Gorenje FHE302IW User Manual

GB

Instructions for use

D

NL

Gebrauchsanweisung

Gebruiksaanwijzing

Freezer chest

Gefriertruhe

Diepvrieskist

EN

Freezer chest

We thank you for the confi dence you have shown by purchasing our appliance.
We wish you fi nd a lot of pleasure in its use.

The appliance is intended solely for household use.

The freezer chest is intended for use in household, for freezing fresh food and long-term storage of

frozen food (up to one year, depending on the type of food).
Temperature in the appliance interior is -18°C or lower.

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Before using the appliance for the fi rst time ............3

Advice for saving power ............................................. 5

Important warnings .................................................... 5

Installation and connection ........................................ 6

Operating the appliance.............................................. 8

Defrosting and cleaning the appliance ....................12

Troubleshooting ........................................................ 14

2

Before using the appliance for the fi rst time

• This appliance can be used by children aged from 8
years and above and persons with reduced physical,
sensory or metal capabilities or lack of experience
and knowledge if they have been given supervision or
instruction concerning use of the appliance in a safe
way and understand the hazards involved. Children
shall not play with the appliance. Cleaning and user
maintenance shall not be made by children without
supervision.

• Before connecting the appliance to the power mains, please read carefully the instructions for
use which describe the appliance and its correct and safe use. The instructions apply for several
appliance types/models; thus, settings or equipment may be described herein which is not
available in your appliance.

• Remove the packaging intended for protecting the appliance or particular parts during transport.

• Installed under the chest cover are the spacers that protect the cover gasket from transport damage.

• Before connecting the appliance to the power mains, let the appliance rest in a vertical position
for approximately 2 hours. This will reduce the possibility of operation faults due to the effect of
transport on the cooling system.

• Before connecting the appliance to the power mains, clean the inside of the appliance using
warm water to which you have added some vinegar.

• The appliance must be connected to the power mains and grounded in compliance with the
effective standards and regulations.

• The appliance may not be used outdoors and it may not be exposed to rain.

• Unplug the appliance from the power mains (remove the cord from the wall outlet/socket) before
cleaning, bulb replacement, and any repairs. The appliance may only be repaired by an expert.

• If the power cord is damaged, it must be replaced by a
service technician or other adequately trained person.

• Do not store explosive substances such as aerosol
cans with a fl ammable propellant in this appliance.

• If the appliance will be out of use for a prolonged period of time, switch it off by rotating the
thermostat knob to the position (see section “Operating the appliance with mechanical
controls – Switching the appliance on/off”) and disconnect the power supply to the appliance.
Empty the appliance, defrost it, clean it, and leave the cover ajar.

• Packaging is made of environmentally friendly materials that can be recycled, disposed of, or
destroyed without any hazard to the environment.

• Do not let the children play with the appliance.

• With models with condenser unit located on the back wall, be extra careful not to damage the
condenser unit during cleaning.

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The appliance is fi tted with a condenser unit which

radiates heat into the environment. The condenser
unit is installed on the back wall, directly
underneath the sheet metal layer of the back
and front wall of the appliance. During normal
operation, these surfaces are warm. However,
when the environment temperature is high, they
may also get very hot (up to 55 °C). This is a normal
condition and it is a consequence of the appliance
function as described in the attachment to the
instruction manual.

WARNING: Keep ventilation openings, in the

appliance enclosure or in the built-in structure,
clear of obstruction.

WARNING: Do not use mechanical devices

or other means to accelerate the defrosting
process, other than those recommended by the
manufacturer.

• With models with condenser unit located on the back wall, be extra careful not to damage the
condenser unit during cleaning.

WARNING: Do not damage the refrigerant circuit.

WARNING: Do not use electrical appliances

inside the food storage compartments of
the appliance, unless they are of the type
recommended by the manufacturer.

The symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates that this product may not
be treated as household waste. Instead it shall be handed over to the applicable
collection point for the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment. By ensuring

this product is disposed of correctly, you will help prevent potential negative
consequences for the environment and human health, which could otherwise be
caused by inappropriate waste handling of thisproduct. For more detailed information
about recycling of this product, please contact your local city offi ce, your household

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waste disposal service or the shop where you purchased the product.

4

Advice for saving power

• Install the appliance as specifi ed in the instruction manual.

• Do not open the appliance cover ore often than necessary.

• In models with condenser units on the back wall of the appliance, check occasionally to make
sure that air circulation behind the appliance is indeed unobstructed and that the condenser unit
is always clean (see section “Troubleshooting”).

• If the gasket is damaged or does not provide a perfect seal for other reasons, have it replaced as
soon as possible.

• Before placing the food in the appliance, cool them to room temperature.

• We recommend defrosting and cleaning the appliance once to twice a year.

• Do not open the cover more often than necessary. Frequent opening will increase the
temperature in the chest, excessive formation of frost, and thus higher power consumption.

• Do not keep the chest open too long. This is particularly important when the weather is hot and humid.

• Every failure to heed the instructions in the sections “Installing the appliance” and “Saving
power” may lead to higher power consumption.

• For models with the condenser unit installed in the insulation layer, allow free circulation of air at
the front side of the appliance as well.

Important warnings

• If the appliance was bought to replace an old, obsolete appliance with a locking mechanism that
cannot be opened from the inside of the appliance (lock, latch), disable the locking mechanism.
This will reduce the danger to children and protect them from the threat of suffocation.

• Connect the appliance to the power mains in accordance with relevant instructions and regulations.

• Do not touch the cool surfaces during appliance operation, particularly if your hands are moist or
wet, as your skin may freeze, or stick, to these surfaces.

• Do not freeze beverages in bottles. This applies in particular to carbonated beverages such
as mineral water, sparkling wine, beer, soft drinks etc.; in the process of freezing, the fl uid will
expand and the glass may break.

• Do not eat frozen food (bread, fruit, vegetables) as there is danger of frostbite.

• If the smell or colour of any food looks suspicious, discard the food as it may be hazardous to eat.

• Do not use electric devices to defrost the appliance (hair drier etc.) and do not remove frost or
ice using sharp tools; only use the accessories supplied by the manufacturer.

• The appliance contains a refrigerant and oil. Therefore, a damaged appliance must be disposed
of in compliance ecological requirements.

• The rating plate with basic information on the appliance in located in the appliance interior or
on the back wall. If the language on the rating plate is not the language of your choice or the
language of your country, replace it with the one supplied.

• An obsolete appliance should be immediately put out of use.

• To protect the environment, be careful not to damage the parts of the cooling system located on
the back wall, in the compressor unit compartment or in the insulation layer. Cooling system in
the insulation layer can also be damaged if the exterior or interior walls are pierced.

• Appliance interior equipment may change according to the appliance model.

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5

Food storage time in
case of fault or power
failure

• In case of a fault in appliance operation or power supply
failure, do not open the freezer chest. If the appliance is out of
order for more than two days, empty the freezer and use the
food or make sure it remains frozen.

Installation and connection

Selecting the room

• Place the appliance in a dry and regularly ventilated room.
Relative humidity should not exceed 70% if the temperature
is up to 25°C, or 75% if the temperature exceeds 25°C.
Maximum environment temperature at which the appliance
will still operate correctly depends on the make (class) of your
appliance, as indicated on the rating plate.

Class Environment temperature

SN (subnormal) from +10°C to +32°C

N (normal) from +16°C to +32°C

ST (subtropical) from +16°C to +38°C

T (tropical) from +16°C to +43°C

• A damp cellar or basement is not an appropriate place for a
freezer chest; the same applies for a balcony or other place
where the appliance would be exposed to direct sunlight.
The freezer chest must be placed on dry and suffi ciently solid
surface which allows it to stand stably and horizontally even
when fully loaded.

