Nowadays, who does not have a freezer at home? Everyone needs it and now the models and styles of the freezer have also been changed.
According to the generation and facilities, new models are arriving rapidly in the marketplace. Not only buying the freezer but also taking care of it would need knowledge.
Following the below tips and information regarding the freezer and if it can be laid on its side or not would help you to proceed with your work.
Lay a freezer on its side
Most freezers are highly not suggested to put on its side. Rather, always put the freezer in a straight position. If you do not have any other choice than putting the freezer laying down, you can lay it then. After that, give the freezer some time to cope or it can even get ruined.
A freezer at home is now a necessity in our life. We need cold stuff, cold food, cold water and of course store the food. No matter what, the freezer would cool stuff in a few moments.
Now global warming has increased to its peak and the weather has left up with being lethargic.
Even if you want to move the freezer or bring a new freezer, do not lay it on the side. The freezer has sensitive components which can get damaged and not function properly anymore.
During transportation:
You can certainly transport your freezer while putting it in a straight position.
Some freezers may allow putting it on its side. Yet, you better try to bring them in a straight position to home. If you lay the freezer down on the side, the oil refrigerants might drop and not work properly.
Sometimes internal damage might also be caused. Still, if you put the freezer horizontally, give time to recover.
Do not plug the freezer in immediately and start using it. Instead, give it time to relax and maintain its function. After that, the freezer would certainly work.
For 30 minutes:
You can certainly put your refrigerator on its side in case there is an emergency.
If you are cleaning the freezer or placing it somewhere else, you do not need to lay it on the side. Still, if needed, this small time would not cause much damage to the internal part.
You need to first turn off the refrigerator and after that lay it off. Do not do it immediately. Let the ice be removed first.
Even if you put the refrigerator on its side for 30 minutes, you still need to open it or turn it on after some time to reduce the damage. Otherwise, the refrigerator would not run.
To move:
Most homes can take freezers as it is. The freezer in the straight position would directly go into the room.
You do not need to lay it. Still, if the freezer is too big, you can lay it on its side. But after that, you need to rest in the freezer.
The immediate opening of the freezer can make the refrigerant move and run. That’s why put the freezer in the proper position and wait till the units are all fine.
In the worst case, the doors of the freezer might not work or the refrigerant might flow.
Can I lay a chest freezer down to transport it?
No, you better try to transport the chest freezer in the upright form unless you have no other option than laying the freezer down.
Chest freezers are normally wider. There might be no problem in carrying the freezer in the upright form as it is smaller. Still, if the doors are too small or you cannot move them, the choice is yours.
Before transporting, plug off the freezer and secure the doors so that they do not open in the middle of the road.
Sometimes, the door opens and can get damaged or broken. To avoid such a situation, tap the whole freezer in the middle. As a result, the door would not open in the middle of the way.
You can lay down the freezer on the side of the compressor. Or to any side if the compressor is not on the side. After transporting, give it time to stay in place.
Which side do you lay a freezer down on?
Mainly you should lay the freezer upside down but if you want to lay the freezer on its side, lay it on the side of the compressor. If there is no compressor on the side, you can tilt the freezer on any side.
Generally, freezers are not meant to lay down on the sides as the internal structure might get damaged.
If you tilt or lay down the freezer, there is a chance that the water might drip from the evaporator of the freezer. Where the evaporator stands right on the top or back of the freezer.
As a result, the freezer would get damaged due to the water going into the internal lines and electrical lines.
Apart from that, the compressor can also leak oil and not work properly. Laying on the sides would have a lot of disadvantages at the time.
If you are taking the risk, take the calculated risk. The freezer does not come in cheap and neither can you fix it at a cheap rate.
If you can somehow find a way to move the freezer while keeping its original position, that is the best.
Thus, no longer you have to worry about the freezer getting damaged or the internal wires getting ruined. Overall, laying the freezer on its side is indeed not the best option.
How long can you lay a freezer on its side?
You can lay a freezer on its side for almost 24 hours but the less, the better. Well, most of the freezers are absolutely not suitable for putting on the side.
You need to put it straight in the upright position all the time. If you want to move it, laying it upside would not damage the freezer much unless it takes a long time.
You need to give your freezer time to get in its condition. For that, after doing all the work, put it back in the right position and let the freezer rest.
After 24 hours or the same time, you lie the freezer and put the freezer in close condition. After that, power it on.
As most freezers do not recommend laying the freezer on its side, you better try to avoid this.
What happens if a freezer is laid on its side?
Most of the time the freezer is transported while laying in the straight position where doors stand in place.
But laying on the side is not the common method and neither approach. Laying the freezer on the side indeed has lots of problems creating in the freezer. The following are the common problems you might face.
The compressor getting ruined:
The compressor mainly runs the freezer. Because it keeps the freezer cool. If it does not work, the freezer would not work either. If you want your freezer to work properly, you need to check on the compressor.
Well, in the case of laying the freezer on the side, the compressor would certainly leak some oil.
If by chance the oil enters the discharge line, the compressor would not work. You would not find your freezer in the right condition anymore.
Water dripping:
Mainly, in the freezer, there is an evaporator. The evaporator mainly takes the water or moisture from the freezer.
While laying the freezer down, the water can drip from the evaporator tray to the internal components. As a result, the internal component would get damaged and ruined.
You should definitely remove every plate from the freezer while moving it. Moreover, before laying the freezer, make sure the evaporator is dry and has no water in it.
Doors getting damaged:
Laying the freezer on its side can easily open the door. As a result, in the middle of the way, the freezer might get hit and get damaged. You better secure the doors with ropes or taps.
Final Thoughts
Overall, laying the freezer on its side is not good for the condition of the freezer. As long as you have the chance to transport it in the straight position, do it. Laying on the side can cause damage to the freezer. Especially, if you do not give the freezer enough time to restore itself.