Defrost freezer 'when ice is 5mm thick'

Freezers should be defrosted when the ice becomes 5mm thick, consumers were advised this week. In an article about ways to be energy-efficient when maintaining appliances, New Scientist recommended "a general rule" of defrosting when the ice is at a certain point.

The most effective way to defrost the freezer is to ensure it is turned off and then place bowls or pans of hot water inside. This will speed up the melting process and leave larger pieces of ice easier to scrape off. If a freezer is left un-defrosted for too long, it will have to use more power because the coils which cool the air will be covered in ice, the magazine reminded consumers.

However, a properly maintained fridge-freezer can be great in terms of practicality and energy-efficiency. An example might be the Samsung Mono Cooling RSA1WTMH, which is an A-rated American-style model in silver with a capacity of 346 litres.

However, no one enjoys defrosting their freezer and it can be quite a cumbersome task. There is a feature available inside freezers which has proved to be one of the most popular features for this type of appliance – Frost Free. Frost free eliminates the build up of ice around the inside of the appliance and on any foods which are in the freezer. Frost Free means you will never have to defrost your freezer again – think of all the time and effort you will save!

This brilliant technology works as frost usually forms around the coils which chill the inside of the appliance, the build up can become thick and prevent you fitting as much into your freezer as not being energy efficient. Frost free eliminates the build up of ice around these coils and ensures your freezer runs to its best capacity.