• The appliance should not be integrated in a cupboard or other
furniture. Allow at least 2-3 centimeter of clearance around the
chest for free circulation of air.

• Clearance from the wall on the back is defi ned by the hinge.

• The appliance is fi tted with a condenser unit which radiates
heat into the environment. The condenser unit is installed on
the back wall, directly underneath the sheet metal layer of the
back and front wall of the appliance. For correct operation,
allow suffi cient cooling of these surfaces; do not block them or
line them with any objects.

Electrical connections

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Connect the appliance to the power mains using a connection
cable. The wall outlet should be fi tted with a ground contact
(safety socket). The specifi ed nominal voltage and frequency are
indicated on the appliance rating plate. The appliance must be
connected to the power mains and grounded in compliance with
the effective standards and regulations.

The appliance will withstand short-term deviations from the
nominal voltage, but not more than +/- 6%.

Air circulation around
the appliance

• The appliance should not be integrated in a cupboard or other
furniture. Allow at least 2-3 centimetres of clearance around
the chest for free circulation of air.

• With models with a visible condenser unit installed on the back
wall, make sure the clearance from the wall is at least 70 mm
(see fi gure).

70 mm

• With models with a condenser unit installed directly under
the sheet metal cover on the back wall of the appliance, the
clearance from the wall is defi ned by the hinge.

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Operating the appliance

CONTROL UNIT I

CONTROL UNIT II

DCBA

A

A Temperature settings knob – Switching the appliance on/off – Activating the super

freeze function

B Signal light on: Super freeze function is activated
C Signal light on: The appliance is powered (there is voltage in the appliance)
D Signal light on/ fl ashing: High temperature alarm

Switching on the
appliance

Rotate the thermostat knob A clockwise towards the thicker end
of the sign.

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DCB

Switching off the
appliance

Control unit I:

When the appliance is switched on for the fi rst time, the D signal
light will be on. It will go off automatically when the freezer cools
down to a temperature that no longer presents danger of food
spoilage.

Control unit II:

When the appliance is switched on for the fi rst time, there
is a 24-hour delay in temperature alarm operation since the
appliance will not have reached the adequate temperature. Thus,
unnecessary activation of alarm is prevented.

Rotate the A knob back to the position in which the arrow is
aligned with the symbol (appliance will remain powered, i.e.
there will still be electric current in the appliance).

The signal light C will remain on.

Selecting the
temperature in the
appliance

• Recommended setting for the thermostat knob A is half way
between the thinner and the thicker end of the sign.

• Temperature inside the appliance is affected by the
temperature in the environment and by how often the cover is
opened.

Adjust the thermostat knob setting accordingly.
Positions towards the thicker part of the sign mean a lower

temperature in the appliance (cooler). Settings towards
the thinner part of the marking mean a higher temperature
(warmer).

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Starting up the appliance

Signal light D will be on/will fl ash when the temperature in the
freezer rises to a level that is too high, and goes off when the
temperature drops back to a level that no longer represents food
spoilage hazard (see section »Troubleshooting«).

Switch on the appliance and rotate the thermostat knob to the
intensive freezing (»super freeze«) position .

Control unit I:
All three signal lights will be on (B, C, D).

Control unit II:

Signal lights B and C will be on.

Insert the fresh food into the appliance several hours after the
signal light D went off.

Freezing fresh food

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Correct use of the appliance, appropriate packaging, maintaining
the right temperature, and observing the food hygiene standards
has a decisive impact on the quality of fresh food freezing or
storage of frozen food.
Use only food suitable for freezing, i.e. food which tolerates low
temperatures well.

• Use premium quality food.

• Only freeze fruit and vegetables that are absolutely fresh.

• Use suitable packaging and pack the food correctly.

• The packaging should be air and water tight as this would
cause the food to dry out and loose vitamins.

• Films and bags should be soft and fl exible to fi t the food being
stored.

