Moving house - should I transport my fridge-freezer standing up?

Illberich

Hi All,

A friend told me that I should make sure I keep my fridge-freezer standing up when moving house - is that right because it'll effect the size of van I hire!

Also... Any tips on hiring a van?

Thanks

aliasojo

Yes, keep it upright. It's to do with the gases and also the oil in the compressor.

Edit: Get quotes from the usual van hire companies but also check the likes of Quidco and HotUkDeals in case there are any promo offers or discount codes on the go.

Illberich

Didn't think of Quidco etc for saving money on Van hire - I'll take a look now. Thanks aliasojo

nikki1520

I think you're supposed to leave it to settle a bit after you've moved it before you plug it in. Could be nonsense, as new ones are always plugged in.

chris_m

nikki1520 wrote: »

I think you're supposed to leave it to settle a bit after you've moved it before you plug it in. Could be nonsense, as new ones are always plugged in.

That always used to be the advice - maybe it's not so critical with the modern CFC-free refrigerants, or maybe just more modern designs?

Yorkie1

Mine's just under 2 years old and had to be left for quite a few hours before being switched on.

aliasojo

Most (if not all) manufacturers still advise leaving the appliance for a certain length of time before switching on. Mine is 4 months old and it was supposed to be left to settle for a minimum of 3 hours.

Ulfar

If you don't transport it stood up it won't matter how long you leave it to settle as it will probably be knackered.

Illberich

Right, stood up it is then

Thanks for the advice (p.s. Enterprise rentals gave me the best LWB Van Hire price but couldn't find any cashback etc)

propertyman

Moving house - should I transport my fridge-freezer standing up?

not if you are driving...

but seriously its the oil in the system that leaks into the cooling tubes.

Don't forget to read the manual

a freezer can take a day or so to get to temp meaning that food may partially thaw and refreeze, leading to a lot of loo roll being consumed and sustained shouting "Europe" into a bowl.

pararct

I have shifted a few fridge freezers both upright and laid down. None have suffered any ill effects from having done so. You do need to leave them sometime though before switching back on, I usually leave them overnight.
The advice about keeping stood up is for a stocked freezer. Obviously if you lay it down then you cannot switch it on again straight after, this may well spoil the food.

It probably goes without saying but if you do lay it down empty it first of any glass shelves and trays. Lay it on it's side and not on its back (where it may damage the cooling fins) or the front (damage to handles). A good tip is to lay it on an old blanket, this will assist in pulling it to the rear when you want to unload it. Remember of course to wedge it in/tie it down to stop any movement when the van/truck is in motion.