Chest freezers are a type of large freezer that are brilliant for storing excess food you can’t fit in your regular freezer. If you have fruit trees or bushes, such as cherry trees or raspberry bushes, then you can freeze much of your harvest in a chest freezer so that you have access to these foods even when they’re not in season.
If you’re a fan of fishing or hunting, then you can keep your catch in a chest freezer to preserve it and feed your family for weeks or months to come. Chest freezers are also brilliant if you buy food in bulk because this usually represents a good saving. The main issue with chest freezers is their size, and this can make it difficult to find a spot to keep the freezer.
If you don’t have space in the kitchen or pantry for a chest freezer, you might start to consider other spaces in the home, such as the dining room or the hallway. While chest freezers can technically be stored in any room in the home, one thing you should consider is flooring.
Rooms which have carpets are not ideal for chest freezers because they can interfere with the required airflow. If any leaks or condensation drip from the bottom of the chest freezer, this can be harder to spot with carpet, and it can also result in the presence of mold. However, there are things you can do to make a carpet more suitable for a chest freezer, such as using a drip tray beneath it.
Here we look at the best types of flooring for underneath chest freezers and how you can protect the carpet under a chest freezer.
Which Flooring is Best for Chest Freezer?
Air flow
Chest freezers are appliances which require good air circulation around them so that their cooling mechanism can function properly. For this reason, they aren’t ideal for putting on top of carpet, because the carpet tends to inhibit air flow. Deep pile carpets in particular will limit air flow, because the legs of the freezer will embed themselves deep into the carpet, and the thick pile could then be touching the bottom of the freezer to completely prevent air from flowing underneath it. In order to ensure good air flow beneath the freezer and prevent potential issues with the appliance, a solid floor is best. This includes vinyl flooring, tiles, wood, and laminate.
Waterproof
If your chest freezer encounters a problem, one of the ways you might be alerted to this is by spotting puddles on the floor. If you have carpet beneath the freezer, then any puddles are going to be very difficult to spot because the carpet will absorb the water. Dark carpet, in particular, will be very good at camouflaging any leaks. As well as inhibiting your ability to detect issues with the freezer, the carpet is also going to produce further issues in the event of a leak or dripping water from the freezer.
Since carpet is absorbent, it will hold onto the water and create an environment where mold and mildew will thrive. If the moisture goes undetected for a while, a mold problem arising is highly likely. For these reasons, a waterproof flooring surface that can be wiped clean and kept dry is much more preferable for underneath a chest freezer. Most types of flooring you would use in a kitchen or utility are waterproof, including laminate, tile, and vinyl.
Heat conduction
Although the job of a chest freezer is to keep food cold, the appliance itself can get very hot. The underside of the freezer where the coils and compressor are fitted, are likely to be the warmest part of the appliance, and this heat can scorch the carpet over time, especially if the freezer is in constant contact with the carpet. To avoid this issue, a solid floor that will not come into contact with the bottom of the freezer is most suitable.
Can Carpet Go Under the Chest Freezer?
The carpet can go underneath a chest freezer if absolutely necessary, but it is by no means the best option. In order to protect your carpet and prolong the lifespan of the chest freezer, it should be fitted on a floor surface that is solid, flat, and waterproof.
The carpet does not tick any of these boxes. However, there are going to be some instances where the only available space for a freezer is in a room that is carpeted. You can make this scenario safer in the following ways.
Use drip tray
A drip tray is a large metal tray with low, lipped edges. This should be big enough to cover the floor beneath the chest freezer, or you could use a few drip trays lined up in a row if you can’t find one big enough. A drip tray will catch any leaks or condensation moisture, protecting the carpet and preventing the opportunity for mold to grow.
Install furniture legs
If you have a deep-pile carpet that is coming into contact with the base of your chest freezer, you can install furniture legs to the bottom of the freezer, which will elevate it off the floor a little more. This will improve air circulation underneath the freezer, and mean your carpet is less likely to suffer from heat damage.
However, raising the freezer off the ground slightly is not going to help with potential leaks, so if you decide to add furniture legs to your freezer, you should also consider using them in conjunction with a drip tray.
Use rubber mat
It’s a good idea to use a rubber mat underneath any freezer, even if you are placing it on a solid floor. This is because the rubber mat will protect the flooring from any potential scratches that the freezer feet could cause. It will also catch any drips so that wood or laminate flooring won’t warp from being subjected to moisture for prolonged periods of time.
Where to Put a Chest Freezer
Chest freezers are so big that you might not be spoilt for choice on locations where you can fit them. However, it’s worth considering these issues before you select your spot where the chest freezer is going to be permanently positioned.
Controlled climate
The best place for a chest freezer is in a room with a controlled climate, such as a kitchen. If you store the freezer in a place that experiences extreme temperatures, it will be more likely to suffer a malfunction.
Most freezers are designed to be kept within the range of average room temperatures, so you should stay within this if you can, although there are exceptions to this rule. You can place the chest freezer outside; however, there is a caution to do that as extreme outdoor temperatures can harm the freezer without protection.
Space
Chest freezers need adequate space around them to ensure good airflow. The freezer should be positioned with its back at least 4 inches away from the wall and on a solid floor.
Shade
Avoid positioning a freezer in the path of direct sunlight since this will make the appliance warmer, so it has to work harder to achieve the same result. This will increase your energy bills and could also shorten the lifespan of the freezer.
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