Asking Someone to Defrost Freezer

[Aquarius1234]

AIBU to want to pay someone to defrost my freezer?
I just can't do it.!!
Anyone know what type of cleaner/ handyman does this?

If you don't want to turn off the electric supply to the whole house and you really can't find the socket, you could just take the relevant fuse out of the fuse box.

My fridge and freezer have the cable through the back of the cabinets next to them with a socket that I can unplug them from.

My plug is in the cupboard next to it, there is a chance though when it was fitted that they just plugged it in behind.

You will only need to isolate the kitchen if you do it at the mains.

There's a red power switch inside the boiler cupboard. 6ft boiler electric.

I agree with pp go to your fuse box and flick the switch for the kitchen, it should be clearly marked.

Probably. Problem with new builds. Fine for first 10 years then your stuck when anything needs repairing or replacing.

You don't need a hair dryer, bowls, or baking trays with boiling water will do the trick nicely. Just replace boiling water as the ice cools it.

I mentioned upthread that we have isolator switches, similar to the photo. Ours is in a cupboard, but not even in the kitchen! Maybe you have similar, otherwise, you'd need to turn the kitchen circuit off at the switch board.

That's handy!!
Mine aren't labeled.

Ask a neighbour, preferably female, to help and find switch.

Once switch has been identified, label it. Run down fridge and freezer so your freezer items can be stuffed into the fridge.

Shut fridge and open up freezer with towels on floor. A hairdryer will start the ice melting and a flat wooden spatula can be used to poke and prise away the ice. I like yo use a heat gun, but that baby has to keep moving, unless you're destroying a hefty slab of ice. Wave hairdryer around intermittently. A washing up bowl in the bottom can catch the ice to dump into the sink.

Make tea and put the radio on as this may take some time.

When all of the ice is gone, bleach the mould, rinse and wipe with a dry tea towel and replace the freezer stuff. Close freezer door, turn power on and mop the floor as a cold puddle will have collected in front of the fridge freezer.

Have another cuppa and go shopping.

I used to use bowls of hot water and it was a nightmare. I now use a wallpaper steamer and it takes a quarter of the time.

Yeh I tried bowls of hot water and metal tools.
Didn't work.

Do you what make your fridge freezer is? Then we could look up the model online and maybe locate where the off button is.

How does a handheld steamer work?
Why would you use it in the bathroom for taps?
Anyone got a Bissell one?

But if you hadn't turned it off then it would keep re freezing the steam.
Just turn it off, keep the fridge closed, and don't expect it to be immediate.
Good luck!

@Aquarius1234 - you can turn off the whole fridge/freezer by setting the temperature dial to 0 (usually in the fridge). If you keep the fridge closed it should stay cold enough whilst you clean the freezer. Will take an hour, scraping and using hair dryer, bowls of hot water etc

Electrolux don't know model.
It was put it 2011 as far as I know.

Ah okay. 0 means off then . Thanks.

Serial number/Model number/Product number (PNC) on my fridge freezer | Electrolux

once you know the model you can google for instructions.

The fridge will be fine switched off for a few hours. Just don't open the door. If you're one of those Mumsnetters who think that food goes bad if it's above fridge temperature for 5 minutes, just do it when you don't have any raw meat or fish in and everything else will be fine for hours.

If you can't find the plug, defrost it in the daylight and switch off at the main fuse. Use bowls of hot water like people have suggested. You can do this.

Does it have a panel like this:

the button with a circle with a line in the middle is the on/off.

As an aside our fridge freezer died a while ago. Everything in my fridge stayed fresh for 3 days by being very careful about opening the door. The stuff in the fridge will be fine in the couple of hours it take to defrost.

Hairdryer. Easy peasy

I did this too. Took about 6 hours and literally chipping off ice. My freezer was resembling Antarctica at the time 🙈
It was so full it wasn't freezing and the ice cream was like mousse

Wow 6 hours .