Stand-Alone Freezer

How it Works

A stand-alone freezer is designed to maintain safe frozen food storage at 0°F. These freezers are often located in the kitchen, basement or garage. The two types of stand-alone freezers - upright and chest freezers - come with different benefits and drawbacks. The upright freezer is easy to organize and takes less floor space while the chest freezer is typically more energy efficient and can hold more food per cubic foot. Modern freezers are equipped with door alarms to alert you when the door is ajar.

What Can Go Wrong?

A sudden rise in temperature can occur, causing softening and thawing of any food you’re storing. This can be an indicator of a thermostat problem, compressor issue or fan failure. A professional repair technician may be needed to diagnose and fix these problems.

Environmental Impact

High efficiency, medium sized models use about 400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, producing about 610 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂)

Tips & Tricks

Maintenance Tips

• Clean and dust off the heat rejection coils at the back or bottom of the freezer to improve cooling capability and reduce operating costs. Locate the freezer where air can flow around the coils. 
• Manually defrost your freezer twice a year, or when a quarter-inch of ice builds up. 

Loss Prevention Tips

• Keep the freezer at least 50 percent full of frozen foods to minimize starting and stopping of the motor and increase energy efficiency. 
• Your freezer should be located in an area that is free from extreme temperatures. If it’s too cold, your freezer may need heaters for oil lubrication. If it’s too warm, your freezer may not reach adequate temperatures. 

Energy Conservation Tips

• Chest freezers are more energy efficient than upright freezers - they can save you money in the long run. 
• A manual defrost model may use up to 50 percent less energy than an automatic defrost model.