How to Drain the Water Out of a Deep Freezer

Deep freezers are wonderful tools, especially for large households or people who like to coupon and stock up on frozen foods when they're on sale. Having an extra freezer on hand that keeps foods even colder than a traditional freezer ensures your food stays good for a longer duration. A deep freezer may need some maintenance in order to keep your food safe, however, including occasional defrosting and draining. If you have a power outage, you may also need to drain the water from your deep freezer if it melted while no electricity was available.

There are two types of freezers: those that automatically defrost and those that require you to do it manually. If your freezer relies on a manual defrost, you will need to have plenty of towels or buckets on hand so that the water does not flood your home as it melts.

To manually defrost a chest freezer, you will need to first move all of the food out of your appliance. If you are able, limit your shopping trips for a few weeks ahead of a planned defrost so that you have room in your main freezer for all of your frozen foods.

When the ice in your deep freezer is between ¼-inch and ½-inch thick, you should plan to defrost it. Unplug your freezer, taking care to set the cord outside the path of water. Pull out the drain plug for the chest freezer and set it aside. Place a bucket or pan underneath the deep freezer drain plug, first lining the surrounding area with garbage bags, then with thick towels.

You can put containers of hot water inside your deep freezer to make the ice melt faster, but don't leave the appliance alone for too long. Keep an eye on the defrosting process, and sponge out water as it melts to avoid excessive draining through the plug.

Another method for draining your deep freezer is to use a garden hose. Thread the end of the hose onto the deep freezer drain plug. Then, run the hose into a utility sink or outdoors. This will enable you to drain the deep freezer without maintaining a constant watch over the defrosting process.

Even if you choose to use the hose method, it's still a good idea to line the area surrounding the deep freezer with thick towels to catch water from any leaks. If the hose springs a leak or becomes detached from the drain plug, the towels will prevent major damage to your floor.

If you are running the hose out of your home through a door or window, take note of how far from your house's foundation the hose can reach. It's best to get the end of the hose at least 10 feet from the base of your house, especially if you live in an area with a high water table or have a basement that is prone to flooding.

Regardless of the cleaning method you choose, you should take advantage of your freezer being empty and give it a thorough cleaning once it is completely defrosted. Use baking soda and warm water to scrub out the inside the freezer. This will remove stains and give the freezer a fresh scent.