Problem with Zanissi Frost Free Fridge Freezer in unheated utility

smallsausagedog

Hello, I hope someone can advise me or help find a solution to my problem.

In mid october I managed to pursuade my elderly aunt to buy a fridge freezer to keep in the house so she doesn't have to go out to the freezer in the garage on freezing winter nights because I'm afraid she may have a fall.

There was no room in the kitchen so it had to go in the utility room. A local company came out, measured up and installed a Zanissi zrb224nxo frost free. It worked fine until the beginning of January when the fridge stopped working and the freezer started icing up and the motor started running constantly.

An engineer from Zanussi came out an said a vent was blocked. He fixed this and also set the temperature in the fridge to normal. It seemed to work for a while, but now things are defrosting in the freezer and the temperature in the fridge is 10 degrees.

This time Zanussi said that they wouldn't come out again as the problem was caused by the room being too cold. There isn't any heating in the utility, though the oil boiler is in there.

She has been measuring the minimum and maximum temperatures and it has gone down to 14 degrees, though it has been mild recently.

She rang the retailer who installed it, they said that it wasn't their problem and she should have read the manual and realized that the room would be too cold. However, she wasn't given the manual until after they had already installed it and left with her money. Should she have been warned before purchase that these frost free freezers wont work properly in garages or unheated rooms?

If she can't get her money back, does anyone think it is possible to keep the freezer warm enough to work by lining the walls surrounding it with silver foil?

Thank you, I'd be really grateful if anyone could advise me.

Myser

smallsausagedog wrote: »

A local company came out, measured up and installed a Zanissi zrb224nxo frost free.

Your re-course should be with the company that came to measure up and specify the fridge. They should have noted the environment it was going to be kept in and determined its suitability.

Something to note - others on this forum seem to be having problems with Zanussi frost-free fridge/freezers too.

Ruski

Our Bosch frost free freezer has been in unheated 'outhouse' for about 5 years nbow without any problems at all. Zanussi copping out???

ormus

ive never had any problems with fridge/freezers in garages or outhouses.
sounds more like the machine is faulty.

smallsausagedog

Myser wrote: »

Your re-course should be with the company that came to measure up and specify the fridge. They should have noted the environment it was going to be kept in and determined its suitability.

Something to note - others on this forum seem to be having problems with Zanussi frost-free fridge/freezers too.

Thanks Myser, I agree with you on this. I got my aunt to ring trading standards last week and they weren't very hopeful about getting money back from the retailer. However, she is 88 and gets a bit confused. I will try ringing them myself tomorrow and see what they say.

I feel that if this is a known issue with frost free, the retailer should check that the appliance will be in a well heated room before selling.

Myser

If Trading Standards are no help, try Consumer Direct. They often forward the case through to Trading Standards too.

Was it purchased with a credit card?

I still think the retailer is at fault here as they came to measure up and install the fridge-freezer. Your elderly aunt wasn't to know that it wouldn't be suitable to install in the utility room - especially if it wasn't specified at the time of purchase.

greyteam1959

My opinion only.........
The unit is faulty, & it should be replaced under the Sale of Goods Act.
Total & utter bullsh1t about working temperatures.........
It is the retailers responsibility so keep at them.
It would help if you paid by credit card.

kwatt

Ehm, sorry, it's a fact about operating temperatures. Or are you saying that all the labels printed on every bit of refrigeration sold in the EU is total rubbish because you think it is?

The SoGA is a great bit of legislation but, just remember, it protects retailers (a lot of the time from idiot consumers) as much as it protects consumers against rubbish retailers. It isn't a nuclear weapon that will get you results every time as you have to be "reasonable".

Stating that printed facts on the label of every bit of refrigeration equipment are rubbish in your opinion isn't exactly being reasonable.

If it's a single compressor fridge freezer, probably is as most are now, then under about 10˚C it will cut out and not kick in as the ambient is too low so it cannot, technically, work. It is not possible to have a cheap single compressor unit that will work in the conditions.

That's why there's labels telling people that.

K.

smallsausagedog

kwatt wrote: »

If it's a single compressor fridge freezer, probably is as most are now, then under about 10˚C it will cut out and not kick in as the ambient is too low so it cannot, technically, work. It is not possible to have a cheap single compressor unit that will work in the conditions.

That's why there's labels telling people that.

Unfortunately, we didn't see any labels because the retailer installed it so we didn't see any warning labels on the back. From now on, I will know to check the operating temperatures of any appliance before purchasing, but I doubt that many consumers are aware that frost-free appliances need to be in a warm environment to work.

I've looked at the manual and there is a table of operating temperatures:

Climate class Ambient temperature
SN +10 C to +32 C
N +16 C to +32 C
ST +16 C to +38 C
T +16 C to +43 C

Would we have to pull the freezer out and look at the back to check which applies?

kwatt

It's on the rating plate inside the fridge.

Often also found on the energy label that has to be displayed in store and there would have been one inside on delivery normally as well.

Loads of people assume, wrongly, that appliances can be used anywhere. They can't.

K.

scrummy-mummy

My freezer works happily in my garage or shed. My fridge freezer(s) prefer to be indoors and 'play up' otherwise. It's a shame if your Aunt wasn't made aware of this by the installer, but i do wonder whether it will be her word against theirs in this case.

Is there any way of heating/warming the utility room?