If you are someone whose freezer is always full, this article is for you. There are times when we need to jam-pack our fridge. For some, it could be a regular thing. No matter how much we need, we should also protect our fridge from potential damage.
It is what we are going to discuss today. So if you are interested in knowing whether overloading can affect your fridge, the article is a must-read.
Can a freezer be overloaded?
Overloading a freezer is not suggested. It is true that rather than an empty fridge, a full freezer works more efficiently. However, overfilling a freezer may cause air vents blockage, restrict airflow, and pressure on the condenser. Again, one should not fill the freezer 85% beyond its capacity.
Overfilling a refrigerator beyond its capacity is harmful, no matter whether your fridge is small or big or from a reputed brand.
One may encounter various issues over the years due to numerous reasons. Overloading the freezer is one of the biggest causes.
An excessive amount of food may create vent blockage in the freezer. It can put pressure on the condenser and refrigerator motor. The fridge will have to work harder to maintain the specific temperature. It could also burn out various parts of the fridge unit.
Again, we may notice wear and tear. Moreover, there may be higher energy consumption.
Too many items can block the air movement inside the fridge leading to bacterial growth. It not only accelerates the rotten process, but the foods can lose quality over time.
We have discussed two types of freezers and their functions due to the overloading issue.
Chest freezer or deep freezer:
Deep freezers are known to store foods for a long time. They mostly lay horizontally and are great for extra-large items. Nevertheless, it is not alright to stack the freezer with too many products.
This type of freezer needs to chill foods properly. Too many things inside may construct air vents leading to inappropriate airflow. It could lessen the fridge efficacy causing the foods to cool down inappropriately.
Upright freezer:
Because of their vertical size, upright freezers are also named stand-up freezers. The storage space is tall and has multiple shelves to store foods and items in organized ways.
It can make you feel the freezer may not have a problem with overloading. However, cramming too many items may put extra weight on the shelves and the fridge door.
Again, improper stacking may hide the essential parts leading to restriction in airflow, causing tear and wear, and putting pressure on the overall performance.
Why should a deep freezer not be overloaded?
The reasons why you should not load a deep freezer are explained here,
Efficiency decreases:
When overloaded, the deep fridge may lose efficiency. It means the freezer needs to work harder to keep the foods cold.
The air circulation will be restricted when there are many items in the deep freezer. When the air cannot circulate well, the food won’t freeze as expected.
Need more defrosting:
You may need to defrost your freezer more often if you stack your fridge with too many items. Ice sheets build up over time. Much larger sheets will form within a short time when there is not enough space.
It may lead to lowering the effectiveness of the freezer. Also, your utility bill may rise than usual.
Forget what is inside:
Having a lot of items inside the fridge, you may forget what you have stored. The jam-packed situation may hinder the sight of products.
Again, the arrangement could be messy. As a result, you may forget about what you have kept in the freezer.
Shorten lifespan:
When you overfill your freezer, it may have to work hard to maintain proper temperature. It could lead to shortening the lifespan of the fridge. This happens due to failing or incompetency in different functions.
When blocked, the air vents may get congested, air circulation may get restricted, the compressor needs to work harder, and various parts could burn out.
Food quality deteriorates:
When the fridge function is troubled, there is a chance your food may lose quality. It doesn’t necessarily mean the food will rot but could lose its standards.
For example, when you notice your fruits turned gray, this is a sign that your freezer may have developed burn.
What happens when you overload your freezer?
Overloading a freezer with more than what it can equip has negative impacts on its health. Here we have jotted down a few issues that may arise due to overloading a freezer.
Inadequate Cooling:
Overfilling of the fridge implies occupying almost 90 percent of the fridge space. There won’t be enough room for air to pass.
The stacking of too many items can block the air vents. It will lead to pressure on different functions of the fridge leading the fridge to work less efficiently.
It means that the cooling would be inadequate for all these foods and packages to cool down properly.
Consumption of more power:
Stacking more food and products inside a fridge can cause the motor of the appliance to work overtime. It could lead to excessive wearing and tearing, leading to the damage of the entire fridge.
In such circumstances, the fridge tends to consume more electrical power. Again, there will be stress on the cooling system. It could also mean more electrical bills than usual.
Damage food quality:
When there are more items than what a fridge can hold, the foods kept inside may deteriorate. They will block the air vents, leading to inadequate air movement inside.
Lack of cool air may result in bacterial growth inside. The food may remain fresh for a shorter period. The texture, color, aroma, flavor, and appearance of food may also worsen.
Can overloading a freezer cause it to break or cause frost?
Overfilling your freezer can cause it to break. When there is too much stuff inside the fridge, there will be a blockage on airways, and on air vents. They will pass an inadequate amount of cool air.
The freezer will need to work harder to keep things cold. It means the motor will be under pressure and needs to work overtime.
Again, it can lead to tear and wear, failing the overall function causing the fridge to break down.
Moreover, the air passes inadequate when you cram too many products into the fridge. If the air cannot pass flawlessly, you will end up with excessive frost in your fridge.
How full can I fill my freezer?
You should follow some rules when you are putting things insider your freezer. It cannot be either empty or over-packed with products. Let us have a look at how we can fill our fridge appropriately.
Do not under-fill:
One needs to keep the fridge adequately filled. You cannot keep it empty. When there are not enough products, the freezer cannot run efficiently. Fill your fridge up to 70 percent to make it run effectively.
Do not overfill:
Again, it is not alright to overfill fridge with more products than it can equip. One should not fill the freezer beyond 85% of its capacity.
When there isn’t enough room, the air vents will get blocked. Again, the air will pass inappropriately. It could cause the fridge to underperform.
Do not put things all at once:
Again it is not recommended to put things all at once. Though it may not seem necessary, we need to organize our items gradually and in organized ways. Otherwise, it could restrict the airflow inside leading to various problems.
Why does my freezer thaw and refreeze?
One reason could be the failed function in condenser coils. When the condenser coils get dirty or dusty, the airflow may slow down. It results in ice buildup on the evaporator coils. You may observe it inside the different parts of the refrigerator as well.
One can find evaporator coils behind a panel in the freezer. If we observe frost building up inside the freezer walls and ceiling, we can infer the evaporator coils are functioning poorly.
When the coils cover in frost and the fan cannot move properly, the cooling becomes limited. Hence, ice will build up even after you turn on the defrost mode.
Once again, the improper function of the compressor can lead to freezing issues as well.
Final thoughts
Overloading a freezer will cause it to get affected negatively. You cannot overfill a fridge or under-fill it. Both of these circumstances lead to the under-performance of a freezer function. Over-stacking the refrigerator can cause it to break down, frost, or even shorten its lifespan.