• Freezing boxes and containers must seal well.

• It is of vital importance that food is frozen as quickly as
possible. Therefore, particular packages should not be
too large and food should be cooled or refrigerated before
freezing.

10

Freezing process

• Activate the super freeze function 24 hours before freezing
fresh food:

- rotate the A button to the position (signal light B will light

up)

- insert fresh food into the freezing compartment.

Before placing the food in the appliance, cool it to room
temperature. Make sure the fresh food is not in contact with the
food that is already frozen.

• Maximum amount of fresh food that may be inserted at once is
specifi ed on the appliance rating plate.

• If the amount of food to be frozen exceeds the indicated
amount, the quality of freezing will be inferior; in addition, the
quality of the food already frozen will deteriorate.

• If you need to freeze a large amount of food, repeat the
freezing process several times.

• When freezing smaller quantities of food (1-2 kilograms),
activating the super freeze function is not required.

• After the end of the freezing process, rotate the A dial back
to the desired setting, even if the B signal light is not on (this
means that suffi ciently low temperature has already been
reached.

• If the freezer boost is not deactivated manually, it will be
automatically switched off after approximately 2 days. Then
the temperature of the freezer compartment returns to the
most recently set value (knob position remains at ).

Storing frozen food

Defrosting frozen food

Storage time for frozen food depends on the composition of the
food, quality, expiration date, etc. High fat content in particular
will shorten the maximum storage time. Thus, lean meat may
be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months, while fatty meat
will only keep 4 to 6 months. Store the food in tightly sealed
containers or appropriate packaging.

Factory frozen food

Duration and temperature of storage for factory frozen food are
indicated on the packaging.

- Only choose appropriately packaged food.

- Protect the food from defrosting; temperature increase will

shorten maximum storage time of frozen food.

Use the partially or completely defrosted food as soon as
possible.
Partial thawing decreases the nutritive value of the food,
particularly fruit, vegetables, and ready-to-eat food.

11

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Approximate storage
time for frozen food

Type of food Storage time (months)

123456789101112

Vegetables

Fruit

Bread, pastry

Milk

Prepared food dish

Meat: beef

Veal

Pork

Poultry

Venison

Chopped

Smoked sausage

Fish: lean

fat

Entrails

+

+

+
+
+

+++

+++

+

+

+

Defrosting and cleaning the appliance

+++

++ +

++ +

+++

+++

Defrosting the appliance

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• Defrost the appliance once or twice per year, or more often
if the door is opened frequently. A thicker layer of frost may
accumulate in some areas, particularly around the air exhaust
valve. This is a normal phenomenon resulting from the entry
of humid air. Occasionally scrape the frost with the supplied
scraper.

• Approximately 24 hours before defrosting, rotate the (A) knob
to the super freeze position (signal light B will light up), to
cool the food to a very low temperature.

• Unplug the appliance from the wall outlet/socket.

• Empty the appliance and protect the food from defrosting.

The fastest way to remove the accumulated frost

Use the supplied scraper to scrape the frost layer from the
freezer chest surfaces. Then, use a soft cloth to remove the frost
from the freezer before it melts.

Removing frost by thawing

If the frost layer is too thick to be scraped off, it has to be at least
partially melted.

• Remove the plug (1) on the front side of the freezer.

• Insert the supplied tube into the opening (2) an place a container
to collect the water from the melted frost underneath it.

• Remove the plug (3) on the bottom of the freezer.

• Leave the cover open to speed up the thawing process. Use a
soft cloth to wipe the interior surfaces. Replace both plugs and
save the tube for later use.

• Do not use any defrosting sprays as they may melt the plastic
parts or harm your health.

Cleaning the appliance

Putting the appliance out
of use

Unplug the appliance from the wall outlet/socket before
cleaning!

Do not use abrasive or aggressive cleaners to avoid damaging
the surfaces.
When cleaning, make sure you remove all and any detergent
residues after you are done.

