Chest freezers are a wonderful invention. Ours gets filled with fresh fruit when they ripen in their season. Blueberries, strawberries, applesauce and corn are just a few of our favorite that we thaw and enjoy in mid winter. Some how my wife’s raspberries never make it into the freezer.
Folks do save money buying and freezing meat and fresh produce, when the price is right. Chest freezers are a real money saving appliance. They use little power for the benefit that we get. The shape of chest freezers doesn’t let the cold fall out when the door is opened. Most chest freezers are well insulated so the compressor does not need to run very often.
You can save even more money if you use an appliance timer.
You can save money by not allowing your freezer to run during part of the day.
My friend Denise at Frugal Village Forums is only allowing her chest freezer to run 7 hours a day. She gives it a long time out during the cool part of the night and morning. She allows it to run during alternate periods of an hour and a half or two hours during the heat of the afternoon and evening. Their freezer is not opened during the long time out and the temperature stays close to zero.
Ben H., one of my readers, is giving his freezer a time out over night on the same schedule he uses for his hot water heater timer.
By plugging your chest freezer into an appliance timer, you can limit how often it runs.
The Energy Boomer recommends giving your chest freezer a time out:
If you have time of day electric rates, give your freezer a time out when you are charged a higher rate during “on peak” hours. Let it run during low price “off peak” hours.
If your electric company charges you a demand charge, give your freezer a time out when you operate other appliances. If you use the dishwasher or laundry equipment on a regular schedule, set the timer on the freezer to avoid those times.
Set the timer to give your freezer a time out during parts of the day when the lid can stay closed.
Allow it to run during times of day when folks are likely to open it to add or remove items.
Give you freezer a long time out during the cool part of the day.
If you are worried, about it warming up above freezing when it is off, throw a blanket over it. That will remind folks to leave it closed and add some insulation while it is coasting through the off time.
Remember it freezes to about zero or minus 10 degrees and will not thaw anything until it gets to plus 32. It takes half a day or more for it to warm up that much. Filling empty space with old milk jugs full of water will help it coast for a very long time.
Play it safe, start with a short time out period and check the temperature just before it comes on. If it is not above plus 5 degrees, you can stretch the off time with confidence that you are not going to waste expensive food.
When selecting an appliance timer for your freezer get a good one that will be reliable. It should have at least a 15-amp power rating and have a three pronged grounded plug and outlet.
Click here for a selection of appliance timers
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