Since March is National Frozen Food Month (yes, there really is a month dedicated to frozen food), we thought this would be a good time to talk about moving a fridge and freezer. If you are preparing for an upcoming residential move, there are a few things you should know.
First, now is the time to start slowing emptying your refrigerator and freezer. Don’t buy any new frozen foods or other perishables until you’ve eaten what you currently have, and then only purchase what you will need before moving.
If your fridge and freezer are full of food and you won’t have time to consume it all before the move, consider giving whatever you won’t be able to eat. You don’t want to waste the food, but you cannot take it with you, especially if you are making a long distance move.
Perhaps you are moving locally and want to take some of the foods. If so, you will need a travel cooler to transport the food in. A 165-quart MaxCold cooler will cost about $120, so if you don’t already own one, consider the cost of buying one plus ice vs. replacing the food before you decide. Also keep in mind that you will need to move the filled cooler yourself rather than include it in items your moving company handles, so it is probably not worth the hassle and expense.
Even if you are moving locally and handling the move yourself, you may want to hire a moving company for your large appliances. Moving a fridge and freezer yourself is not an easy task, and if you lay one down in the back of a truck it could damage the compressor, leaving you with a non-working refrigerator or freezer.
Preparing a Fridge & Freezer for a Moving Company
If you hired professional residential movers, proper pre-move preparation of large appliances is required. Contact a service technician to take care of it, or ask your mover to send an authorized technician to perform the service.
You will need to defrost, clean and dry your freezer at least 24 hours before service and moving. If your freezer is not a defrost model, allow additional time for defrosting. Unplug both your fridge and freezer. Place towels on the floor to soak up any water that may drip. Empty all contents and begin cleaning your fridge while waiting for the freezer to defrost.
Remove any glass drawers or shelves as well as any loose parts. Clean, dry, wrap and pack them separately for moving.
After your freezer completely defrosts, thoroughly clean and dry all surfaces of your refrigerator and freezer inside and out, then leave the doors open at least 24 hours to enable any remaining moisture to evaporate. Even slight moisture can cause mold and mildew to grow. You also need to empty, clean and dry the evaporator pan.
Your service technician can provide any additional instructions and answer any question you have about moving your fridge and freezer. For other moving and packing tips, click here.
