Hints & Tips

and must not be re-frozen. (See Hints and Tips)

Thawing

Deep frozen or frozen food, prior to being used, can be thawed in the fridge or at room temperature, depending on the time available. Small food items may even be cooked from frozen, in this case cooking will take longer.

Any frozen food which is allowed to thaw accidentally should either be eaten as soon as possible, or thrown away. Alternatively, if the food is uncooked and has not been completely defrosted it can be cooked and then refrozen.

Defrosted cooked food must never be refrozen.

Normal Operating Sounds

You may hear faint gurgling or bubbling sounds when the refrigerant is pumped through the coils or tubing.

When the compressor is on, the refrigerant is being pumped round and you will hear a whirring sound or pulsating noise from the compressor.

A thermostat controls the compressor and you will hear a faint `click' when the thermostat cuts in and out.

Food Storage

To obtain the best performance from your freezer: Do not store warm food or evaporating liquid.

Avoid buying frozen food if you cannot store it straight away. The use of an insulated container is advisable. When you arrive home, place the frozen food in the freezer immediately.

Do not push food together too much, try to allow air to circulate around each item.

Do not store food uncovered.

Ensure that food placed in the freezer is dated and labelled and used in date order to ensure that food is consumed at its best.

Lean food keeps better and longer than fatty food, salt reduces the storage time.

Wrap the food in polythene or aluminium freezing bags or foil so that they adhere to the food and provide an airtight seal.

Packaging which is swollen or has traces of refrozen water droplets on the pack could indicate that the product has not been kept at a suitable temperature and that it may have lost its original

quality. Partially thawed food must not be refrozen, it must be consumed within 24 hours. Never exceed the storage times indicated by the manufacturer.

Energy Saving Advice

Do not install the appliance close to sources of heat, such as a boiler or radiator.

Locate the appliance in a cool well ventilated room and make sure that the air openings of the appliance are not obstructed.

Avoid unnecessary frosting in the cabinet by packing all foodstuffs into airtight packages before placing them in the freezer.

Food which is to be frozen (when cool) should be placed in the fridge before being transferred to the freezer.

Try to avoid keeping the lid open for long periods or opening the lid too frequently as warm air will enter the cabinet and cause the compressor to switch on unnecessarily often.

Ensure there are no obstructions preventing the lid from closing properly.

In the Event of a Power Failure

If there is a power failure during the storage of frozen foods, keep the lid closed. If the temperature within your freezer should rise, do not refreeze the food without checking its condition. The following guidelines should assist you:

Ice cream:	Once thawed should be
	discarded.
Fruits & Vegetables:	If soft should be cooked
	and used up.
Breads & Cakes:	Can be refrozen without
	danger.
Shellfish:	Should	be	refrigerated
	and used up quickly.
Cooked Dishes:	i.e. casseroles should be
	refrigerated and used up.
Large Pieces of Meat:	Can	be	refrozen
	providing there are still
	ice crystals		remaining
	within them.
Small Joints:	Should	be cooked and
	can then be refrozen as
	cooked dishes.
Chicken:	Should	also	be cooked
	and refrozen as a fresh
	dish.