Yes, a freezer can be too full. If there's no room for air to circulate, then the air (and food) at the very back will be cold, but the food by the front could start to warm up or thaw. The poor air circulation might also mean the temperature in the refrigerator goes up a little bit too.
If your freezer is fully packed out, it can lead to minimal air being able to circulate around the freezer. This leads to moisture building up inside the appliance and turning into ice. The longer your freezer is overpacked, the more ice that will form and build up.
It's recommended to keep the freezer 70% to 85% full. Too much stuff in there will limit air circulation within the appliance — and too little will cause all the cold air to spill out of the appliance every time it's opened.
Freezer burn is when foods in the freezer are exposed to cold, dry air, which causes them to dehydrate and form ice crystals over time. This process affects the quality of the foods, rather than the safety.
Overloading your fridge or freezer prevents air from circulating to keep your food cold. This makes the compressor work harder which can lead to failures. If the compressor fails, your fridge can't cool meaning all your food will spoil.
Overfilling the freezer can block air vents, restrict the flow of cold air, and overtax your refrigerator's condenser, which could lead to a burn out.
Storage tip: Keep your freezer full, but not packed. Keeping your freezer around 75-80% full helps retain cold air. If the freezer is fully filled, food may block the internal air vents, making it harder to distribute cold air throughout the freezer.
Note: Freezer storage is for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely.
These principles apply to meat, poultry, shellfish, some vegetables and cooked foods. Do not refreeze ice cream and similar frozen desserts. You can cook and eat thawed but still cold food mixtures like casseroles, pot pies, frozen dinners or pizzas but do not refreeze them.
Keep it stocked
A full fridge is a happy fridge because the thermal mass of its contents helps maintain the temperature (or in other words, the cold stuff helps keep it cold). In a full fridge, the compressor won't need to cycle on and off as much, which will extend the life of the compressor and reduce running costs.
OVERPACKING
If your freezer is not working, the first thing to check is if the shelves are packed too tightly. Overstuffed freezers can cause an airflow blockage, especially when the evaporator fan is blocked. If your freezer is not cold enough, try clearing off your freezer shelves.
So, why is the freezer not keeping the ice cream frozen? Well, ice cream is less dense than other frozen foods, so melted ice cream usually means your freezer either has a minor cooling issue or it is an indication that a freezer component is failing and needs to be repaired or replaced.
To make the most of the available space in your freezer, place food in square or rectangular containers. These stack well and take up less space, which is perfect for anyone trying to fit lots of food into their freezer.
Wrap the food properly or put it in sealed containers
If you do not seal your food it can get “freezer-burn”. This means that water escapes from the food and moves to the coldest part of the freezer – leaving your food dehydrated. While this affects the quality of the food, it will still be safe to eat.
If there are small ice crystals, this shows that the food has lost its moisture. If the ice crystals are very large, this may indicate that the meat has thawed and refrozen, meaning that it is likely to spoil.
Two hours is the limit for keeping food safe outside the refrigerator or freezer; one hour if the outside temperature is 90 °F ( 32.2 °C) or above. Frozen food can thaw if it is exposed to the sun's rays even when the temperature is very cold.
The short answer is no, the flavor and texture will be affected when food is refrozen. Cells within the food expand and often burst when food is frozen. They often become mushy and less flavorful. This is why fresh foods taste better than frozen foods.
We do not recommend refreezing Uncrustables® products. Doing so may create ice crystals that cause the bread to become soggy when thawed.
Zip-top bags are great for freezing food because it's easier to get all the air out of them than it is with rigid containers. And zip-top bags have an added space-saving benefit: You can stack them, if you lay them flat to freeze first.
While a full freezer runs more efficiently than an empty one, overfilling it can potentially block the air vents. This in turn will restrict the air circulation and put added pressure on the motor and condenser.
The majority of the energy your freezer uses goes towards cooling down the air that comes in when you open the freezer door. When your freezer is full, there is less room for warmer air to take up, and the items that are in there help to cool down any air that does sneak in. So keeping it full means less energy used.
This ensures any bacteria present in the food will not grow and multiply, keeping the food safe to eat for longer periods of time. However, most freezer manufacturers recommend keeping the appliance between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal performance.