How do you defrost a freezer?

[mayerling]

As in, what's the procedure? I've never done it before and our freezer has reached a point where it won't even close properly because of all the ice building up around the edges

 

[kenny]

Don't use an ice pick or a hammer.
They can easily damage the walls of the freezer.

Move your food to a neighbor's freezer and just pull the plug and leave the doors open with lots and lots of towels to catch the water.
To speed up the melting you can use a hair dryer or a fan.

Next get the frost free feature fixed or buy a freezer with one.

 

[VRBeauty]

If your freezer is icing up even if it's a frost-free model, it's time to have a professional check it out.

Back in the dark ages before frost-free, we'd also set a pan of boiling water in the freezer unit to speed the thaw... but check to make sure your freezer has a metal floor or rack before you start boiling that water.

 

[kenny]

In the last 12 years our frost-free freezer broke two times and it iced up.
Both times I fixed it myself by replacing the defrost thermostat, which I think is the most-likely component to fail.
(It may also be the defrosting heater itself or the timer for it).

You can fix it yourself if you are handy and it saves money for FCDs.
Just Google the problem and read a few of the links.

 

[mayerling]

I should clarify that this is a very old college fridge/freezer, with certainly no defrost feature. I don't know if these exist in the US, but it's a model where you open the fridge door, you see that the fridge has 3 or 4 shelves, and one of those is the freezer (with its own little door).

 

[stone-cold11]

Ya, those fridge exist.

Just open the door and let everything slowly melt and drain out. Long wait time and messy.