a drain hose adaptor and connect it to your hose. Put the open end of your hose in a position that allows the water to flow out freely. Remove the drain plug on the freezer's inside which lets out the water.

After the water has drained, plug back the outside and inside drains. If the low-temperature alarm was switched off, turn it back on.

Do Chest Freezers Have Auto Defrost?

Auto defrost, or automatic defrost in other words, is a feature in fridges and freezers that enables the appliance to defrost periodically on its own via an evaporator mechanism. The refrigerators or freezers which use this feature are called "Frost Free."

Chest freezers have models made with manual defrost that involve the owner removing frost physically. There are also auto-defrost models where ice melts and is let out through a hose positioned at the freezer's back. This water then drips to a tray at the bottom area of the freezer.

Which is better: stand-up or chest freezer?

Stand-up freezers are equipped with shelves for organizing items. They occupy lesser floor space than chest freezers as they can take a square space of up to three feet on each side compared to two by six feet for the chest freezer. They are a bit more costly than the chest freezers and will produce more noise than them.

On the other hand, chest freezers have more space that is usable, always carry consistent temperature levels as they don't have door shelves, and air in them has minimal circulation. This prevents freezer burn better than the stand-up freezers. Chest freezers store food for longer while frozen than the stand-up in case of loss of power and they generally consume less electric power than the stand-up.

Chest freezers are better in terms of efficiency and energy-saving. If in need of plenty of storage space or a freezer that occupies less floor space, then the stand-up freezer will be your preferred choice.

Final remarks

Defrosting a Kenmore chest freezer will go a long way in boosting its performance and efficiency. It is a great way to ensure you are saving on energy costs. While operating the freezer, avoid exposing it to direct sunlight. Always read through user manuals to know the specific conditions your freezer is supposed to be operated under. When storing items in the freezer, ensure the door closes properly and that there is no obstruction.