Hi Mamas - moving across town from Dallas to Fort Worth - about 1.5 hours. Do I need to do a complete shutdown defrost or will it be ok just moving it empty?
We've had power outages that have lasted longer and the food in the freezer stayed cold. Just wondering if I can empty out the fridge part and leave it be.
So put food in coolers, dry out, and we're good to go? I was thinking of leaving food in the freezer section, but didn't think about weight of food. It's almost empty now - we're eating as much as we have and not restocking to avoid packing :) Thanks!
Read Mum4ever♫'s comments. We moved 1100 miles from Lubbock, Texas to San Bernardino, CA. We wrapped our chest freezer and took it with us. The ice cream was still ice cream and hard.
Wrap your frig and take it with you or let them move it. All your food will remain cold enough.
Good luck to you and yours.
I moved from Irvine, California to Phoenix, AZ in the summer several years ago. It doesn't get much hotter than that there.
The movers wrapped my refrigerator and freezer in moving pads with bungie chords, plopped it in the moving van, there was an overnight delay, and everything inside the frig and freezer was still just as cold when we left.
I was shocked. And this was not a high end unit. Just a few year old Top/Bottom GE frig/freezer.
Personally, I would not defrost it. Just move it, closed and wrapped. But remove glass bottles and wrap anything breakable.
If the plan is to unplug it, load and immediately drive it over and plug it back in, I don't see why you would have to do a complete shut down and defrost.
Sorry, maybe I misunderstood (after reading the below post, I'm confused) you did say you're transporting it empty, which means the food will be removed, put into a cooler, or some other means of transportation, etc and then restocked at the new house correct?
P.:
I would CLEAN IT OUT COMPLETELY - make sure it's dry and like new...not kidding...it's AMAZING how fast mold can grow it's ugly head...let's say this takes longer than 1.5 hours...while I know that's not long...the spores can be there...
This is different than a power outage.
1. the food will make it weigh a LOT more.
2. It will NOT be in a climate controlled environment - during a power outage your home doesn't get upwards of 120 degrees does it?
3. you CANNOT guarantee that the it will stay closed during the move...even with the plastic wrap they put around things..
I would ensure it is COMPLETELY cleaned out and dry.
HAPPY MOVING!!
Personally, I would not defrost it.
I'd pack the fridge stuff in coolers, pack the empty space around the food in the freezer with towels to keep shifting to a minimum, and unplug it right before it goes in the truck. Wrap shut.
I'll bet it will be fine.
Its so hot outside, I'd pack all the food in an ice chest, pour ice on top, keep it in the shade and in the air conditioned car. Then unplug the fridge/freezer, pack the lighter empty fridge/freezer in the truck, and start driving. When I got to the new house, I'd do a good cleaning on the fridge/freezer and start organizing/unpacking the cold food.
But that's just me.
I just did a similar move with 2 refrigerator/freezers and I did not defrost. I did empty everything into coolers so things wouldn't bounce around. No need to defrost!
