Chest fridge, 3 years on.

It's 3 years to the month that we purchased our freezer and converted it into a chest fridge. It's been a good 3 years. We've become use to putting leftovers into lidded plastic containers so we can stack them up (plates with plastic wrap don't work too well in it), and everything has been running smoothly. Our electricity bills are tiny, and I really to think we have the chest fridge to thank for at least part of that!

I wanted to let you all know what happens when things stop running smoothly in a chest fridge. We noticed a few weeks ago that ice was beginning to form at the top of the fridge. We also noticed that it was spending more time working than usual. The temperature probe showed the fridge was too warm, but the ice at the top confused us a great deal. After checking the seals, defrosting and cleaning it, using the air compressor to make sure the motor was all dust-free, we finally called the manufacturer.

Although the warranty period has been over for a year now, they sent around someone to look at it. Turns out that the freezer has a leak and the refrigerant is almost gone. He filled it up again for us, but we're aware that we're going to have to look for a replacement sometime soon. We were told that this is quite a common problem. Since it's not repairable, we'll have to buy another one. How sad, and what a waste! It's still shiny, with no scratches or dents.

Still, I suppose we can always make another garden bed out of it..