A deep freezer is a must-have storage appliance to have in your home. Without the freezer, it would be tough to store perishable products like fish. But can you put a deep freezer on the carpet?
While it’s important to have a deep freezer at home, it is equally vital to have carpets installed in your house. But it becomes quite challenging when the carpet and the freezer are not compatible.
Let’s begin our guide to understanding how you can install the freezer on the carpet and whether it is safe or not.
Can You Put A Deep Freezer On The Carpet?
No, it is not recommended to put the deep freezer directly on the carpet. This is because the freezer emits heat from the bottom, which might come into contact with the fibers of the carpet, causing it to burn.
It can also disrupt the cooling mechanism of the freezer due to a lack of airflow. This phenomenon will ultimately lead to dysfunction of the machine.
Moreover, both the carpet and the deep freezer are expensive, so if either one of them gets damaged, then it would cost you a lot of money.
Therefore, place the deep freezer in an appropriate place or use a protective shield underneath it.
What Are The Reasons A Deep Freezer Can’t Sit On Carpet?
1. Deep Freezer Leaves Dent On The Carpet
A medium-sized chest freezer weighs around 95.46 pounds, while a large chest freezer weighs 216 pounds.
Even a mini chest freezer weighing 95.46 pounds will leave a dent on the carpet if it’s directly placed on the carpet.
And when someday in the future, when you decide to change the position of your carpet, you’ll have to think of ways to hide the dent. So, never put the deep freezer directly on the carpet.
2. Damaging The Coiling Mechanism
As we discussed above, placing the deep freezer directly on the carpet disrupts the cooling mechanism of the machine.
This is because the compressors and the coils are placed underneath the freezer, and putting them directly on the carpet without any elevation keeps the compressors from receiving adequate airflow.
3. The Freezer Could Tear The Carpet And Build Mold
A deep freezer is heavy and might result in tearing down the carpet when it is placed directly on it. Also, you might end up accidentally spilling the food on the carpet while removing it from the freezer and completely forget about the stain.
This will ultimately result in mold building which might require you to replace the carpet entirely.
4. Increased Electricity
When you place the freezer on the carpet without any elevation, it causes poor ventilation, and the machine has to work double its original capacity.
Ultimately, it will take longer to cool the items in the freezer, increasing your electricity bill.
Where Is The Best Place To Put A Freezer?
The most important thing to keep in mind when placing a freezer is that it can’t be installed outside the house. But they can be mounted anywhere in the house.
Here are a few places that are suitable to keep your freezer:
1. The Kitchen
Freezers come in varied sizes, so you can also put them underneath your kitchen counter or any other place in the kitchen.
Placing the freezer in the kitchen will also allow you to put and remove any foot item easily without traveling a long distance within your house.
2. Corners
You can also place the freezer in the nooks near the dining area, game room, or hallways. It will also fill the empty space in your house.
3. Laundry Room
You can also put the freezer in the laundry room along with the washing machine.
However, remember to consider the ventilation and space factors. If you have a small space in the laundry room, then go for a small-sized freezer.
How To Put A Deep Freezer On The Carpet?
You can put a deep freezer on the carpet, but you need to take a few precautions, like safeguarding the freezer and the carpet.
Let’s see how you can put the deep freezer on the carpet:
1. Pick A Suitable Spot
The first thing to do is to pick an appropriate place to put the deep freezer in the house. Consider the space and ventilation in the area.
You can place your freezer in places like the corner of the house, kitchen, basement, and laundry room.
2. Deploy A Protective Shield
You can use various protective shields to cover your freezer, like plastic wrap or vinyl sheets. You can also use rubber mats, plastic mats, and rugs underneath the freezer to protect the carpet from dripping water.
Put the protective shield before you move the freezer, this will prevent the carpet from getting sratched.
3. Pay Attention To Ventilation And Clearance
Besides choosing a suitable place to place your freezer on the carpet, it is also essential to ensure that the area is well-ventilated and has correct clearance around the freezer.
The freezer requires ventilation of at least 200cm2 and 3 inches of clearance around the freezer to allow it to function properly.
4. Elevate The Freezer
Mounting your freezer is the last resort to protect the carpet from damage. Based on its size, it can be challenging to mount the freezer, so consider taking the help of an electrician.
The electrician will also ensure if there is any wiring issue during installing the freezer.
What To Put Under A Deep Freezer?
Instead of directly putting the freezer on the carpet, you can use these protection shields to prevent it from getting damaged:
1. Use Rubber Mats
Using a rubber mat is a great option to put underneath the freezer on any surface material. It will protect the floor from getting scratched from the freezer feet.
It will also absorb the dripping water preventing any type of floor or the carpet from getting damaged by the water. Rubber Mats can also be used to do yoga on the carpet.
2. Vinyl Sheets Or Plastic Shield
These materials are heat-resistant and protect the carpet from potential burns, which can be caused by the freezer cooling units.
