Large chest freezer or 3 smaller freezers ??

g4fne

Decided running a one large chest freezer instead of 3 smaller ones seems much more econimical on paper.

Question now is finding one within my £250 budget that has an approximate capacity of 400litres/13cu ft in size

Fire_Fox

Chest freezers are less energy efficient than upright freezers, can't you get one new large upright instead of the two worst offenders?

g4fne

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Chest freezers are less energy efficient than upright freezers, can't you get one new large upright instead of the two worst offenders?

Are you sure that is right ???
A 13cu ft gross capacity "A+" rated chest freezer consumes approx 288 kWh/ year energy & has 12.8 cu.ft net freezer capacity.

The nearest sized upright "A" rated freezer i can find is 11.0 cu.ft gross capacity but only 8.5cu.ft net freezer capacity yet still consumes 318kw/h & costs considerably more to buy

I'm happy to be corrected if i'm getting this wrong

KimYeovil

I think Fire Fox is mistaken, too. Modern chest freezers must have an at least as efficient element as upright freezers. And the simple physics of the cold air sitting where it is (rather than tumbling out the door) helps.

Of course, it depends on how organised the freezer is - I suppose a vertical storage space may be easier and quicker to browse and access items in than digging through a chest one.

Pincher

I think Firefox might be thinking about the chest freezers for selling ice creams. The sliding glass doors obviously don't provide much insulation.

I was thinking about one of these for a kitchen corner position, a square one, so access has to be from the top. Not a brilliant idea, bad ventilation.

Lazy_Ike

g4fne wrote: »

Decided running a one large chest freezer instead of 3 smaller ones seems much more econimical on paper.

Question now is finding one within my £250 budget that has an approximate capacity of 400litres/13cu ft in size

Not sure if your budget/capacity can be met. I have had a 175l upright for over a year still available @ £210 free delivery and removal of (one?) old freezer, from Mr T Esco's emporium. Rated A 4*. Claimed to use 240KwH/Year. After a month of recording on my usage meter mine extrapolates to 200KwH/year.
I think the chest v. upright story of cold tumbling out is a red herring. If the freezer content is at or near capacity, there is very little free cold air to fall out, access to contents is improved so time with door open is reduce. Should not be opening a freezer more than once - twice a day.
Although you might be able to get more useable capacity out of a chest initially, if not packing in regular sized containers you soon lose this level of efficiency in packing as you remove items, and find you can never replace frozen items to original close-packed postions. I have had both, and now will have only the upright type.
There are other threads where it is mentioned that having a freezer in an unheated (I presume) garage is not necessarily a good thing, but cannot remember if that is about efficiency of electricity usage and/or the effect on freezing capability vis vis ambient temp.

g4fne

Lazy_Ike wrote: »

Not sure if your budget/capacity can be met. I have had a 175l upright for over a year still available @ £210 free delivery and removal of (one?) old freezer, from Mr T Esco's emporium. Rated A 4*. Claimed to use 240KwH/Year. After a month of recording on my usage meter mine extrapolates to 200KwH/year.
I think the chest v. upright story of cold tumbling out is a red herring. If the freezer content is at or near capacity, there is very little free cold air to fall out, access to contents is improved so time with door open is reduce. Should not be opening a freezer more than once - twice a day.
Although you might be able to get more useable capacity out of a chest initially, if not packing in regular sized containers you soon lose this level of efficiency in packing as you remove items, and find you can never replace frozen items to original close-packed postions. I have had both, and now will have only the upright type.
There are other threads where it is mentioned that having a freezer in an unheated (I presume) garage is not necessarily a good thing, but cannot remember if that is about efficiency of electricity usage and/or the effect on freezing capability vis vis ambient temp.

Interesting post .... thanks

I have found a chest freezer with 13cu.ft capacity for £285 delivered (including cashback) rated A+ (288kw/h year). I am aware an element of tolerance will need to be considered as it will be stored in garage. Interesting point about the upright efficiency though. The shape of an upright would be prefereable but struggling to find anything at price range & capacity

JennyR68

I found my chest freezer much easier to access/organise after I invested in some baskets for it from here http://www.hamsterbaskets.co.uk/baskets.html