How to Defrost a Deep Freeze

Typical upright stand up freezer, in need of defrosting.

We’ve found this way for how to defrost a deep freeze works fast, is safe, and facilitates easy cleanup. This works for frost free as well as manual defrost models, as long as you can safely aim your heat source toward the inside.

We’ve rented several apartments that had manual-defrost deep freezes. Indeed at this very moment, we have a stand-up Frigidaire commercial freeze here, that requires annual defrosting to keep clear the cooling coils built into each of its shelves.

Deep freeze defrosting sped up considerably by directing hot air from heat gun or hairdryer into it.

We’ve only tried this defrost freeze procedure on upright, vertical units (those with a plum positioned door). But this method will defrost a chest deep freeze also (those with a horizontally-positioned door on top). In that case, just find a place above the freeze from which to aim the heat gun down into the open chamber, instead of up from the floor as the routine below shows.

For either chest or upright freeze defrosting, heat guns and hair dryers work well. Heat guns work the best because unlike hairdryers, they have a built-in stand that allows you to easily sit them on the floor (or on a nearby shelf or chair for the chest freeze case) and aiming the hot air through the open freeze door.

So to defrost our Frigidaire deep freeze, we perform the following procedure every six months:

How to Defrost a Deep Freeze: Step by Step

1. Disconnect The Appliance from Power

Unplug the freeze, without touching its thermostat. Leaving this alone preserves its current temperature setting.

2. Prop Freeze Door Open

Then, block open the deep freeze door with a board. Take care not to force it too far wide, lest you break the hinges, the door, or the freeze case itself.

3. Move All Freeze Contents to Insulated Coolers

Next, remove all food items to a couple of insulated coolers nearby so that frozen meat, vegetables, and bread, remain frozen throughout this routine.

4. Get your Heat Source Ready, to Continue with How to Defrost Freeze

Next, aim the hot air device from the floor up into the inner chamber of the deep freeze. Next, turn it on, making sure that you turn its intake vent completely open. This gives maximum hot air discharge with the least chance of overheating.

5. How to Defrost a Deep Freeze: Watch that Ice Buildup Disappear

Then, wait until all the ice inside melts; periodically mopping up the floor at the freeze’s front. This can take the better part of an hour for heavily accumulated ice in a deep freeze.

6. Every so Often, Wipe up Water

Many deep freezes feature a drain plug that you can open, as well as a drain tube that you can route into a drain or bucket. However, if not, or you can’t use that draining facility, wipe up the ice water as it trickles down into the bottom.

7. Done with the Heat Source

Once all the ice goes away, turn off the heat gun / hair dryer, and set it in a safe place to cool, away from furniture, draperies, carpets, and other items that it could burn.

8. Clean Inside of the Unit to Continue with How to Defrost a Deep Freeze

Then, wash out the interior of the deep freeze with a soapy cloth and warm water, and rinse it out with another clean cloth. The interior may still be near freezing cold. So spending too much time on this step may chill your hands. Therefore, be fast about it.

9. Thoroughly Dry Inside

Then, dry out the inside of the freeze with a few old but clean bath towels. You want to leave as little water behind as possible, so as to lengthen the time before the next required defrosting. You will likely need at least several towels for this.

10. Power Up the Unit Again

Wipe off the power cord, especially the AC plug end. Make sure there’s not dirt or corrosion on the prongs. If so, clean it up. Also, inspect the cord for damage at this time, and replace if frayed, nicked, stiff, or it shows any other signs of aging.

11. Move all Food Back In

As you replace each food item, wipe off any wetness from condensation or melting ice. To avoid having to defrost again for as long as possible, you’ll want to assure that your food containers are as dry as possible before storing them again in the freeze.

How to Defrost a Deep Freeze: Cautions

Do Not Use Flame Producing Heat Sources !

Avoid using blowtorches, kerosene heaters, and such because these can start a fire or damage your deep freeze. Simply put, they’re just not safe for this job.

Risk of Severe Burns

Of course, caution is the word of the day when defrosting a freeze with any heating device. At close range, an 1875-watt heat gun for example can generate significantly hotter (and thus, more dangerous) air than a hairdryer does. So position the heat gun at least two feet from the open deep freeze to assure that by the time that hot air reaches the freeze’s inside walls and shelves, that it has cooled sufficiently so as not to melt any plastic parts therein.

Watch Out for Falling Ice and Water

Also consider that some large chunks of ice and much water (perhaps a gallon or two in the worst cases) will fall out of a deep freeze as defrosting continues, and collect on the floor. So be sure to place plenty of towels in front of the freeze on the floor, and position the heat source close enough for effective defrosting yet far enough away that the water and ice do not spill on it.

Risk of Electric Shock

Keep the heat source and cord well clear of the dripping water and ice, and to virtually eliminate the risk of electrocution. That appliance should feature the third (grounding) prong on its power cable, and you should plug it into a GFI outlet, and avoid using long extension cords.