How To Defrost A Galanz Mini Fridge At Home | 7 Easy Steps

If your Galanz mini-refrigerator refuses to keep your food fresh, most probably, it’s the heavy frosting that’s causing the issue. So, how to defrost a Galanz mini fridge then?

A few days back, when I witnessed a similar problem with my freezer, it gave me a bucket full of stress to find the solution. 

There are some tutorials online by random fellows, which showed me hope. But when I went through the official Galanz manual, it says completely different advice. 

However, with the help of their customer care service and hours of self-grinding, I managed to crack the code. Don’t worry; I don’t want you to go through the hassles I experienced. 

This article will teach you how you can defrost any fridge without causing any damage to its lifetime. 

Why Should You Defrost Your Mini Fridge?

Accept it or not, the modern refrigerator technology signs quite a hypocrisy. Even though minus (-) degree temperature helps keep the food fresh, it doesn’t mean that a frosted insider cabin can keep the foods safe from contamination.  

It’s because a frosted refrigerator can’t maintain the required flow of Ammonia gas, which controls the adequate temperature inside.

If you live in a place where the temperature regularly dips below freezing, it’s important to defrost your mini-fridge. 

Defrosting your icebox will help keep your food and drinks cold and prevent them from spoiling. Here are 5 reasons why you should defrost your mini-fridge:

Maintains Proper Temperature

Defrosting allows the cooling machine to get a fresh restart. As a result, it balances the temperature you need to store different types of foods. 

Saves Container’s Food

If your fridge cabinets get fully frosted, it prevents the gas from reaching foods that are stored inside the containers or plastic wrappers. 

Takes Less Time To Freeze

Ever wonder why your new refrigerator freezes faster but becomes annoyingly lazy after a while? All the chambers inside the cold storage that drive the freezing gas get blocked because of excessive ice. Thawing the extra ice can solve the issue. 

Saves Foods For Longer

Where most new mini Galanz fridges can keep meats fresh for up to 4 days, the frosted condition can reduce the time to 24 hours. A defrosting approach can solve the issue.   

It Helps Save Money 

If you don’t defrost your mini-fridge, it’ll eventually stop working properly due to unnecessary ice buildup. Also, any frosted fridge causes more electricity bills. The system needs more power to run the compressor when it’s frosted.

By defrosting your cooling box every few months, you can prevent this from happening and save yourself on utility bills.

How Do I Stop My Mini Fridge Freezer From Icing Up?

The most common culprit is the evaporator coil. This coil is located near the back of the fridge and absorbs moisture from the air. 

When there is too much moisture in the air, it’ll condense on the coil and freeze. In extreme cases, this can cause the coil to break and leak water onto the compressor motor, which will then cause frost and over-cooling.

In terms of frost-supported refrigerators, no matter what you do, you’ll witness excessive ice after a while, and it’s frequent. However, there are a few things that you can do to try to slow this up from happening:

1. Check the temperature setting on your mini-fridge. If it’s set to the coldest, the freezer will cool first, and the refrigerator ends up in frozen condition. The better way is to keep the temperature medium to avoid icing issues.
2. Keep food items in larger blocks rather than small pieces. This will allow more cold air to circulate around the food. As a result, the machine takes more time to result in frost.
3. If your mini fridge is very old, it may be due for a replacement.
4. Easy solution is to buy a non-frost refrigerator.
5. Make sure that there is no excess moisture in the air. 
6. Clean your refrigerator every 2-3 months and keep it free of spills or dust. If possible, open the door occasionally to let air circulate.
7. Check your evaporator coil – if it’s visibly wet or has minor ice buildup, it may be time for a replacement. 

How To Defrost A Galanz Mini Fridge Under 60 Minutes?

If your Galanz mini fridge is not cooling properly or you notice frost buildup on the interior, it may be time to defrost it. Follow these simple steps to get your mini-fridge back in action: 

Step 1: Prepare The Foods

Before starting to defrost, you should shift the foods to another freezer. The process can take up a whole day to make your fridge stable. You can also buy an icebox to store the food during work. 

“If you don’t have an additional storage option, level up the freezing temperature to the Coldest 3-4 hours before the defrosting process. It’ll frost the food items to avoid contamination for a longer period.”

Step 2: Remove All Shelves, Containers, and Drawers  

Take out any container or drawer inside the fridge used for storage. Wash them off with detergent or soap. I prefer rinsing with slightly warm water after cleaning to kill bacteria. Leave anywhere to dry those while you’re continuing the defrosting process. 

Step 3: Turn The Machine Off 

Unplug the refrigerator from the electric outlet. When defrosting, melted ice may cause an accident if plugged in. 

