Recommendations for a Good Freezer

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Morgan101

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We may be in the market for a new freezer. I am pretty disillusioned with the brands we have had. We had an old chest freezer that lasted for thirty years. We have had two uprights neither of which lasted for five years. We bought an extended warranty for the second one, and it died within days of the warranty expiration. Still takes two weeks to get a serviceman to look at it.

What have you had that has lasted and given you good service? I am seriously questioning whether or not to get another one. If they are all garbage I don't want to waste my money in more ways than one. Thanks for your help.
 
We may be in the market for a new freezer. I am pretty disillusioned with the brands we have had. We had an old chest freezer that lasted for thirty years. We have had two uprights neither of which lasted for five years. We bought an extended warranty for the second one, and it died within days of the warranty expiration. Still takes two weeks to get a serviceman to look at it.

What have you had that has lasted and given you good service? I am seriously questioning whether or not to get another one. If they are all garbage I don't want to waste my money in more ways than one. Thanks for your help.
Curious

You aren't by any chance running them a cold space ae you?

Ben
 
You aren't by any chance running them a cold space ae you?

I don't think so. The freezer is in the garage. All three have been in essentially the same place. The chest freezer worked flawlessly. The other two not so much. The current one is supposed to be repaired or replaced for free so my wife tells me. We will see.

Thank you all for your recommendations.
 
I don't think so. The freezer is in the garage. All three have been in essentially the same place. The chest freezer worked flawlessly. The other two not so much. The current one is supposed to be repaired or replaced for free so my wife tells me. We will see.

Thank you all for your recommendations.
The owners manual of our most chest freezer had a minimum operating temp. I had planned to keep it in an unheated porch but moved into the second kitchen when I read that spec.

Speculating
It may be due to the newer refrigerant to replace freon.

Ben
 
Freezers and air conditioners are on their 3rd or 4th generation from freon. The warning label on my new freezer is a warning that the refrigerant is flammable. I wondered if I could get one that still used ammonia but no luck.
 
For about 6 months each year, Alaska is a pretty good freezer. ;)

I have a bunch of freezers, all at least 20 years old. I think they are all Frigidaire and one Kenmore. I have no clue what the hot brands are today.
 
We may be in the market for a new freezer. I am pretty disillusioned with the brands we have had. We had an old chest freezer that lasted for thirty years. We have had two uprights neither of which lasted for five years. We bought an extended warranty for the second one, and it died within days of the warranty expiration. Still takes two weeks to get a serviceman to look at it.

What have you had that has lasted and given you good service? I am seriously questioning whether or not to get another one. If they are all garbage I don't want to waste my money in more ways than one. Thanks for your help.
I have one that I love - always works and has a key lock on the door so no accidently leaving it open. Will look when I return home at the brand.
 
We had a no-name-ish brand (Insignia) chest freezer for over 20 years. We gave it away, but it still worked fine. We replaced it with two Emerson upright freezers from BJ's Wholesale. Now we have more space - 14cu ft - for $400. If they die, I won't feel too terrible about it. I'm reluctant to pay north of $1000, which is what a lot of places are asking for large upright freezers around here, when I'm not even sure the name brands will do better than the off-brands. That's something to consider.
 
Freezers and air conditioners are on their 3rd or 4th generation from freon. The warning label on my new freezer is a warning that the refrigerant is flammable. I wondered if I could get one that still used ammonia but no luck.
I always wondered why they did away with ammonia. It worked great.
Every refrigerated warehouse, and every freezer warehouse I went in, was still using it thru 2018 when I retired.
The low temps they could create were 'breath-taking'. Visit one that has a "blast".
-55°F air moving at 60mph. Put an entire pallet of refrigerated meat in the blast, and it is frozen solid in 20 minutes.
Sorry, back on topic: Freezers have all been sold-out around here for months.
Get on the 'list' and you may have a shot at one in 3 months. :(
 
The old one in my laundry rm is close to 50yrs old, 19cuft. The name plate says "Kelvinator". I think its a commercial grade freezer. It's never been serviced that I'm aware.

I just checked the net... Home depot sells Kelvinator commercial freezers along with restaurant suppliers. $1K for about 20cuft.
 
I always wondered why they did away with ammonia. It worked great.
Every refrigerated warehouse, and every freezer warehouse I went in, was still using it thru 2018 when I retired.
The low temps they could create were 'breath-taking'. Visit one that has a "blast".
-55°F air moving at 60mph. Put an entire pallet of refrigerated meat in the blast, and it is frozen solid in 20 minutes.
Sorry, back on topic: Freezers have all been sold-out around here for months.
Get on the 'list' and you may have a shot at one in 3 months. :(
Why no ammonia

Wasn't there an incident in the last month or so where 5 or so people were killed at a food processing plant due to an ammonia leak?

Ben
 
Why no ammonia

Wasn't there an incident in the last month or so where 5 or so people were killed at a food processing plant due to an ammonia leak?

Ben
Likely.
There have been infrequent incidences of that for over 60 years.
Of course, if 50 gallons of liquid refrigerant hits the floor indoors in a sealed area, it doesn't much matter which refrigerant it is, asphyxiation results.
Liquid C02? Liquid nitrogen? Same thing.
 
I always wondered why they did away with ammonia. It worked great.
Every refrigerated warehouse, and every freezer warehouse I went in, was still using it thru 2018 when I retired.
The low temps they could create were 'breath-taking'. Visit one that has a "blast".
-55°F air moving at 60mph. Put an entire pallet of refrigerated meat in the blast, and it is frozen solid in 20 minutes.
Sorry, back on topic: Freezers have all been sold-out around here for months.
Get on the 'list' and you may have a shot at one in 3 months. :(

Ammonia works really well. I worked for 3 years in a packing house. All freezers were ammonia driven. They did -30 real easy. I'd unload the smokehouses where the hams or bacon was smoked. Temps of the meat was 150 when we shut them down. Take the racks directly from the houses at 120 degrees straight into a -30 freezer. Great equation for sinus problems. Good thing the snot froze fast in the freezers. dancing chicken
 
My "good" freezer is a Citation. I've had it at least 20 years & it's still my most reliable one. Had a chest freezer go bad a few month ago and have a Frigidaire upright that works okay, but the shape of the shelves in it and on the door if weighted can cause the door not to seal properly so I have to watch it.
 
I think you are better off getting an old used one.
Old ones have some disadvantages.
The use a lot more electricity than the new ones.
Old style refrigerants are really expensive. My home heat pump got a refrigerant leak. The unit is 15 years old. It made more sense to replace the whole furnace and heat pump. The old style refrigerant is $150 per POUND and it takes 16 pounds.
 

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