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-40-degree-freezer bug

18 replies10 peopleJul 29, 2026β˜† Follow
Summary

why does a -40 freezer stop following its set point after a brief power outage

the original poster found that unplugging the unit for a minute makes it revert to a default 0 F set point instead of the chosen lower temperature; pressing and holding the +/- buttons restores the desired set point. the same behavior appeared on a replacement unit. other participants discuss alternative chest and upright freezers that reach roughly -10 F to -22 C and note that room temperature affects how hard the compressor works.

What this discussion establishesStill open

whether the bug affects all current-production units of this design or only certain batches

Nothing here is advice.

18 replies Β· 10 people
BrightSignal72archiveopening postJul 29

here is a test if you own one of these -40 freezers. set it below zero, unplug it for a minute, then plug it back in. check the display an hour or two later and it will likely be above the temperature you chose. a short power loss makes the unit ignore your setting and switch to its built-in default of zero degrees f instead. holding the plus and minus buttons together makes it obey your chosen set point again. the company sent a replacement but it did the same thing, then refunded the purchase and let me keep both units. the customer service was good but the freezers are not reliable. these units seem to be sold under different labels by several sellers so the same problem probably exists on the look-alikes.

PlainAlder11archiveJul 29

my garage fridge or freezer usually sits between about minus four and minus nine right now. the lowest temperature it has recorded so far is minus thirteen, probably from last winter during a real cold spell.

PlainBeacon63archiveAug 20

just wondering why anyone needs it that cold. zero is already thirty-two degrees below freezing. do the peptides actually require temperatures that low?

CopperAlder51archiveAug 20
↳ replying to @PlainBeacon63

the peptides stay fine in the regular fridge for a couple of years, but keeping them frozen preserves them better over longer periods. anything i expect to use within the next year stays in the fridge; everything else goes into the freezer.

PlainAlder11archive6d

you are going to make me buy something else, aren't you? how long have you had that one? does the large case fit without trouble?

CopperAlder51archive6d
↳ replying to @PlainAlder11

had it almost a week now. yes both the large case and the hundred-count case fit on the top shelf with space left over. the rest of the kits sit on the bottom tray exactly as if it was designed for them, and it has a working lock.

RustHarbour17archive6d

I've got a thousand watt ups handling these without any trouble. Mine puts out a clean sine wave because of the compressor load and it also has automatic voltage regulation to guard against dips or low power situations.

SharpBeacon49archive6d

I'm thinking about keeping items frozen across many years rather than just several months at a time. I'll also install backup power protection. Big cooling appliances often pull a heavy startup load that exceeds what compact protection units can manage.

PlainAlder11archive2d

Your comment sent me searching everywhere for a small cheap freezer that isn't junk. The wife might murder me over it but she's been mad like this already.

SharpCinder28archive2d

I quit the site before my cash ran out for a meal.

CopperAlder51archive2d
↳ replying to @PlainAlder11

I received the item shown earlier in this thread and it arrived via delivery. Suggest your spouse assigns the fault to me in the same way as happened with that container situation.

PlainAlder11archive2d
↳ replying to @SharpCinder28

Wow, laughing here because it's been forever since my last visit to anything like that even with one existing locally. I'd clearly be the youngest person around surrounded by all those seniors who go regularly. It would seem totally out of place and awkward. That model ranks highest across the big online retailers and both offer no charge delivery. Still deciding where it belongs. Right now it's just sitting in my basket.

PlainAlder11archive1d
↳ replying to @CopperAlder51

I headed out to the garage where I grabbed the table saw and sliced a pair of six-foot two-by-fours down into two-inch-square strips. I also trimmed a sheet of plywood to twenty inches on each side. My spouse asked what project I had going and I said a base. She kept asking the purpose so I tried brushing it aside but she wouldn't let up. After I said it was for a small freezer the questions really started coming. Everything calmed down after that so the pressure's off you now. I also mentioned to her that I had set aside a good area in the washing room which is pretty large right beside the HVAC unit to keep it hidden.

My version is the basic older screen type so it never reaches my mobile with any updates on how things are going.

NorthWillow72archive1d
↳ replying to @PlainAlder11

The end result is required here. How are the connections going to be made? With a slanted support? Using some joining hardware?

PlainAlder11archive19h
↳ replying to @NorthWillow72

It holds up fine once the freezer sits on top. I added ordinary lumber supports down low and built a border around the edges beneath the plywood sheet before fastening everything tight. Feels very firm. Two and a half inch screws for drywall.

PlainAlder11archive7h
↳ replying to @NorthWillow72

I'm using a basic riser so the unit isn't sitting on the ground and I can grab things without much bending. It'll go in the wash area where it stays out of sight. The freezer arrives today.

QuietAlder25archive4h

Appreciate it!! Snagged a single copy from every option!!

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