why is the external side surfaces of my upright freezer very hot?

kaye, April 2005

i have upright freezer for 12 years i seldom use it. now i want to use it plugged it but then i feel both sides hot. is it dangerous? i dont want fie in the house. im worried about this heat i felt both sides . i also secured the door closed tight.

annie, May 2020

My freezer is a beko glacier, not sure of age as it's moved with me over the years could it be in its way out

Tina, June 2017

Freezers and fridges work by using a heat pump. Heat from the inside is moved to the outside (and it takes work/heat/energy to move the heat). So more heat is generated than is removed from inside.

It isn't necessarily bad for your freezer to be hot on the outside - it just means that heat is being pumped from inside. However, constant high temperatures may mean there is a fault. In particular - if the door is not closing properly or there is a poor seal around the door then the pump may be operating for extended periods of time (and you are likely to get frost build up internally).

You should also ensure sufficient ventilation around your freezer to ensure that heat is carried away (The higher the temperature around your freezer, the harder the pump has to work to remove a given portion of heat).

Mark, April 2005