Defrosting freezers with ultra-low temperature should be as thorough as excellent spring cleaning or clearing out an old and boring closet. To help you do a great job, we have a compilation of all the steps that will help you get a bright freezer. Following these steps will minimize disruption at work and enhance cleanliness.
Preparation
- Freezer-Concepts advises laboratorians to defrost the freezer in the absence of hectic errands. In case it is difficult to know the best time for the job, you can aside a few hours and alert all staff.
Collect all the required materials to prevent accidents and delays during the job. These tools will be:
- A mop
- A cart
- Empty containers to collect ice and water
- Adequate number of rags
- A heat resistant bottle
- Gloves
Begin the defrosting process
- Wear your protective gloves and any other gears, then begin to empty the freezers with ultra low temperature by removing all its contents. Do not leave the contents out in the open because you risk damaging their biological or chemical makeup.
Put them in a backup freezer with the recommended temperature setting. Do not treat a fridge with hazardous content the same way you would a normal one with non-reactive substance.
- Unplug the freezer to kick-start the warm-up. The meltdown may take a while; hence, it is prudent that you begin the process early in the morning.
- Give it time to melt and do not attempt to chip away the ice. Sharp objects will risk chipping away tools in the freezer. Use the rag to dry the run out water.
- Another alternative is to spray or squirt hot water onto the frozen clumps starting from the top to the bottom. This procedure will speed up the melting and cause clumps of ice to fall off. This step is where you use the cart and containers before the floor gets flooded.
- Dry out all areas around the freezer until the freezer is completely clear of frost.
- Plug the power cable back and wait for the temperatures to go back down.
- Replace the contents to their original position or a new organized format.
- Do not forget to alert the lab’s staff of the resumed functionality.
When should you defrost the freezer next?
The answer is entirely dependent on the lab’s storage settings. The contents in the freezer will determine the lowest temperature recommendable. The set alarm will alert you when the heat is outside the set bracket. Freezer-Concepts recommends that a lab have an optimum functioning freezer at all times.
The most logical solution is to defrost once the accumulation is too much for proper functioning. Do not let the frost build-up beyond half an inch.
What are the benefits of defrosting freezers with ultra low temperature?
- Maintain uniformity of temperature in the chambers.
- Save the cost of energy, which will be necessary for keeping the contents at the recommended cool.
- Extend the life of the freezer
- Save the integrity of the samples