Old chest freezer - keep or replace?

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muddy42

Well-Known Member
I have a 33 year old chest freezer, its a secondary freezer which I only used to use occasionally, but since the game and venison market has dried up, its running permanently. Its never missed a beat and works fine.

However the motor seems to run a lot and I am concerned about its electricity use. I have checked the rubber lid seals, removed a little bit of ice and cleaned everything. I have tried putting a few buckets of water on the lid to weigh the door shut more. This seems to help a bit and the motor runs less.

- Does anyone have any other tips for cleaning the lid seals or making it run more efficiently?
- its essentially a half empty box, would it help to reduce the surplus airspace - line it with extra insulation panels or even install a false floor, resting on some buckets of ice?
- How much electricity is saved per year by running a new freezer compared to a 30 year old one?

Much as I hate replacing anything that is working fine, I recon it I could get <2 year payback on a new one, I would go for it. It doesn't need any fancy features.

Any feedback or experiences appreciated.
 
Have faced the same dilemma myself. Currently running 3 chest freezers and two upright freezers. The oldest chest freezer is 30, and never missed a beat. There's no doubt a new one would be more efficient.
Filling surplus air space will help. A stack of magazines or newspapers will do for that, and loads of ice packs slipped in wherever they'll fit.
 
Got a back up freezer in the garage which is more than 25 years old, still works fine and the seals are good although a little stiffer and grubbier than when first bought. Not sure about the electricity usage, but you always have to factor in the cost of a new freezer and removal of the old one - after 33 years I'd like to think you've had your moneys worth out of it!
Always handy for keeping some bags of ice in and freezer blocks as well as all the usual comestibles. It would be interesting to see how many years a modern, high efficiency, super "green" model lasts compared to the older types?
 
You can get plug in electricity meters - amazon and the likes. You could then track exactly how much it was using (and quickly calculate the cost per week etc).
 
Replaced the seal on my freezer and seemed to make a difference. Also put a bungee rope around handle to small bracket underneath to keep lid closed tight and sealed.
 
when you replace it dont bin it use it to put rubbish bags in with things you want kept dry until you have need of them,logs, dog food, deer bits etc stops foxes and cats from messing on them or shredding the bags. a friend has one he keeps his bird seed in and as its not powered any more can be put out of site etc.
 
The only change in fridge design in the last 40 years has been a change of refrigeration gas
R12 to R22 to R134 to R600a.
R12 was the best fridge gas ever but killed the ozone layer R22 was less toxic to it R134a a little less toxic and R600a which is actually pure butane.All less efficient as the numbers get higher.
There is a company called The Fridge Seal Company which if you take a photo of the seal should be able to match your seal with something softer, and prevent the problem accuring.
 
Why not glue some 20x3mm foam strip onto the freezer bodies seal contact surface to help the old original seal do its job and then put some removable weights on top of the lid like water buckets or suchlike to add pressure, filling the airspace inside helps too.
 
It's silly, but we do form attachments to the stupidest things, such as white goods that have served us well. You can faff about trying to make it more efficient by all means. But look in your local buy/sell my sh*t on Facebook or similar and you will see, with a bit of patience perhaps freezers that are a year or two old for not very much. People who are moving house or getting a new kitchen are always selling them off.

So take your old freezer to the recycling place, give it a good send off and salute it on the way out. You might see it again one fine day when you buy a can of coke.
 
muddy42 said:
I have a 33 year old chest freezer, its a secondary freezer which I only used to use occasionally, but since the game and venison market has dried up, its running permanently. Its never missed a beat and works fine.

However the motor seems to run a lot and I am concerned about its electricity use. I have checked the rubber lid seals, removed a little bit of ice and cleaned everything. I have tried putting a few buckets of water on the lid to weigh the door shut more. This seems to help a bit and the motor runs less.

- Does anyone have any other tips for cleaning the lid seals or making it run more efficiently?
- its essentially a half empty box, would it help to reduce the surplus airspace - line it with extra insulation panels or even install a false floor, resting on some buckets of ice?
- How much electricity is saved per year by running a new freezer compared to a 30 year old one?

Much as I hate replacing anything that is working fine, I recon it I could get <2 year payback on a new one, I would go for it. It doesn't need any fancy features.

Any feedback or experiences appreciated.
Click to expand...
Get rid of the piece of Shite . I completely agree with your sentiments surrounding the old friendly freezer, I also understand why you would like to justify keeping it.
I had a very old monoblock chiller unit on my Williams walk in deer chiller , I did loads of things to get it to be more effective with the kind advice of Sikadog off this site. Anyway, during the first lockdown I came across a virtually new monoblock chiller unit for £650 as opposed to the £3200 new price, so I grabbed it and spent a day cutting the old one off my walk in and then fitted the new one. So wonderful, so worth the time and money. It’s super efficient, gets warm deer down to temp in no time and hardly ever needs to cut in and only runs a couple of minutes when it does. Since having had a smart meter fitted I can see what it costs me to run and it’s pence per day. I wish I’d done that years ago.
Have a look on ebay or something. Chest freezers are the best as the cold air sits in the bottom rather than leaking out of the door on an upright job.
Happy hunting :thumb:
Kindest regards, Olaf
 
75 said:
You can get plug in electricity meters - amazon and the likes. You could then track exactly how much it was using (and quickly calculate the cost per week etc).
Click to expand...
A few weeks later and I have bought and been using a plug in electricity meter for the chest freezer. Without any weight pressing down the lid, energy use over a few days was 120 watts. With two buckets of water on the lid, energy use is 60 watts. The seals must be knackered. So I think this usage isn't bad considering its hot weather, so I'll just soldier on. I'll find some straps that are easier to release than moving the buckets.
 
muddy42 said:
A few weeks later and I have bought and been using a plug in electricity meter for the chest freezer. Without any weight pressing down the lid, energy use over a few days was 120 watts. With two buckets of water on the lid, energy use is 60 watts. The seals must be knackered. So I think this usage isn't bad considering its hot weather, so I'll just soldier on. I'll find some straps that are easier to release than moving the buckets.
Click to expand...
Well I must be a bit more posh than you as I use buckets of honey to keep the lids down on the freezers
😂😂
 
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