Freezers have been an essential part of every home since they first appeared in their roughly modern incarnation at the hands of German engineer Carl von Linde during his research between 1873 through 1877.

Even before that point freezing food had been, for centuries, one of the only effective ways of preserving it for any significant duration, and the process had often been essential to human survival.

In modern times we tend to view our freezers more as a comfort than a necessity, and yet when they fail us we find ourselves immediately faced by a quite real and pressing predicament. Here, therefore, is a short guide on the subject of buying a new freezer, and knowing when to buy a new one.

The first consideration to keep in mind is that while there is no "expiry date" on them, most freezers are expected to last roughly 10 years. If your freezer is nearing this date then you should give yourself over to the realization that it may be about time prepare yourself for finding a new one.

Quite simply, the most reliable way to know that your freezer is due a replacement is as you could expect, if it stops freezing your food.

When this time is upon you and you find yourself in need of a new freezer to see you through hopefully the next 10 years, then there are several things to take into

consideration.

Firstly you should keep in mind that while second hand freezers may be more affordable, they are generally less desirable for two key reasons. Firstly, of course, they will have a shorter than average lifespan by the time they come into your possession. Secondly, new freezers are simply more energy efficient - buying a freezer more

than 5 years old would be detrimental in the long run.

But if cutting down on freezer prices is a major concern for you, then fear not. There are more ways of achieving this goal than simply buying second hand. For one thing, sacrificing some space will cut your costs in half over the long term and most likely the short term as well, and there are certainly a good range of high-functioning mini-freezers on the market.

As a final measure for attempting to maximize savings once you already have a freezer in your possession and aren't in the market for a new one, you can turn to the somewhat controversial strategy of "freezer blocking" - that is, to fill up all of the empty space in your freezer in an attempt to save energy. The basis of this idea being that the less air is inside your freezer, the less time and energy the compressor will need to spend in keeping the freezer cool, and as a result the less electricity will be consumed by the freezer.

Freezer blocking has not been scientifically tested, but your energy bill should show the evidence of its effects after a few months.