Defrosting

Defrosting (or thawing) is the melting of an object or bringing a device's temperature above the freezing point to remove ice.

For thawing frozen foods, see Frozen food ยง Defrosting.

A defrosting procedure is generally performed periodically on refrigerators and freezers to maintain their operating efficiency. Over time, as the door is opened and closed, letting in new air, water vapour from the air condenses on the cooling elements within the cabinet.

Refrigerators
Defrosting a freezer

The resulting ice inhibits heat transfer out of the cabinet increasing running costs. Furthermore, as the ice builds up it takes increasing space from within the cabinet - reducing the space available for food storage.

Many newer units employ automatic defrosting (often called "frost-free" or "no frost") and do not require manual defrosting in normal use. Although, in some cases, users of Frost Free fridge/freezers have noted ice blocking the vent that allows air into the refrigerator compartment.

gollark: J'ai deux reactores de fusion.
gollark: I realized I could do two D-D reactors at size 2 to supply a single size-1 D-T reactor.
gollark: This compact machine is filled with three fusion reactors, a small local ME network for fluid handling, battery buffers, 7 heavy water pumps, and my AMAZING wiring.
gollark: So they don't go into the reactor when you're cycling it on and off.
gollark: Take the cells you have in the input slot out.

See also
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