Chest or upright: what changes
An upright freezer has drawers behind a front door and carries much like a fridge. A chest freezer is a wide box with a lid on top: lower, but long, heavy and awkward through doorways. Many live in garages, sheds and utility rooms, which is where they tend to end their days.
A standard chest or upright freezer is €45 on our price list, plus the €100 call-out and labour charge in Dublin, VAT included. Very large or commercial freezers are checked by a person on our team before you book.
A countdown to collection day
- 1Four or five days before: stop buying frozen food and start using up what's inside.
- 2Two days before: move anything you're keeping to another freezer, or to a cool box with ice packs. Bin the rest.
- 3The day before: switch off at the wall, prop the lid or door open, and put towels and a tray under the drain plug.
- 4That evening: mop out the meltwater, wipe it dry and leave it open to air.
- 5On the morning: tape the lid or door shut and clear the route from the freezer to the street.
We collect on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, 14:00–16:00. A thick layer of ice can take more than a day to melt, so switch off earlier if yours has not been defrosted in a long time. Replacing it? A new freezer usually needs to stand upright for a few hours before it is switched on, so check its manual before you move the food across.
Defrosting a chest freezer
- 1Empty it and switch it off at the wall.
- 2Open the lid fully. Prop it if it won't stay up.
- 3Find the drain plug, usually low on the front or side, and put a basin or roasting tin under it.
- 4Lay old towels around the base. A big chest freezer can hold a surprising amount of ice.
- 5Let it thaw using the method in the appliance manual. Avoid heat sources or tools the manufacturer does not recommend.
- 6Mop out, dry it and leave the lid open.
Upright freezers
Uprights are quicker. Empty the drawers, switch off and leave the door open with towels on the floor in front. Frost-free models have little ice to melt. The drawers can go with the freezer: put them back in and tape the door shut on the day.
When it failed with food inside
A freezer that stopped working a week ago with a full load needs care before anyone moves it. Thawed food smells quickly and leaks.
- Wear gloves and bag the food in strong bags. Double-bag anything leaking and put it out with your food or general waste.
- Wash the inside with warm water and a spoon of bread soda to cut the smell.
- Leave the lid or door open until it is completely dry.
Please have it fully empty before collection day. Food cannot travel in it.
Getting it out of the garage
Chest freezers are long. Measure the freezer, then the narrowest point on the way out: the garage side door, a side gate or the utility doorway. Tell us if it is tight, and our two loaders plan the carry. They take it from wherever it is, whether that is a garage at the end of a drive in Castleknock or a shed at the bottom of a Terenure garden.
Move bikes and garden tools out of the way and make sure the gate opens. If you'll be at work, agree access in advance: the freezer can be left in an open garage or at the side of the house.
Why a freezer cannot just be dumped
Freezers are WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment). Like fridges, they hold refrigerant gas in the cooling circuit and gases in the foam, so they must be degassed at a specialist facility. That is why the item price is higher than for other appliances of a similar size, and why leaving one in a laneway can get you fined.
Buying a new freezer? The shop must take back the old one free, like for like. Our fridge removal guide covers take-back rights and other free routes.
Get your freezer collection price
Photograph the freezer and where it sits, add anything else from the garage, and get your price. Clearing the rest too? See attic and garage clearance or appliance disposal.