Norcold 2118 Freezer Question

[Boomer503]

Good afternoon all,

I tried doing a search of the forums first but didn’t find an answer. We have a brand new 3760FL with the Norcold 2118 freezer/fridge and I have a question about how to defrost the freezer.

The directions say to completely empty the fridge and freezer, turn it off, move drain tube, then defrost the unit.

Is it possible to just defrost the freezer that is getting a build up of frost and ice without unloading the fridge too?

The heat and humidity here in Oregon has built up the frost in the freezer pretty quick and I’ve never done this before.

Thank you for the help! I’ve been doing good finding our a lot of stuff to help flatten my learning curve!!!

[Daryles]

Maybe use a hair dryer?
Once you get the freezer defrosted, I have heard some say to put a thin sheet of plastic against the back wall. When the frost builds up again you can simply pull the plastic sheet out with the frost on it.
Rinse it, dry it and put it back in.

[Carl n Susan]

I would go with the hair dryer on just the compartment that needs defrosting, wipe up the water and ice, let it cool back down, and reload the frozen goods. The plastic trick makes defrosting easier.

[DQDick]

To answer your other question, no you don't need to unload the refrigerator to defrost the freezer. At least we never have in 11 years of full timing.

[rames14]

Boomer503, check the flapper between the two doors to make sure it is closing properly. Also, take a dollar bill and check for a good seal all the way around the door. If your flapper isn’t working, get a 5/16” washer. Take the door off (3 bolts behind a plastic cover), put the washer on the bottom pin and replace the door. If you do need to defrost, I would do as others have said and use a hair dryer.

[Rondo]

If using a hair dryer just don't get that hair dryer to close to the plastic liner of the freezer. You can warp it. We've been using the thin plastic cutting boards as a liner in the back of the freezer now for a couple of years and as Daryle states above, it's an easy job of just pulling that sheet out running it under some water, drying it off and reinstalling it. Also instead of a hair dryer, we normally use a pan or bowl of HOT water to defrost the unit. We then paper towel or use an old bath towel to wipe up the water in the bottom of the freezer and dry it with another then put the frozen food back in the freezer. We just put our frozen foods in the sinks and cover them with towels while defrosting. It only takes about 15 minutes at the most using the hot water and having the thin plastic cutting boards in the unit.