How to use your fridges and freezers safely!

Did you know that the humble fridges and freezers that work quietly away in your flats and kitchens trace their origins back to one of the University of Glasgow's most famous figures? In 1748, William Cullen, physician, surgeon, chemist and Professor of Medicine at the Uni, developed artificial refrigeration by evaporating diethyl ether into a coolant and laid the foundations for what would become one of the more important technologies in history. A true world changer in every sense!

Anyway, here are a few instructions on how to make the most of your appliances.

Your Fridge ❄️

You'll be primarily using your fridge for perishable items like milk, butter, fruit juice, cold meat, fruit and vegetables so following the steps below will help keep your food fresher and tastier for longer.

✅ Monitor the temperature dial in your fridge to ensure that it is at the optimum level. In the UK, most fridge temperature dials range from 1 to 5 so just remember that the lower number, the warmer the temperature! According to the Food Standards Agency, the ideal temperature for the fridge is between 0°C and 5°C so if you're within that range you'll be fine. 

✅ Carry out a regular cull of any out of date food items.

✅ Clean the fridge on a regular basis and mop up any spills immediately.

✅ Always check doors are fully closed.

❌ Do not overfill the fridge as this will stop the unit from operating efficiently. If space is limited check the items being chilled as not all food items require refrigeration.

❌ Don’t place hot/warm food inside fridge as this raises the temperature and as the food cools the moisture can condense.

❌ Don’t keep door open for too long and allow heat into the unit.

Your Freezer 🧊

Your freezer is able to freeze food at a much colder temperature than your fridge so it is ideal for long-term food storage. Much of the advice for the fridge applies to freezer as well but there are some extra points to be aware of:

❌ Avoid a build-up of ice in the unit. If too much ice forms, you may have to defrost the unit. Find out more about defrosting below.

❌ Do not place hot food in the freezer, this will raise the temperature and as the moisture cools it will add to the build up of ice in the unit.

❌ Always make sure the door is fully closed. If the door is left open excess ice can be produced, stopping the unit door from closing.

❌ Do not overfill the freezer as this will stop the unit from operating efficiently.

✅ Make sure that you defrost anything than come out of freezer thoroughly before eating.

✅ Keep a close eye on what you have got in your freezer and make sure you use it with the appropriate timeframe. Check out the Food Standards Agency's Cold Food Storage chart for more info.

A few common issues...

Occasionally, you may develop an issue with your fridge or freezer so check out the following common issues in case there is an easy fix available.

⓵ The appliance has turned off.

This is usually caused when the electricity in the flat has tripped so you may be able to check the fusebox and ensure that all switches are pointing up.

If the power cannot be restored, contact your site team immediately.

⓶ The appliance is leaking water

This could be due to the door not being closed fully so it's always good practice to check that your fridge/freezer doors are closed fully when accessing the fridge.

Hot food being put in the fridge can also cause excess moisture to form and pool so look out for any new food items that may have been added.

⓷ The appliance isn't cold enough

This could just be that the temperature dial may need adjusted. Remember, the higher the number, the colder the fridge!

If the fridge is overfilled this can also impact the cooling power of the fridge so be sure to keep a gap above items on each shelf to allow air to circulate

If there is an issue

If the none of the above fixes do the trick and your appliance needs to be fixed by an expert then report it to your site team as soon as possible.

It's important that you keep the door closed during any outage as items can be kept cool for up to 4 hours safely without power.

Insurance

If some of your food items did happen to go off due to a fridge issue you may be able to claim under your Personal Possessions Insurance Policy.

How to Defrost Your Freezer

At times (e.g. if the freezer door has not been properly closed or the unit has been overloaded) thick ice may form inside the freezer. This will reduce the efficiency of the unit and may prevent it from working altogether.

To defrost the unit quickly (and safely) you should as a flat decide the most suitable time for the work to take place:

1️⃣ Switch off the freezer at the socket.

2️⃣ Remove all food from the freezer.

3️⃣ Place towels on the base of the freezer to soak up any water.

4️⃣ Carefully remove the ice (do not use any metal appliances to remove the ice, as this can damage the freezer walls).

5️⃣ Once all ice has melted inside the unit, dry it and return the frozen food back inside the unit. Do not allow food to defrost then refreeze it though. 

6️⃣ If the water is changed regularly this should take no longer than 30 mins to complete

Top Tip: To help speed up the defrosting carefully place containers (pots / bowls) with hot water in them into the unit and close the door.