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HOW DOES A FREEZER WORK?
Freezers help you preserve fresh foods and stock up on frozen favorites so you can serve them when you’re ready. These appliances use four main components—a compressor, condenser, capillary tube and evaporator—to chill and maintain an optimal internal temperature.
Freezers preserve food by storing it at or below 0°F (-18°C). These appliances include large chest and upright deep freezers as well as refrigerator freezer combinations like top-freezer, side-by-side, French door and bottom-freezer models.
Use this guide to learn about the history of the freezer, different freezer parts, how freezers keep food cold and commonly asked questions about freezer performance.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FREEZER
Refrigerators became a common household fixture in the late 1920s, but refrigerators with a separate, sizable freezer compartment didn’t become popular until the 1940s. Freezer compartments were originally only large enough to fit ice cube trays, but today’s domestic freezers can offer as much as 20+ cubic feet of capacity.
Maytag® upright freezers
HELP KEEP FROZEN FOODS THEIR CHILLY BEST
Maytag® deep freezers help lock in flavor and freshness when you preserve your favorite frozen foods
PARTS OF A FREEZER
Freezers operate with the help of four main components, including the compressor, condenser coils, capillary tube and evaporator. Each of these components transports and physically alters the refrigerant that ultimately absorbs and expels heat from the freezer cavity.
The four parts of a freezer work together to move heat out of the freezer compartment and create the cool environment typically found in a freezer. Each part has an important role in the process, starting with the compressor:
COMPRESSOR: The compressor squeezes the refrigerant, causing it to heat up and move into a high-pressured state.
CONDENSER: The refrigerant, now a vapor, moves through the condenser coils and turns into a liquid as it loses its heat, retaining its high pressure.
CAPILLARY TUBE: This structure helps regulate the refrigerant’s pressure so it’s ready to move into the evaporator, which is the last step of the cooling process.
- EVAPORATOR: Once the refrigerant moves into the evaporator, its pressure drops suddenly, causing it to become a low-pressure liquid/vapor mixture. The evaporator also absorbs and expels heat from the freezer cavity, before traveling back to the compressor to start the cycle again.
HOW A FREEZER WORKS STEP-BY-STEP
A freezer moves refrigerant through its main components, expanding and contracting the substance as it travels to absorb and expel heat from the compartment. Discover the four main steps of the cooling process below.
1. COMPRESSOR PREPARES REFRIGERANT
The freezer’s refrigerant first enters the compressor as a vapor under low pressure. The compressor squeezes the vapor’s particles, allowing it to heat up. This process changes the now-heated refrigerant into a high-pressured state.
2. CONDENSER COILS LIQUIFY REFRIGERANT
The compressor pushes high-pressure refrigerant into the condenser coils where it undergoes a physical transformation into a liquid. As the refrigerant moves through the condenser coils, the cooler surrounding air absorbs the heat, causing the refrigerant to cool down and change from a hot gas to a warm, high-pressured liquid. This cycle helps the refrigerant cool and helps keep the freezer’s internal temperature consistent.
3. CAPILLARY TUBE VAPORIZES REFRIGERANT
Liquified refrigerant makes its way from the condenser coils into the capillary tube where it undergoes a dramatic decrease in pressure. This pressure decrease causes the refrigerant to cool significantly in preparation to enter the evaporator, converting it back into a liquid/vapor mixture. The drop in pressure is important, as this causes the temperature to drop. Without the drop in pressure, the freezer will not cool.
4. EVAPORATOR & REFRIGERANT ABSORB HEAT
As the evaporator absorbs heat from the air in the freezer compartment, it creates an optimal long-term storage environment for frozen items. This is the final step before the refrigerant travels back to the compressor to begin the process all over again.
SHOP MAYTAG® CHEST AND DEEP FREEZERS
Expand your cold food storage with a Maytag® deep freezer. These stand-alone freezers offer the extra capacity you need to help keep meal prep fresh. Select Maytag® chest freezers are garage ready, withstanding temperatures between 0°F and 110°F while maintaining an optimal temperature inside.
FREEZER FAQS
Get answers to commonly asked questions about freezers, including what the right freezer temperature is and how to defrost a freezer.
WHAT ARE COMMON USES OF THE FREEZER?
Freezers can help you stock up on your favorite fresh or frozen items, preserving them in their current state until you’re ready to serve them. You can prepare and freeze ingredients and meals to use later or take advantage of freezer capacity to shop in bulk or stock up during sales on your family’s most-used items.
HOW DO YOU AVOID FROST IN YOUR FREEZER?
Opening your freezer door allows moisture to enter the compartment that ultimately transforms into frost on your freezer walls. Keeping your freezer properly defrosted can help prevent buildup that blocks air vents and temperature sensors, making it easier for your appliance to do its job. Follow these tips to help avoid frost in your freezer.
Keep your freezer temperature at 0ºF (-18ºC): Setting at colder temperatures can cause freezer burn, which may affect your food’s flavor and texture.
Limit how long you keep your freezer door open: Opening your freezer door allows moisture to enter the compartment, which eventually becomes frost. Help prevent the frost buildup by limiting time spent with the freezer door open.
Inspect the door seal: Regularly inspecting your door seal to ensure that it's clean and tight can help prevent moisture from entering your freezer.
Don’t overload your freezer: Overloading your freezer can hinder air circulation and prevent foods from cooling properly.
Let foods cool before freezing them: Allowing hot foods to cool before freezing can help prevent radiant heat from affecting the freezer temperature.
HOW DO YOU MANUALLY DEFROST A FREEZER?
If your freezer doesn’t include an auto-defrost option, be sure to manually defrost the freezer at least once a year to help it function properly.
To defrost your freezer, start by unplugging the unit and transferring food to a cooler.
Next, open the door and allow the ice to melt onto various towels placed below and inside of the freezer compartment.
Clean out and dry the freezer once the ice is melted, then plug it back in and allow it to cool to freezing temperatures before replacing food.
CAN YOU OVER-FREEZE FOOD?
A freezer on its coldest setting won’t ruin most foods, but food can only last so long in the freezer before it begins losing its intended texture and taste. Each type of food is different, but vegetables typically last anywhere from 8-12 months in the freezer, while most fruits last somewhere from 9-12 months. Uncooked beef, pork or poultry usually lasts up to a year, and fully cooked meats should stay fresh for 1-2 months.
WHAT’S THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE SETTING FOR A FREEZER?
Setting your freezer to 0ºF (-18ºC) can help your freezer and the food inside last as long as possible. Frost buildup on your freezer walls may mean the freezer temperature is set too low, while ice cream that’s easy to scoop may indicate that your freezer temperature is slightly too high. Remember that freezing foods that are still hot can cause temperature fluctuations in the freezer, so be sure to cool all foods completely before freezing.
Maytag® chest freezers
Keep food cold and fresh for the long haul
Maytag® chest freezers can help you store bulk grocery items and premade meals
SHOP ALL MAYTAG® FREEZERS
Maytag® chest and upright freezers keep food frozen around the clock so you can stock up on your favorite items, big or small. The Fast Freeze Option on select models lowers the freezer temperature with the push of a button to freeze items so they’re ready when you need them. Plus, select models are garage ready, so they can withstand both hot and cold external conditions while keeping your food at just the right temperature.
