Freezer(s)

[tomstractormag]

We currently have a small chest type freezer, 2X2X3. We are in need of more freezer space. Should we add 1 or more similar units? Logic being when one or more are emptied in can be unplugged. Same with filling them, start them as needed.
Thanks Tom

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Naw, go for the big one, it uses far less juice than 2 smaller ones running at the same time, I don't think you would ever make up your savings from having one turned off. Sell the one you got and buy a used one, you can often find one in good shape for 1/2 of what they cost new. People hate moving freezers!

[neolady]

Go for the biggest ones. I went with a few smaller ones figuring that if one of them croaked then the others would be okay - then we lost power for 11 days, something I had never considered could or would happen. Generator would not keep them all going. It would have kept one or two big ones going

[WisJim]

Get the biggest most energy efficient unit that will fit your space.
How old are your existing freezers? We have 2 moderate sized freezers, 7 or 8 cubic feet, one is old (25 to 30+ years, got it at a garage sale) and the other we bought new around 1991 or so. I have checked their energy consumption with a kill-a'Watt" meter, and found that a new 14 to 17 cu ft freezer will hold the same amount and use less power than EITHER of the old freezers. Freezer energy consumption has gone down in recent years, so if you buy a used one, don't get one that is very old. I did some calculations for energy use per cubic foot of storage, and the bigger the freezer the less power per cubic foot is used. I think it would probably be worth getting the biggest new one that you can use, or that will fit your space. My problem is getting a bigger freezer down the basement stairs--I am making a mock-up (big box of cardboard and 1x2s) the size of a bigger freezer to see if it will fit.

[hunter63]

Problem with big freezers is that they become full, then the stuff on the bottom goes bad.
Freezers are like closets, you will fill what ever you have, and get the warm fuzzy feeling that you have squirreled away food for a rainy day(SHTF).

Unless there is a real reason for them (meaning more than one), like big garden, butchered meat, game, etc, stick with one medium sized energy efficient model.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Originally Posted by hunter63

Problem with big freezers is that they become full, then the stuff on the bottom goes bad.

Sorry for the thread drift, but... To remedy this we have an "eat down" a period every year or so, where we don't buy anything (no matter how good the sale price)that would go into the freezer until it is empty. I don't think we have ever lost anything to freezer burn.

[highlands]

Go with the biggest chest freezer you think you could possibly need. Note that some can be left outdoors through the winter and others can't. Frigidare can from what I've read. I may buy one of them for my next freezer - we raise pastured pigs and sell meat so this is a topic I've been looking at.

I have a Amana 25 cu-ft that I just bought - it says not to leave it out in the cold. Nice new freezer but I hate it that the compressor is not built tough to thrive in our northern climate.

Our old, old, old (older than I and I'm not telling) 25 cu-ft chest freezer is more efficient than the new Amana (----er) and the old one can be left out in the cold and turned off for about three months in our climate. I redid the insulation for the lid on the old freezer this past year, replacing it with foam instead of the fiber it had and it is even better now than it was before. Look around, it may be worth getting a used freezer.

I just scored a free(!) 19 cubic-foot commercial chest freezer with sliding glass top doors and put it inside our van for delivering meat. It fits perfectly. Now we can carry six live pigs, size frozen pigs and six people all at once. This helps make our weekly trips to the butcher more efficient.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

[texican]

I like the larger freezers. We have three. Medium chest, small chest, and large upright (freebie off of swap shop). Agree with hunter, if you have em, you'll fill em. This year I was able to double up on venison and pork... Of course, there's an extra person eating here now, so it should even out.

If you don't 'manage' your large freezer, stuff on the bottom will stay on the bottom. I like to use milk crates, to help organize my freezers. I cycle all of my stock... before putting this years venison/pork in the freezer, I took all of last years stock and put it on top (and new on the bottom)...

As a shtf insurance policy, I keep several cases of lids/rings for an emergency canning session, in case the grid goes down for several weeks, or forever.

[highlands]

Oh, one other tip on chest freezers, we have cardboard boxes which we organize the various things in. Cardboard is easy to form into boxes of the right size and it holds up well in the freezer. Label the boxes along the tops. Keeps things organized.

[Windy in Kansas]

I have been looking at freezers some lately. I find that each jump in size only adds $2 or $3 to the average annual energy cost. I would get rid of the smaller freezer and get a larger one rather than adding a second energy hog.

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

Newer ones are more efficient, but they may break down sooner than the built like a tank older ones.

If you don't keep the freezer totally full all the time, efficiency drops and you'll be spending more trying to keep open space cold. In essence, the frozen goods are acting like big ice cubes.

If you put all your "eggs in one freezer", you may face a bigger loss if it goes out and you don't catch it or have a warning alarm or are home. I've heard plenty of stories about freezers going out and people having to throw away hundreds of dollars worth of meat...about half of them were power failure and the other half fridge failure.

Your thinking of several smaller ones may be the way to go for more peace of mind...

RF

[highlands]

Originally Posted by Rocky Fields

Newer ones are more efficient

That is what 'they' say, but my real life comparison of a very old (>40 years) and a brand new energy efficient freezer show the older one to be more efficient. It uses less energy, about half, to keep the same packed volume of food cold under the exact same conditions. The older one has also been running with out repairs for >40 years. If I could find more of them I would snap them up.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org