# Old Freezer



## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

Your opinions please. I inherited my mom's old upright freezer, circa 1978. It still works fine, at least I think so; we haven't used it for years, but we did try it out a couple years ago to make sure it still powered on and got cold. Would you use it, or just give it away and get a new one? I definitely want a freezer, but have been putting it off because I had one . . . wasn't sure what to do, if the cost in electric would eat up anything I'd save from prepping and stocking up. 

Or maybe I'll just get a new one and use the old freezer for safe food storage, sort of like an airtight pantry? It does have a lock, nice to have if I'm storing food in the garage.

Either way, now is the time to make that decision.


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I think I would use it. My mom is still using hers from the late 60s and it works fine. As far as saving, if you bought a new one and had the old one that worked fine, you lost that amount of money. It would have to be seriously messed up to eat up that much electricity that it would hurt you. 
IMO Prepping doesn't always mean saving, prepping means having when you need it. Sometimes it costs us a bit more to be secure.


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## shawnlee (Apr 13, 2010)

I would use it as you suggested as a food safe area for preps....

I would think it would be horribly inefficient.

I would say you would probably save the cost of a new one in 5 years running that old beast in electric costs....compared to a new one.

We got a new one last year and it costs alot less to run than the one that was 5-7 years old....


Get a killawatt meter and use it for a month and then compare it to a new ones rating....those meters come in handy and then you would actually know the difference in savings per year on a new one vs the old one.....

The old one could still be used in a pinch for emergencies.....but would serve as a nice airtight rodent and bug free storage locker for food etc....


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## ladytoysdream (Dec 13, 2008)

We have 2 upright freezers in use. One we bought new a few years ago, and the other one was bought new in 1973. I only had the older one for years and decided I better get a newer one and only use the old one as a backup unit like during deer season. Well I now have 2 freezers running, both near full. Plan still is to get the older freezer emptied. I don't see it happening at any time soon though. I have a lot of vegtables and bread in it. I do can food, but don't have a lot of storage area for my canning jars when full. 
So as long as the old one keeps running, it has a home here  

So how does one use a freezer that is not running for dry storage. Wouldn't it get a musty type smell after time ? I thought about a few boxes of baking soda, but that doesn't seem like it would be enough.


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## Gabriel (Dec 2, 2008)

Definitely keep it, no matter what you use it for. We currently own four freezers, two of which work. The other two were working, but failed... while full of food. If you miss the fact that they've stopped working, that gets expensive quick. I still like using the old ones for storage, they do an admirable job of keeping rodents out.


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## tkrabec (Mar 12, 2003)

It can also function as a "Cooler" You can put ice in it or run it to keep extra food cold or use it as an emergency replacement for another freezer that is giving you problems


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## debbiekatiesmom (Feb 24, 2009)

well i have nothing but bad luck w used freezers, so i wouldn't recommend using it. but i definitely would keep it. i have 2 chest freezers that i use for keeping feed in and an upright for food storage as they are rodent proof.(all 3 were used freezers that quit on me!)


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

i hear people say all the time the old freezers or fridges are horibly inificient it isn't that true, if the seals are in good shape and the cooling coils are cleaned regular

yes they draw more power while in use but the way the new fridges get such good ratings is to use pathetic motors to drive a cooling system that is undersized 
this gives good numbers for holding temp but they are horible at draw down and they nearly balance out the old units as they run on less but for longer while an older draws more but runs less time.


the only true test would be to run the 2 units with a kilowatt meter doing the same thing , if you have a freind with a newer freezer you could plug the meter in and see what thiers uses , and then yours 

i have a 1980 up right freezer that was my grandmothers i noticed no signifigant change in my electric bill from adding it maybe a few dollars a month that would be a lot of months to pay for a new freezer


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## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

It's good to keep as a backup. Nice thing about the old freezers is they get cold really fast once you plug them in.

What to do when they are not in use? First, make sure they are really clean and dry inside so they don't mold.

Then you can use to store winter sweaters and clothing. 

Or if you are industrious, they make excellent "caves" for making and ageing cheeses.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Freezers aren't that expensive-a new one will be so much cheaper to run it will pay for itself in no time. You also get more cubic feet of storage in the same amount of space, the newer insulation takes much less room. If you are going to use the old one, let it run for at least several days before you use it. If it isn't working right it may appear to work, cool well at first and then quit. If that happens you don't want it full of food.


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## Pack Rat (Nov 9, 2006)

The efficiency of freezers has less to do with their age than their type and how they are used: Upright freezers opened fairly often are horrible compared to a chest freezer with the same amount of use, because every time you open the door on an upright, the 'cold' drains out, meaning it has to run more to bring the air temp back down. With a chest freezer, the 'cold' has no where to drain away to, and you only lose a little when you open and close it. The greater the air exchange in the box, the more frost builds up on the chill surfaces, and the lower the efficiency. 

Something else to watch for: most uprights and even some chest freezers are available "frost free", which means they have an electric element on the evaporator coil to defrost any water vapor that has condensed and frozen on the surface taking the heat out of the box. Obviously it also heats the box in removing the ice, and while it makes manual defrosting unnecessary, it eats far more electricity than a manual defrost model. 

To sum up: if at all possible, get a manual defrost chest freezer for your primary use, and defrost it at least once a year. I do mine in the winter when I can set all the stuff in it outside in coolers, and when the indoor air humidity is usually really low, so it start out fresh with little moisture in the air to make frost on the sides of the box.


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## kasilofhome (Feb 10, 2005)

I collect them. 
They become smokers, animal supplies, storage units. Handy in a greenhouse -bins and shelves.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

There was a tax/store credit last year for turning in old appliances. Once you've had a filled freezer go bad you never forget it. 
I've always thought that an old upright freezer would make a great hidden gun safe.

~~ pelenaka ~~


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## Sunbee (Sep 30, 2008)

I have an old upright, from sometime in the seventies, I'd guess. It has to be defrosted every now and then, but I have a rule that we only open it once a week to take stuff out. Mostly it stores meat, so it doesn't get opened very often to put things in. Our electric didn't go up noticeably when we got it, so if I had to guess, I'd say five bucks a month, and we run it at 0.
We got the door seal fixed when we got it, and put a plug in the drain hole.
How do I clean the coils? I can't see any coils. Do I have to take off some part of the outside to get to them?


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

If it works, and it's free, use it. 
We've gotten free freezers before (up to five now, running and brim full). One is filled with nothing but RAW for the dogs. When I get too much for the dogs to eat at one time, it all goes in the freezer for when we don't get enough.

We have 'too much' in the freezers, but it IS convenient. There are enough canning jars and lids for years worth of canning, and if a freezer dies, the good stuff goes into fruit jars and is pressure canned, and then it's good for years. Sometimes you just don't have an extra four or five hours in the evening to can up an extra hog or two.


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## Peacock (Apr 12, 2006)

Thanks for the input. I think I'll go ahead and use it for now, only partially loaded in case it isn't working right, and shop around for a new chest freezer. Then keep the old one for other stuff and a backup. Glad to know I was on the right track--thought everyone might say not to use a freezer that old! And yes, it's definitely manual defrost. I remember defrosting it many times as a kid.

I guess it would be kind of dumb to get rid of a freezer even if it didn't work, with a lock on it. Gun safe, of course, why didn't I think of that? We have one, but the fridge would be good for all kinds of storage. And if moisture might be an issue, there are lots of products made to absorb moisture, that shouldn't be a problem.

Of course right now I have to do some decluttering just to get TO it. I have an extra fridge I'm using but I think the freezer would be much more useful in that space.


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