Step 4: Smart People Take A Pause 

Many people start just after removing all items from the fridge. I found it’s not the wise way to clean the ice. Because when you just switch off the machine, the ice inside is still rock solid. So, it’ll require more effort to break them. 

If grown ice is unusually thick, wait at least 60-120 minutes before proceeding to the next step. 

My Galanz fridge grew a hell of ice. Besides, it was snowing outside. Even keeping the fridge open couldn’t help me out.  

So, I did a trick! I boiled some water and put a fresh towel in it. Then place the towel inside the fridge for minutes. I did this a couple of times until every centimeter of ice melted. 

You can also pour hot water into a bowl and place it inside the fridge. The hot steam of the water will diminish the ice level a bit. 

When following any of the above methods to melt ice from your fridge, place another big bowl inside to store melted water. Also, keep the door locked. 

Step 5: Deicing Fridge 

Now the stressful part comes, deicing the fridge. The breaktime will be enough to melt the most ice. If there are still some left, use a rubber spatula to remove them. 

Note: Don’t use metal sharp tools like a screwdriver or knife to clean the ice. You may accidentally wrack your compartments’ sides. 

While clearing the ice, follow a gentle approach. Don’t go harsh and be patient. Make sure nothing is blocking the freezer doors from closing properly. Remove ice from those rubber pads on the door. 

Step 6: Cleaning Time

Clean off any dirt or debris that may appear inside the edge or corner of the fridge. Also, wash through the shelf lines. You can use soap or dish cleaning detergent also. 

If you don’t clean your fridge regularly, there is a high chance of bacteria living in every corner, which may cause food contamination afterward. So, do it carefully. Make sure to dry out the inside with a clean cloth. 

After washing inside the fridge, go for the exterior parts. Use a refrigerator coil brush cleaner to clean the backside, such as the compressor line, and vice-versa. 

For cleaning the front or side panels of the freezer, I used a stainless-steel or refrigerator cleaner. It helped me to remove fingerprints, residue, watermarks, and grease from the fridge body. You can also use it for other kitchen appliances. 

Step 7: Give It A Break To Recover

Yes, it’s the final and essential step when fixing the excessive ice issue of your mini-fridge. While most non-frost cooling machines take less than 5 minutes to restart and stabilize the temperature, Galanz mini-fridges are a bit slow. 

Turn the power on of the fridge. Set the temperature at the 3^rd or medium-level depending on your Galanz fridge model. 

Wait 10-15 minutes to stabilize the fridge temperature. Then gradually store the stuff inside and close the door. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What Are The Drawbacks Of Defrosting A Fridge?

There are a few disadvantages to defrosting a fridge. Firstly, the freezer can take up to 24 hours to stabilize after defrosting, so you’ll have to plan your meals around that timeframe. Additionally, defrosting can damage items in the fridge or inside compartments if using metal or sharp nail tools.

2. How Much Time It Take For A Mini Fridge To Defrost?

In general, it usually takes about 40-60 minutes for a mini-fridge to defrost. However, it can vary depending on the size of the mini-fridge and the ice buildups inside.

3. How Can I Defrost A Fridge Without Unplugging It?

You shouldn’t defrost a mini-fridge while plugged in. The process involves lots of ice melting. Keeping the fridge plugged in may cause severe accidents. 

However, some regular fridges come with a built-in defrost system that melts the ice while plugged in by heating the temperature. 

4. Can You Defrost A Samsung Freezer Without Turning It Off?

If your Samsung refrigerator has a “defrost” setting, you can proceed with the process without turning the fridge off. 

Just open the freezer door and use the arrows on the control panel to select “defrost.” The fridge will start defrosting and should be ready to use in about an hour.

4. Why Is Your New Fridge Not Cooling?

Whether you’ve just bought a new fridge or an old one, sooner or later, you may witness the problem that the fridge isn’t cooling enough. There could be a couple of reasons why it’s happening.

The most common reason a refrigerator isn’t cooling is that the compressor has stopped working. If this is the case, you’ll need to get a replacement.

In addition, there could be something wrong with the other parts. The fan inside the fridge might have gone out, or something might be blocking the airflow. In either case, contact the manufacturer asap.

Wrapping Up 

That was all about how to defrost a Galanz mini fridge. The instruction is mainly suitable if you don’t have an automated defrosting system in your freezer or if the existing system isn’t working properly. Complete the ice cleaning process may take up to 40-60 minutes. 

There is a myth that defrosting can damage the refrigerator, which is true when you follow the wrong way. But removing ice from your fridge can enhance its lifespan. Follow the guide carefully. Make sure to post your defrosted image in the comment section.