Power outages may not be frequent, but they do occur and their occurrence can cause a lot of damage not only to the contents of your chest freezer but to the chest freezer itself.
You might notice that even after power has been restored, your freezer will still not work properly as it used to. In the event that such happens to your chest freezer, there are a lot of things you need to do to make sure that your chest freezer starts working properly again.
In this article, I will guide you through the various things you need to do when there is a power outage and your chest freezer stops working or is not working properly.
It’s important to note that there are a lot of factors that could have contributed to your chest freezer not working.
Things like your freezer needing more time to start again, the outlet of your chest freezer tripping, and the power control automatically shutting off are just a few of the reasons why your chest freezer is not coming on.
To get your freezer back on, here are what you should do.
- Allow the freezer to cool for some time.
- Examine the power cord of your chest freezer.
- Rearrange the GFCI of your chest freezer or residual-current circuit breaker.
- Inspect the main circuit breaker of your chest freezer.
- Verify that no component of the chest freezer was damaged.
- Examine the control panel.
You don’t have to abandon your chest freezer or allow your food to go bad because of a power outage. To troubleshoot your chest freezer after a power outage, follow the guidelines below;
Check for Ice Buildup
If there’s ice buildup in your chest freezer or your coil is clogged, it will prevent the flow of cold air. Without the circulation of cold air, the ice crystals will keep building up until it prevents the evaporator fan from circulating cold air around the coils. Naturally, this will result in the inability of your freezer to cool.
Tackling this problem requires clearing out the ice that has accumulated in your chest freezer.
- To start, you have to clear the freezer of any food or drink in it.
- Then turn off the thermostat.
- Keep the door of the freezer open for a day or two, depending on the quantity of the ice. This will help hasten the defrosting process.
- After you have cleared the ice, turn the thermostat on and allow the freezer to cool.
If your chest freezer cools as you desire, then the issue is the ice buildup blocking the circulation of cold air. This shows that your freezer is not defrosting properly. It’s important, then, that you check the defrosting system to avoid a repeat of the issue in the future.
Check for Dirty Condenser Coils
Having dirty condenser coils also affects your chest freezer negatively because it prevents the freezer from reaching its cooling capacity. When your condenser coil is dirty, it restricts the airflow in the chest freezer.
Fortunately, you can restore maximum airflow in your chest freezer by cleaning the dirt off the condenser coils. The improved airflow will lead to your chest freezer cooling properly again.
Is Your Chest Freezer Properly Plugged In?
One of the reasons why your chest freezer may not work after a power outage is that it is either not plugged in or it’s not plugged in properly. If you notice that your chest freezer is not working, the first thing to check is if it’s plugged into a power source.
Sometimes, they are not plugged in, in which case you should just plug it in properly and let it function.
But if after you have plugged it in properly and it’s still not working then something is wrong with either the unit or the power outlet. To troubleshoot;
- Verify that there is power in the fuse box and the electrical outlet that your chest freezer is connected to.
- Check that the electrical cord attached to the chest freezer is still in good condition, if it is not, have it repaired or replaced.
- Check the power source because it’s possible that it tripped. Especially if it is plugged into a residual-current electrical conduit (another name for ground-fault circuit interrupter, GFCI). If that is the case, then simply press the reset button.
Faulty Door Gasket
The function of the door gasket is to top seal the freezer door properly to avoid the escape of cold air. The circulation of the cold air is majorly responsible for the freezing of food in your chest freezer, so if the cold air is leaking, then your foods will have a hard time freezing.
Therefore, if the food and drinks in your freezer are not cooling, checking that the lid gasket of your chest freezer is in good order and properly connected is a good way to troubleshoot it.
Physically check that the freezer door gasket is in order by slowly closing the freezer door. A damaged or deteriorating gasket will be sticking out. Simply, change it or call a technician to change it.
If the gasket is not closing properly, clean it and remove any food debris that might be preventing it from sealing well.
Faulty Compressor Capacitor Relay
The capacitor relay provides power to the compressor. The start or capacitor relay is a part of the freezer that is essential to the working of the compressor. The failure of this part of the freezer to function will automatically result in the compressor not working, and if the compressor is not working the freezer can’t freeze.
So, if your freezer is not freezing, check that the relay is not damaged or burnt, if it is, have it changed.
How do I know if the relay is burnt or damaged, you might ask?
One of the ways to check if your freezer’s relay is damaged is to shake it and listen for a rattling sound. If it’s making a rattling sound then it’s a sure sign that it is damaged.
Another way to check if the relay in your freezer is good is by making use of a multimeter. The multi-meter provides the clearest way of knowing if the relay is damaged or not.
Can My Chest Freezer Reset Automatically?
Yes, some types of chest freezers can reset mechanically, but most do not. Although that’s not a problem because the freezers that don’t reset automatically come with reset buttons that you can turn on if the freezer stops working because of a power outage.
Resetting your chest freezer after a power outage is easy, straightforward, and practical.
- You simply push the reset button and hold down the up and down arrows as you connect the cord back to the power source.
- After that, press and hold the alarm reset button for about 3 seconds. This will stop the control lock from working.
- To finish up, push the up arrow until the settings option comes out, then you can proceed to press the button until the settings you want have been applied.
Can Your Freezer Be Damaged By A Power Outage?
Power outages hardly result in damage to chest freezers. What really poses a threat to your chest freezer is high or low power voltage, which usually comes after power has been restored.
Even though your freezer is at risk when power is restored, the high voltage doesn’t really affect your freezer. It’s low voltage that you have to look out for.
You should be wary of low voltage because when your freezer doesn’t get the required voltage required for it to operate, it begins to overheat its wires and this will set off its thermal protector.
Power Failure: What Next?
Most of us have food and a lot of dairy products stored in our freezers. So what do you do in the event of a power outage and you’re unsure of when the power will be restored. Should you allow the food to spoil? What if power isn’t restored within a day?
Well, if you find yourself in such a situation, here are the steps to take to ensure that your food doesn’t go bad:
Insulate your freezer
Insulating your freezer will allow it to be colder for longer.
You can do this by covering your freezer with blankets. Take care, though, not to cover the vents, in case power is restored.
Keep the freezer closed
Limiting the number of times you open the freezer will prevent cold air from escaping and ensure that your freezer remains cold.
Put ice blocks in the freezer
If the power outage lasts longer than two or three days, you should consider stocking ice blocks in your chest freezer. For best results use dry ice, but in the absence of dry ice, ice blocks can serve.
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