Tips on defrosting a fridge

[DaveCinzano]

you may well have a defrost button on/near the temp dial; it means you can just press that without unplugging, and 6 hours later or whatever it will switch itself back on.

i never empty the fridge when defrosting, just the icebox; the trick is to put a bowl of boiled water in the icebox to melt the layer closest to the box enough that you can pull off huge chunks of ice without it fully melting into, um, water.

don't forget to empty the drip tray regularly through the defrosting process.

so long as you keep an eye on things you won't need to empty the whole fridge, and you won't flood the kitchen

 

[EastEnder]

i never empty the fridge when defrosting, just the icebox;

Erm, I haven't actually been able to open the freezer compartment for a few weeks now - it's iced up good and proper.

Which is ironic, cos if I want to get some ice for my G+T I can't - there's too much ice in the way....

 

[Yossarian]

1) unplug fridge

2) go on holiday for a week

3) come back with a mop

 

[tomas]

Which is ironic, cos if I want to get some ice for my G+T I can't - there's too much ice in the way....

now that is irony

 

[Shmu]

Well you all seem to get very involved in the defrosting process.

I just get my neighbours to house all the stuff that needs to be kept frozen, unplug the freezer, open the door and put lots and lots of towels in front of it.

Every now and then, I go into the room and play with the big chunks of ice that are falling off the sides, because it's fun to ease them out when they're ready. But it's not necessary - I only do it for fun, if I have the time.

 

[nogoodboyo]

I just get my neighbours to house all the stuff that needs to be kept frozen,

You're not from round here, are you

I bet you smile at people on the tube too.

 

[wiskey]

if you happen to be attacking the berg with a large sharp kitchen knife and gas starts pissing out into the kitchen, open the windows, shut the door, dont go in for over an hour and then blame the whole thing on your housemate when the fridge no longer works.

but you cant do that now can you . . . erm

 

[Shmu]

You're not from round here, are you

I bet you smile at people on the tube too.

Rumbled - I do actually live in Trumpton.

The postman knocks on my door in the morning and says "Good morning (my name), and how are you this morning?"

 

[Ms Ordinary]

A day or two?????????

I was hoping it might take more like an hour or two.....???

If you've got deep frozen stuff & you want to keep it frozen, you can insulate it by wrapping it in layers of newspaper & packing it all together in a box, then keep the box somewhere cold. This is what my mum does & it seems to work - though you need to check meat to make sure it hasn't started defrosting before you put it back in the freezer.

This surely isn't a problem if you're just defrosting an icebox though? The stuff from your fridge will be fine for a day or so, just keep it on a cold windowsill or stick it in a coolbag.

 

[oneflewover]

Tip the fridge back at an angle with door open and leave. You will then just have to bail it out. Fridges are water tight so it will not leak out.

 

[EastEnder]

Now that is a good tip.

 

[tomas]

Tip the fridge back at an angle with door open and leave. You will then just have to bail it out. Fridges are water tight so it will not leak out.

that's a good idea, never though of that. exelent way to keep the kithchen floor dry

 

[flimsier]

I did it for our freezer in about 40 minutes by using lots of towels and consistently changing 3 steaming bowls/ pans of boiling water.

 

[trashpony]

Tip the fridge back at an angle with door open and leave. You will then just have to bail it out. Fridges are water tight so it will not leak out.

Isn't there something to do with the liquid gases in fridges that mean that you're not supposed to tip them though?

My mum always told me that if you move a fridge, you have to keep it in its new position for a day or so to allow stuff to settle. (am unsure what this 'stuff' is btw)

 

[oneflewover]

Isn't there something to do with the liquid gases in fridges that mean that you're not supposed to tip them though?

As long as it is vertical it will be Ok, as opposed to being on its side. It is to stop the refrigerant going into the heat exchange tubes.

 

[T & P]

I leave the hairdryer on for 5-minute periods blowing inside the freezer compartment. So long as it's not too close to the fridge (the plastic could warp) you can do the job in an hour or so. Just put the hairdryer on a chair and position it about half a metre away.

 

[rosa]

or get your least favourite flatmate to do it.

i live on my own,but i suppose i could try to get the wanker in the flat next door (whose only communication with me in th 6 months he's been here has been to bang on my door not long after he moved in to tell me to turn the music down in my kitchen,the furthest room from his flat,at 7.30pm ) to do it.
i need to do my freezer at the weekend,although it's nowhere near as bad as EastEnder's,possibly because i put a bottle of gin in it sideways a few months ago,and it leaked everywhere.