Power failure autonomy
The amount of time the freezer keeps food cold enough when the refrigeration system is turned off, for example, due to a breakdown or power outage. Technically, the power failure autonomy for each model is calculated differently; For example, for a freezer with an operating temperature of -18 ° C, this is the period during which the products in the chamber heat up from -18 ° C to -9 ° C. To sum up, the time is indicated during which the frozen products are guaranteed not to heat up to a temperature at which they could lose their properties.
Freeze capacity
One of the main indicators of freezer performance is the approximate amount of fresh food that the freezer can completely freeze from room temperature to the minimum operating temperature in 24 hours. For domestic use, a power of 10-15 kg/day is considered quite sufficient. More performant models may be required if you have to freeze a lot of food at a time or for industrial purposes.
Ice maker
It is a separate device for producing edible ice in the freezer. One of the advantages of such freezers is that the ice is produced and stored separately from other products and thus does not absorb foreign odours.
Lighting
Freezer interior lighting system. This function is very helpful given that the working chamber of the unit, even with the door open, is often shaded, and it is not so easy to see its contents. The lighting usually works automatically — similar to how it is implemented in refrigerators: the light turns on when the door is opened and turns off when it is closed.
Door alarm
It is a system that monitors the closing of the freezer door. If the door is not closed for a long time or is not closed tightly enough, an audible or light (depending on the model) signal is given. It helps to avoid a critical increase in temperature in the working chamber and preserves the quality of the products.
Energy class
The energy class shows how economical the freezer is in terms of electricity consumption. Initially, the classes were designated in Latin letters from A (most economical) to G (high power consumption). Recently, improved classes A+, A++ and A+++ appeared (the more pluses - the more economical the device).
It should be borne in mind that this indicator represents not the actual energy consumption but the efficiency of the unit compared to similar models. Therefore, a small class A freezer may have a lower power consumption than a large class A++ model. And other things being equal, a more economical device, as a rule, costs more, but this difference can quickly pay off during the operation.
Energy consumption per year
It is the average amount of energy consumed by the freezer in a year of operation. Of course, these figures are not absolutely accurate. The actual power consumption may vary depending on the specific operating conditions. However, this parameter makes it possible to evaluate the consumption of the device and compare different models with each other. At the same time, it often turns out to be more convenient and visual than the energy consumption class (see above) because, in this paragraph, we are talking about a specific figure (from which you can also calculate the cost of electricity consumed).