Understanding the Differences Between Frost-Free and Auto Defrost Freezers
A buildup of frost inside a freezer will affect the taste of frozen food, create bad odors, take up valuable space, and even cause damage to the appliance. Most modern freezers have features to deal with frost and these fall into two broad categories, frost-free and auto defrost. They sound similar, but they work in very different ways and we will cover them both in this article to help you make an informed purchasing decision. What is a Frost-Free Freezer? A freezer with a frost-free feature has an automatic fan system, which is designed to remove warm air. This keeps the internal freezer temperature consistent and moisture is prevented from accumulating and freezing on the walls. The fan keeps the cold air in the freezer circulating to prevent a buildup of frost and there should be no need to manually defrost the appliance. What is an Auto Defrost Freezer? All auto defrost freezers have an automatic self-cleaning function that requires no intervention to work. The system heats coils in the freezer which prevents frosting to ensure that you don’t need to manually defrost the freezer. Many upright freezers have a fan-assisted or direct cooling system with an auto defrost feature in place. Frost-Free vs Auto Defrost: Which is Best? Both approaches do a good job when it comes to keeping the frost off the freezer walls. They both negate the need to defrost the freezer manually and they work without human intervention. So, it can be hard to choose one