So, give your freezer a well-deserved protection by wrapping it with a vinyl sheet or plastic covers.
3. Moisture Absorber
You can also use a moisture absorber to protect our carpet and floor from getting damaged by the freezer. Because even if the freezer isn’t leaking, the place on the carpet where it is installed can still get wet.
4. Placing Mats And Rugs
Placing mats and rugs underneath the freezer is a durable and affordable option. You can just simply put a plastic mat or a straw rug beneath the freezer.
This will allow the rugs to absorb the water and protect the carpet or the floor.
How To Prevent Deep Freezer From Damaging The Carpet?
If you have placed the deep freezer in a less appropriate place, then it’s likely that it will damage the carpet or the floor underneath.
To prevent it from damaging the carpet of the floor, you can use the following tips:
1. Use Dripping Pan
If you don’t have suitable flooring for the deep freezer, then you can try installing a plastic or a metal dripping pan underneath the deep freezer.
This will allow the water to drip in the pan and not on the floor, in turn protecting the floor or the carpet from potential water damage.
2. Elevate The Freezer
Some freezers have a compressor or coils at the bottom of the freezer, and this makes it vital to maintain the airflow.
You can elevate the freezer using either the legs or plywood. This will help your freezer to function properly. Some furniture legs also come with adhesive attached to them, making them easy to install.
3. Keep Space Between The Wall And The Freezer
It is also important to keep appropriate space between the wall and the freezer, as some deep freezers have compressors and coils at the back.
To do so, pull the freezer away from the wall creating a space of at least 4 in or 10 cm space. This will allow an adequate amount of airflow between the wall and the back of the freezer.
4. Check For Leaks
Check for the leaks by closing the door of the freezer and then running your hands along the seams. If you find any holes or you feel any liquid dripping, then dry the freezer outside and repeat the process again in an hour.
If you still feel the liquid dripping from the freezer, then it has a leak, and you need to get it fixed. Even if your freezer is brand new, checking for leaks will prevent any future damage to the floor or carpet.
How To Defrost A Freezer On The Carpet?
Defrosting the deep freezer on the carpet without any protection underneath can do a lot of damage to the carpet, like mold building.
To safely defrost the deep freezer, you can install a drip pan underneath the freezer. The drip pan will collect all water leaving your beloved carpet to rest.
You can also put a sheet underneath the freezer. Try to empty the freezer first, then install the sheet of plywood or any other material.
Once you have installed sheets, you can place towels or cloths around and underneath the freezer to soak the water in case of leakage.
And to defrost the freezer, you can use boiling water.
What Are The Best Flooring For A Deep Freezer?
The best and safest alternative surfaces to put the deep freezer are the ones that are sturdy, solid, and water-resistant. These surfaces don’t conform to the freezer and prevent any accidents related to water.
There are 3 best alternatives, namely:
1. Wooden Flooring
Wood flooring provides a nice gap between the floor and the freezer. This will allow the components at the bottom of the freezer to work efficiently without being pressed against the soft fibers of the carpet.
However, wood flooring is not water-resistant, so if the water leaks for a long time, then the wood floor will puff up.
Therefore, wood flooring can be a good option to put the deep freezer on, but they are not the greatest option.
2. Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring is a better option than wooden flooring. They are hard like hardwood and are easy to clean.
They are also water-resistant, so if anything happens, like water leakage, then it would not cause any damage to the vinyl floor.
3. Tiled Flooring
A tiled flooring is the best option when compared to the above two flooring alternatives. They are hard, water-resistant, and easy to clean.
It will allow the deep freezer to work properly and resist denting because of the hard floor.
Conclusion
So, can you put a deep freezer on the carpet?
The answer is absolutely no because it could lead to making a dent in the carpet, and if your freezer is leaking, then it might also create mold growth.
The only way to place the freezer on the carpet is to keep it on an elevated platform or use protective shields.
FAQs
Is it safe to keep the deep freezer in the bedroom?
The deep freezer might expose radiation, but these are so minimal that it can hardly be considered toxic. Moreover, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that keeping a freezer in the bedroom is not safe.
Are mini fridges safe to place on the carpet?
It won’t be an issue to keep the mini fridge on the carpet, given its weight, but still, it is not advisable to keep it directly on the carpet.
How much ventillation does a freezer needs?
A minimum of 200cm2 of ventilation should be provided at both the top and the bottom of the freezer to allow an adequate amount of airflow.
Daleyza knows a lot about carpets! She has worked with carpets for over 7 years and can help with things like putting them in, keeping them clean, and replacing them. She really likes carpets and spends most of her time learning about new ways to work with them. When she’s not learning about carpets, she enjoys reading books. She’s really good at helping people choose the right carpet for their homes and making sure they’re happy with it. If you want to know more about carpets, Daleyza is the person to talk to!