• Clean the interior with a solution of water and some diluted
vinegar or baking soda (1 tablespoon per 1 litre of water).
Finally, wipe all surfaces dry with a clean cloth, rinsed in clean
water and thoroughly wrung.

• Clean the exterior using a soft cloth and water with a small
amount of detergent.

To clean the cover gasket, use mild soapsuds.
Clean lacquer coated surfaces with a soft cloth and alcohol-

based cleaner (e.g. glass cleaner). You may also use pure
alcohol (ethanol or isopropyl alcohol).

Do not use abrasive cleaners or special aggressive cleaners

such as stainless steel cleaners etc. on plastic and lacquer­coated parts.

• If your appliance has the condenser unit installed on the back
wall of the appliance, use a soft non-metal brush or a vacuum
cleaner to occasionally (at least once per year) remove the
dust from the condenser unit.

Unplug the appliance, empty it, defrost it, and clean the interior.
Put an open box of baking soda in the appliance interior and
leave the cover ajar.

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Troubleshooting

Faults may appear during appliance operation.
Following is a list of some faults that are most commonly the result of improper use and which you
can fi x yourself.

Problem Cause Remedy

After connecting to the mains, the
appliance
does not work.

Continuous or very long
operation.

The freezer chest is vibrating or
making too much noise.

Moisture accumulating on exterior
walls.

Excessive accumulation of frost
in the freezer chest interior.

The outlet/socket is not powered.

Appliance is not switched on.
The (A) knob is set to position,
which means the appliance is
switched off.

Cover open too long.

Thermostat knob set to a setting
that is too low.

Inadequate condenser unit cooling. Make sure the air can circulate

Thermostat knob is in the super freeze position (signal light B is on).

Incorrect installation. Provide solid surface underneath

The freezer chest is in contact with
a wall or adjacent furniture.

Humid room. Move the appliance away from

Inadequate fl oor insulation.

Prolonged hot and humid weather.

Freezer chest opened too long or too frequently.

Too large quantity of insuffi ciently cooled food.

Poor cover seal. Make sure you removed the plastic

Switch on the appliance by rotating
the thermostat knob (A) (see
section on operating the appliance
– switching on/off).

Rotate the knob clockwise to a
position between the thinner and
thicker end of the sign.

Rotate the thermostat knob A
towards the thinner part of the
marking sign.

freely at the back and front wall of
the appliance.

Remove the dust from the
condenser unit (if your appliance
has the condenser unit installed on
the back wall of the appliance).

the appliance.

Move the freezer chest.

the walls – fl oor to allow better air
circulation around the appliance.

spacers and that the food is not
preventing the cover from being
fully closed.

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Problem Cause Remedy

Signal light (D) is on/is fl ashing. The appliance has not reached the set temperature yet.

• Too large quantity of insuffi ciently cooled food will increase the
temperature in the freezer chest interior. The light will go off when the
food cools down to the set temperature.

• A prolonged power failure.

• Cover opened too frequently or too long.

Signal light (B) does not light up
although the SF function is activated.

Cover is diffi cult to open. Clogged air evacuation valve on

• The appliance has already reached the set SF temperature.

the back of the appliance (only
with some models).

Remove and clean the valve as
shown in the fi gure.

Replacing the interior
lighting bulb

Before replacing the light bulb, disconnect the appliance from the
power mains!
Use a screwdriver to undo the screw on the plastic cap and
remove it (see fi gure).
Then, replace the blown bulb with a new one (E14, 15W). Do not
discard the bulb with organic waste.

The bulb is a consumable and therefore not covered by
warranty.

Bulb lamps used in this appliance are special purpose lamps
selected for household appliances use only. They are not
suitable for household room illumination.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGES THAT DO NOT

AFFECT THE APPLIANCE FUNCTIONALITY.

Instructions for use of the appliance can also be found on our
website at www.gorenje.com / < http://www.gorenje.com />

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