Are Chest Freezers More Efficient Than Upright Freezers?

Have you ever wondered why chest freezers always cost less to operate, according the yellow Energy Use guides in stores, than the upright version with the same amount of space? The answer is simple physics. Cold air is more dense as compared to warmer air. We can demonstrate this by opening the fridge door and feeling the cold air rushing over your bare feet. The cold air is literally falling out. The same thing happens when you open the door to an upright freezer. All of that air, which is much colder as compared to a fridge, falls out and is replaced by warmer air, causing the compressor to work more to keep the temperature at the proper setting. A chest freezer opens from the top, and as such, the denser cold air can't fall out of it to be replaced by warm air.

Another reason that chest freezers are more efficient than upright models is because moisture builds up slower inside. Moisture from the air condenses on the coldest portions of the freezer, often the coils or the wall that surrounds the coils which are responsible for removing heat from the inside of the freezer. As this moisture freezes and forms frost, the compressor will have to run more often as well to ensure the freezer stays at the proper temperature. All of the moisture that condenses and forms frost on the inside of a freezer comes from the air that often replaces the cold air that is lost when the door is open. Again, with a chest freezer, the cold air inside doesn't fall out to be replaced by warm moist air, reducing the amount of frost that builds up inside over time.

While upright freezers might offer a lot of cold storage in a vertical format, they're simply not as efficient as the tried and true chest freezer. And in the long run, they also make more work for you in terms of ensuring that you regularly defrost them.