Defrosting (or thawing) is a procedure, 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. It also refers to leaving frozen food at a higher temperature prior to cooking. 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. Defrosting the unit is achieved by:-

• Temporarily removing all food from the cabinet.
• Turning off power to the unit.
• Leaving the doors to the unit open
• Waiting for the ice to melt and draining it appropriately. Using a towel is advisable when completing this step.

Avfrostning innebär att man avlägsnar is och frost från kylskåp och frys för att dessa vitvaror skall kunna fungera normalt. Tjocka islager gör annars att temperaturen blir ojämn och att apparaternas livslängd kan minska, dessutom ökar energiförbrukningen. Man bör avfrosta minst en-två gånger om året.