How to transport a fridge-freezer

When moving a fridge freezer it is important to plan ahead as the process can take a few days to complete and is one of the more difficult electrical appliances to move from location to location. This guide will hopefully allow you to plan the process and take some of the stress out of the move.

Food usage

Plan ahead with meals in the weeks leading up to the move, so as to run down the food left in your freezer. The freezer should be empty for transportation as any food in the freezer will cause unnecessary weight for moving, the frozen food will also spoil quickly and leave a bad odour which may in turn ruin the freezer. It would also be a bit of a waste to discard a whole freezers worth of food due to a lack of planning.

Defrost the freezer

It is important to defrost the freezer before transportation as problems such as condensation and melting could occur during the move and ruin more than just the freezer. Preferably leave the freezer to defrost 2 days before the move so as to avoid such problems.

Remove the trays and clean

Once the freezer is defrosted, unplug it and remove the trays and any other removable objects from inside the freezer as these could move about in transit and cause damage to the freezer. Clean the trays and the inside of the freezer thoroughly with a cloth and detergent. Store the trays separately from the freezer for transit, being careful to appropriately store any breakable objects such as glass trays. Once this is done leave the freezer doors open for 24 hours to dry out.

Moving the appliance

To move the freezer there is a number of things to do. Firstly, if possible remove any handles as these may catch or damage other items during the move. Secondly you could fill the inside of the freezer with lightweight blankets to make the freezer more stable during the journey. Wrapping blankets or a soft covering around the outside of the freezer will also help during transport. By securing blankets or a soft cover around the outside it will stop the doors from opening, protect the elements of the freezer and prevent damage to the exterior of the appliance.

When booking a large item delivery service through Shiply or indeed anywhere, you should try and gauge whether or not the driver will be working alone or be accompanied by a drivers mate. If they do work alone, it is often expected that you, the customer can assist at pickup and drop-off locations (especially if the goods are particularly large and/or heavy).

It is also important to check the type of transport that is being used as freezers should be ideally transported vertically, therefore the vehicle must be tall enough to accommodate the freezer. If a vehicle is not tall enough check with the manufacturers guide/manual of the appliance or speak with an expert about whether it can be transported on it side.

When the freezer is in the vehicle make sure that it is secured as to stop it falling in transit.

Reinstalling your freezer

At the final destination it is important to return the freezer to a standing position, if it has been on its side, and wait some time before plugging the freezer back in. During transit the oil from the compressor may have moved into the cooling lines (especially if transported on its side) and it is important for this oil to drain back completely before switching the freezer back on, otherwise the freezer may not work. There are many suggested times to wait before switching the freezer back on but a 24 hour waiting period should be sufficient.